Geardoc
Active Member
I'm not looking for any advice here, per se, just some perspective, if anyone wants to share.
In terms of crawlers: I own a John Deere 440 dozer, and a 1969 International TD6-62 DROTT skid shovel.
I'd like to have another crawler, something with more power than the 440. I like John Deere stuff.
I'd like anyone's perspective or opinions on the following machine. I'm not looking for someone to convince me to buy it or not buy it, I just want to read some thoughts, perspective, and opinions. If you are loyal to another brand or think having an older dozer is a waste of money, I appreciate your perspective, but I am only asking about this 450, and it is an old machine and it is a John Deere.
I have found a mid to late 1960's John Deere 450(straight) for $3000 that has the following come with it:
-Complete John Deere 450(straight)
-All Service Manuals and Parts Manuals and Supplements
-John Deere Winch
-John Deere 6 Way Blade
(reason I note John Deere on those two above) is to clarify they are factory parts and are not cobbled up additions
-Ditch Witch Backhoe Unit
-Has 450C Diesel Engine Installed with less than 200 hours, engine was rebuilt and swapped in by a dealer in Bombingham AL
- the HLR Transmission has never been retrofitted- it apparently Slips and Does the Crawl into Gear- didn't do it when I was there
-Rebuilt Final Drives- everything but the housings are new(sprockets, clutches, brakes, etc)
Also Comes With:
-Spare 450 Straight diesel engine, complete, has repairable crack and a spun rod bearing
-Spare Rebuilt 450 Transmission HLR Transmission to final drive assembly(everything there from a flywheel all the way back to the final drives and sprockets) that has never been swapped in. Transmission was rebuilt by a Newnan GA area heavy equip dealer, the dozer was stolen, and the transmission all the way back to the final drives was still there untouched
-New Idlers(not installed)
-New Rollers, not installed, but full set each side, new John Deere parts, in weathered boxes
-New Track Pads(grouser/dozer style pads)
-Bar stock for making pins out of(I am a machinist with my own equipment so no problem to make the pins)
I have contacted the dealers in question, and they remember this machine and its story. The owner purchased it from a shadyass Deere Construction dealer in Alabama. Shortly after that, the engine went. Another dealer went in and got a 450C short block and built it up to a complete unit, it is verifiable it has less than 200 hours from rebuild. Engine runs nice.
The owner is adamant it needs the transmission rebuilt or the good transmission swapped in. In regards to the transmission that is in the machine now, I did not stress it so it did not slip with me, it was sluggish in reverse, it was sluggish cold in high range. I know it has never been retrofitted, however from speaking with two Deere dealers.
I know the history on the spare transmission to final drive assembly- it was part of a dealer completely reconditioned machine(450 but not sure if it is a straight 450 or 450B/C) that was stolen from Newnan GA after reconditioning for the USFS, USFS had it stolen, it was stripped, it was recovered after 3 weeks and the USFS had it auctioned. All that was left was the complete transmission all the way back to complete finals and sprockets- that's what is there in that part. The dealer in Newnan said he would not hesitate to use it to swap transmissions or just internals between the two.
I have never been into a John Deere 450 HLR transmission before, but I have been into and all over International TD6, TD9, TD340, 500H, and John Deere 440, Deere 420, and a whole bunch of tractors since I was 14- 31 now.
All the service manuals are there. I have a building to do the work in. I have a gantry crane, trolley, and hoist to help with lifting. I have my trackloader and the dozer if stuff gets hairy. I have a front end loader on a 70hp Ford 4x4 too. I have every hand tool and diesel tool
Note: I already bought the Ditch Witch backhoe from the owner for $350, because it would fit my 440 and it would be a good replacement for the unit on my Case 380CK(side shift unit, but I want a regular outrigger backhoe unit which this Ditch Witch unit is).
The owner of this machine has $13000 in receipts for the engine and new parts, and that does not include the original dozer purchase price, or the transmission to final drive unit.
I would be giving $2650, and it will cost me about $500 to have it delivered to my farm, from Charlotte NC.
The way I buy everything is that I do not buy anything unless I can work on it and service it, and I do not ever buy anything unless I can afford to buy it outright and not incur any debt. I prefer to buy equipment that needs repair, so that when I go through it, I know what I have. I know it is sometimes easy to spend more money on getting a non-runner or repairable machine fixed than buying one that is supposedly good, but I do my research, and I minimize my risk, and I'd still rather fix a $3000 machine than pay $12,000 for that is supposed to be usable and then dump the same amount into it that a $3000 machine will necessitate. I'm not budging on that part of what I do, it's who I am, it's what I do.
I do not want a newer machine, I do not want anything with any electronics of any type, and I will not be using this full time. I will use it in the woods, I will use it on my farm, I will do some odd jobs, some recovery work with it(getting broke down stuff out of the woods or wilderness), and I will use it do a little rough road work around things like house sites, development sites, or hunting club land. I will not make a living with it- my business is split between my job shop where I do machine work, then some tractor and heavy equipment repair, and finally I got into logging on my family's property. If I am not busy with one of those 3 types of work, it is an extremely rare occurrence.
