Looking for opinions

[ianjoub]

Hoping a few more sets of eyes may help. I am bidding on this tomorrow:

https://www.equipmentfacts.com/listings/construction-equipment/auctions/online/226939801/2012-cat-329el

 

[sled dog]

Crazy clean for 6700. How is it not beat to **** ?

 

[Jimothy]

I would not bid too far: sprocket, cab and hour meter have got me a bit suspicious, nothing in particular.

 

[ianjoub]

One sprocket looks better than the other.

IT looks like it has been detailed. The inside of the engine area/ filter area the paint all looks good, and not like a cheap repaint. Was it a fire damage and rebuild with paint possibly? Was it a rental machine and maintained at regular intervals at the dealer including thorough cleaning?

I wonder, thus asked for more eyes and more ideas.

 

[CM1995]

Well it has a Thompson Cat certified used sticker on it for what that's worth. Don't know if that is Thompson Tractor (my dealer in AL) or Thompson Machinery of TN. Doesn't look like Thompson Tractor's certified used stickers.



Tractor looks clean and straight. Hour meter could be legit but what gets me is the amount of wear on the seat. However it could have been a machine the operator got in and out of frequently or he was just a fat ass.

Right side track looks like the track tensioner seal is leaking. UC is not great but not terrible. Depending on what the machine goes for could put new tensioner seals, rails and sprockets on it. Aftermarket is fine for an excavator IMO. We put Korean aftermarket on our 321DLCR.

Thompson loaned us a 329FL while we were waiting on our 325FL and the guys really liked it. The tractor was powerful and well balanced. If it were a reduced swing machine we'd bought it.

Overall it looks like a clean tractor and probably will go for top dollar for it's vintage and hours.

From MT high/low average between retail and auction prices.

High/Low/Average | MachineryTrader.com

www.machinerytrader.com

$85-95K range of retail value IMO for this machine sight unseen just by the pictures.

My best advice is don't pay too much...

 

[ianjoub]

I was good until $65, went for $82.5

 

[CM1995]

I was good until $65, went for $82.5

It went right where it should have IMO. Great buy at $65K.

Makes me feel better for what I got in trade for our 325FL with 4K hours and no bucket.

 

[ianjoub]

It went right where it should have IMO. Great buy at $65K.

Makes me feel better for what I got in trade for our 325FL with 4K hours and no bucket.

Probably. I don't need a machine, I am shopping for another toy. I can be patient.

 

[ianjoub]

Any thoughts? Do these tend to be good machines? I don't know much about the Deere stuff.

https://www.rbauction.com/idp/2015-JOHN-DEERE-350GLC?invId=14185934&id=ci&auction=ATLANTA-GA-2023136

 

[CM1995]

Unless it's very, very cheap I would pass. That machine has been abused operator wise and neglected maintenance wise.

 

[ianjoub]

Unless it's very, very cheap I would pass. That machine has been abused operator wise and neglected maintenance wise.

The only obvious things I saw were:

1. The bucket and thumb pins were sloppy, so can likely assume most of the machine has a bit of play.
2. Looks like a water pump may have or still does leak. Lots of rusty water stain slung about the front of the engine. Which means it was not fixed in an expedient manner and got water added instead of antifreeze.

 

[CM1995]

The large dents in the rear end indicate some pretty harsh operators have been on it. Scratches and small dents is one thing but there is more than that IMO on that machine.

Pins being sloppy means the operator didn't grease and supervisors/owner(s) did not follow up or care. After thinking about it the excavator was probably a rental machine.

Not sure the value of used JD iron but it would need to go very cheap for me to be interested.

 

[Welder Dave]

Man I wish I had $65K to just to buy a new toy. I was at my limit buying a ripper for about $1000.

 

[ianjoub]

Man I wish I had $65K to just to buy a new toy. I was at my limit buying a ripper for about $1000.

Yeah, it is just a different set of life problems.

 

[skyking1]

I agree on the 350 it gets a pass for all that and the really funky straight thumb that is out of character for a machine that powerful. It would annoy the crap out of me trying to work with that thumb profile. It looks like a 3rd grader drew it up.

 

[Welder Dave]

Yeah, it is just a different set of life problems.

The toys are what keeps you sane. You can play with the toys and forget all the other crap of everyday life. It can be a pain when you have to fix the toys though.

 

[ianjoub]

The toys are what keeps you sane. You can play with the toys and forget all the other crap of everyday life. It can be a pain when you have to fix the toys though.

lol

My dozer lost a track 1.5 yrs ago. I am going to fix it in 2 weeks. I have made several trips now and think I have everything in order to complete the job next time I go

 

[Welder Dave]

I was so glad I had great help installing the ripper. It's so much better when you work with people who have a similar mindset of how things go together and what to do to make them go together easier. It can seem like real simple things but with the wrong help can make things way more difficult than they need to be.

 

[ianjoub]

Alex Lyon & Son

lyonauctionlive.com

I imagine this will cost a small fortune to move.

I have heard about the no warranty thing except for original buyer, but this is out of that anyway.

Ritchie past sales have this in the $60-70k range.

3 or 4 warning lights, one of which looks like an exhaust thing.

 

[Welder Dave]

The biggest issue is if there's support for it that isn't 100's of miles away.