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Are there any horror stories about newly purchased dozers, then break down?

1693TA

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
2,687
Location
Farmington IL
Occupation
FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
I like reading stories of equipment purchased priced fair and being a good investment, or fitting a want/need exactly. I also like when people are honest and realize they really "effed" up with a purchase, or the damned thing is just a few bucks from breaking a marriage, or causing to take up residency in the poor house. Could do without the crying or pleading online that takes place with the later however. That's called life in general, gains and setbacks, profit and loss etc. Nobody wins 100% but the intelligent learn from mistakes to hopefully not make them again.

I tend to attempt to purchase anything wanted priced fair; not cheap, but FAIR. Have enough in my personal "slush" to fund anything I'd want, and willing to wait on the right deal to come along as financing is not an option, (by choice) for me. Can't actually say if I have good credit or not, as don't know, and nobody shares ownership around here except me and the dog in the little house out back sometimes.
 

Mquinista

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 25, 2022
Messages
260
Location
Europe
Anywhere in the world, machines are machines, when one looks at them at a glance, one see nothing... one got to talk around and give time to the deal and watch , overwatch , and then one start to see things out of place.... then figure out why was this hose replaced, why is that weld there... and so on. I´m no expert, very often fooled, but one can´t do good deals all the time, just cause every time one does a good deal the other part does a bad deal!

Just seen a farm tractor the other day, owner was a comercial company, with own shop and mechanics, they repainted it with decals too, and fix some issues on the tractor, cab is perfect for the age and all devices including AC was working... all mirrors and glasses...new tires and so on, from a far one might got inlove imediatly...

After some carefull looking and searching found out the turbocharger was knocked down, from their mechanic surprise face, looks like they haven´t checked it... engine was blowing by more than expected for the 12k hours it showed, also the hitch wear did not match 12k H, but, when i was down the machine to remove the strainers, i realized they haven´t been touched since new, paint on bolts was original. (usually besides trans fluid replacement every 1k H , manual calls for strainer checks). that was a good sign about the transmission. As this TMX are known to last 20k/30k hour without overhaul. Went home with a day lost.

Months went by and haven´t found nothing better, actually everithing way worst for the same money.

Called the guys, they still had the tractor, told them: are u willing to buy the spare parts so i can rebuild the engine ? they reluctantly agreed and we both made a bad deal...
 

Simon C

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2015
Messages
663
Location
Rocky Mountain House , AB., Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Mechanic
$20- $100K is nothing to spend if an engine fails and if you need to do a transmission and can't do it all yourself. I am currently about to start on an old Komatsu D155 engine that needs crank and lots more. 100K is almost nothing. But a new dozer is over 1 Million Canadian from what I am told.
Buyer Beware.
Simon C
 

Simon C

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2015
Messages
663
Location
Rocky Mountain House , AB., Canada
Occupation
Heavy Equipment Mechanic
Just worked on a Kubota tractor with 3600HRS, 60 H.P. unit. Did all the oils on the machine. It was the first time for all other oils other than the engine. The hydraulic filter was just full of cutttings. There was so many big chunks in it, that it is junked. Owner didn't know you have to change all oils at 50HRS, 600HRS, 1200HRS, 1800HRS, 2400HRS 3000HRS.
Has clean oil in now but is pure junk.
Buyer beware.
Simon C
 

epirbalex

Senior Member
Joined
Aug 5, 2017
Messages
548
Location
Akitio
Occupation
peasant
I thought if a machine can run trouble free for the first 100 hours of use to a new owner the last one more than likely did not know of any issues . Of course that would be out the window if the past owner did a shifty repair job or could see problems coming with SOS . Find the real reason why the machine is being sold and not the offered one . Ask around , folks will know .
 

joe--h

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2009
Messages
1,259
Location
Utah
Friend's customer said "But it had oil in it when I bought it", unfortunately for him, not now.

Joe H
 

JD955SC

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2011
Messages
1,349
Location
The South
LOL horror stories!? Yeah, about every auction purchase throughout this entire website.

“Oh this 50-60 year old dozer runs great and the seller says everything was just rebuilt! Do you think I should buy it?”

A chorus of make sure you check it carefully responses lol

And then the next thread a week later is “It won’t move once the transmission gets hot” or “it over heats after 30 minutes” and “the seller won’t answer phone calls”

Comedy gold lol
 

CM1995

Administrator
Joined
Jan 21, 2007
Messages
13,248
Location
Alabama
Occupation
Running what I brung and taking what I win
I still wonder what happened with the guy who brought 1 or 2 huge mining shovels to his suburban/rural home on here. Thread was going good and then just dropped off.

Forgot about that thread. I'd like to know how it all turned out as well. Big tractors break big parts..
 

skyking1

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
7,465
Location
washington
There is a Komatsu PC800 near the shop, parked right next to Pearson's scrapyard on Portland Ave.
It has the counterweight off and some doors, looks like maybe pumps but I need to stop and walk around it.
I wonder if they unloaded it there to work on deliberately. It is a forklift trip to the scale :)
 

chidog

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2021
Messages
771
Location
kent, wa
$20- $100K is nothing to spend if an engine fails and if you need to do a transmission and can't do it all yourself. I am currently about to start on an old Komatsu D155 engine that needs crank and lots more. 100K is almost nothing. But a new dozer is over 1 Million Canadian from what I am told.
Buyer Beware.
Simon C
I wish I had that sort of pocket change, and could call it nothin.
No wonder all the worn out junk is so over priced.
 

Coaldust

Senior Member
Joined
May 9, 2011
Messages
3,286
Location
North of the 60
Occupation
Cargo Tanks, ULSD, RUG, Methanol, LPG
Even new gear. Leased a brand new D8N to Shaan-Seet on PoW. RH idler was shipped with no oil in it. Ran about 50 hours like that. Had to fly a new one to Trocadero on an Otter. Trying to unload that heavy B without dropping it in Davy Jones locker. Good times. Thanks to those rigging rats who aren’t afraid to lift things mere mortals should not.
 

TnTrouble

Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2023
Messages
16
Location
Tennessee
Purchased a Cat 931 recently. Ran very well. Had blow by...sure! Dont they all?.. Ran for about 20 hours and then the smoke changed color. (blue to white). Started up the ridge toward the ole pole barn to be safe. Made it about half way when the rod started knocking.... tried to shut her down but was too late. Threw a rod out the side of the block! $8500 for the machine. $3800 for a replacement long block. Have not purchased internals or paid the machine shop yet. Maybe not a horror story as much as a cautionary tale of buyer be wary...
 
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