In terms of crawlers: I own a John Deere 440 dozer, and a 1969 International TD6-62 DROTT skid shovel.
I'd like to have another crawler, something with more power than the 440. I like John Deere stuff.
I'd like anyone's perspective or opinions on the following machine. I'm not looking for someone to convince me to buy it or not buy it, I just want to read some thoughts, perspective, and opinions. If you are loyal to another brand or think having an older dozer is a waste of money, I appreciate your perspective, but I am only asking about this 450, and it is an old machine and it is a John Deere.
I have found a mid to late 1960's John Deere 450(straight) for $3000 that has the following come with it:
-Complete John Deere 450(straight)
-All Service Manuals and Parts Manuals and Supplements
-John Deere Winch
-John Deere 6 Way Blade
(reason I note John Deere on those two above) is to clarify they are factory parts and are not cobbled up additions
-Ditch Witch Backhoe Unit
-Has 450C Diesel Engine Installed with less than 200 hours, engine was rebuilt and swapped in by a dealer in Bombingham AL
- the HLR Transmission has never been retrofitted- it apparently Slips and Does the Crawl into Gear- didn't do it when I was there
-Rebuilt Final Drives- everything but the housings are new(sprockets, clutches, brakes, etc)
Also Comes With:
-Spare 450 Straight diesel engine, complete, has repairable crack and a spun rod bearing
-Spare Rebuilt 450 Transmission HLR Transmission to final drive assembly(everything there from a flywheel all the way back to the final drives and sprockets) that has never been swapped in. Transmission was rebuilt by a Newnan GA area heavy equip dealer, the dozer was stolen, and the transmission all the way back to the final drives was still there untouched
-New Idlers(not installed)
-New Rollers, not installed, but full set each side, new John Deere parts, in weathered boxes
-New Track Pads(grouser/dozer style pads)
-Bar stock for making pins out of(I am a machinist with my own equipment so no problem to make the pins)
I have contacted the dealers in question, and they remember this machine and its story. The owner purchased it from a shadyass Deere Construction dealer in Alabama. Shortly after that, the engine went. Another dealer went in and got a 450C short block and built it up to a complete unit, it is verifiable it has less than 200 hours from rebuild. Engine runs nice.
The owner is adamant it needs the transmission rebuilt or the good transmission swapped in. In regards to the transmission that is in the machine now, I did not stress it so it did not slip with me, it was sluggish in reverse, it was sluggish cold in high range. I know it has never been retrofitted, however from speaking with two Deere dealers.
I know the history on the spare transmission to final drive assembly- it was part of a dealer completely reconditioned machine(450 but not sure if it is a straight 450 or 450B/C) that was stolen from Newnan GA after reconditioning for the USFS, USFS had it stolen, it was stripped, it was recovered after 3 weeks and the USFS had it auctioned. All that was left was the complete transmission all the way back to complete finals and sprockets- that's what is there in that part. The dealer in Newnan said he would not hesitate to use it to swap transmissions or just internals between the two.
I have never been into a John Deere 450 HLR transmission before, but I have been into and all over International TD6, TD9, TD340, 500H, and John Deere 440, Deere 420, and a whole bunch of tractors since I was 14- 31 now.
All the service manuals are there. I have a building to do the work in. I have a gantry crane, trolley, and hoist to help with lifting. I have my trackloader and the dozer if stuff gets hairy. I have a front end loader on a 70hp Ford 4x4 too. I have every hand tool and diesel tool
Note: I already bought the Ditch Witch backhoe from the owner for $350, because it would fit my 440 and it would be a good replacement for the unit on my Case 380CK(side shift unit, but I want a regular outrigger backhoe unit which this Ditch Witch unit is).
The owner of this machine has $13000 in receipts for the engine and new parts, and that does not include the original dozer purchase price, or the transmission to final drive unit.
I would be giving $2650, and it will cost me about $500 to have it delivered to my farm, from Charlotte NC.
The way I buy everything is that I do not buy anything unless I can work on it and service it, and I do not ever buy anything unless I can afford to buy it outright and not incur any debt. I prefer to buy equipment that needs repair, so that when I go through it, I know what I have. I know it is sometimes easy to spend more money on getting a non-runner or repairable machine fixed than buying one that is supposedly good, but I do my research, and I minimize my risk, and I'd still rather fix a $3000 machine than pay $12,000 for that is supposed to be usable and then dump the same amount into it that a $3000 machine will necessitate. I'm not budging on that part of what I do, it's who I am, it's what I do.
I do not want a newer machine, I do not want anything with any electronics of any type, and I will not be using this full time. I will use it in the woods, I will use it on my farm, I will do some odd jobs, some recovery work with it(getting broke down stuff out of the woods or wilderness), and I will use it do a little rough road work around things like house sites, development sites, or hunting club land. I will not make a living with it- my business is split between my job shop where I do machine work, then some tractor and heavy equipment repair, and finally I got into logging on my family's property. If I am not busy with one of those 3 types of work, it is an extremely rare occurrence.
