Nitelite
Senior Member
I have some work to be done on my farm, 35 acres that I have owned and have lived on for more than 40 years. I need to clean out a 1 ½ acre lake that has accumulated about three to four foot of silt after 25 years. It does have a solid rock bottom under all of that silt. I also need to do some spillway work. I have roads to repair and culverts to install. I need to ditch the upper side of some of the roads. I also have some trees to take down for the saw mill and some stumps to remove from past logging on the property. I do have a Cat D4-E dozer with a MAPT 10 foot blade.
I have convinced myself that, in addition to the dozer, I also need a track loader! Money is tight but I am considering buying a Cat 951-C. Serial # 86J2188. I met with the owner and went over the machine pretty good today. Paint and general condition is fair. I think the bucket is just a standard 1 ¼ yd. The bucket has been re bushed with new pins and all is tight and well.
The rear sprockets, track link, track chains idlers, rollers, top and bottom, look good, and I would guess 75 % life left. The tracks are not SALT. The pins and bushings have not been turned and are nowhere near ready to be turned. The seals in one track adjuster have been replaced; both sides work and adjust ok according to the owner. All ten lower rollers turn by hand and have no play.
The track shoes are shot. The owner bought a new complete set of triple grouser shoes that are 18’’. The machine cannot run the 18’’ shoes because they are too wide and will hit the frame on the inside. The track shoes were ordered by a dealer for a customer years prior and were never picked up. They were stacked outside for years and sold to the 951’s owner for ½ price with the understanding that they would need to be cut down. The bolt pattern is the same and otherwise they will fit. The owner tried the gas ax on the new shoes but decided to give up. He has a friend who has access to a huge sheer that will sheer off 2’’ on one side of all of the shoes. The friend wants $200.00 to sheer the shoes. Half of the shoes will be sheered on the right and the other half will be sheered on the left so as to accommodate both sides of the tractor. The new set of shoes will come with, and will be included in the price of the loader. I agreed to pay the $200.00 charge, above the price of the loader for the sheering, if I do decide to buy the machine. There are also extra new shoes in the deal. I know that I will need to purchase new bolts and nuts and I am aware of the time and trouble it will take to replace the shoes. I know that an offset shoe may seem a little odd but after the idea settles in, I think it will work out just fine. I will be working in dirt and mud, no rocks. Cleaning out the lake, I can use the most floatation that I can get. What are your thoughts, pro and con?
After running the engine here was some antifreeze in the seam on the top tank. It may have come from the overflow because the rubber overflow tube was missing, or it could be a pin hole in the top tank, I could not tell. The antifreeze was clean and full. There were no visible bubbles in the radiator when the engine was running.
Both lift cylinders will need to be rebuilt as they both drip. The chrome rods and outer cases look to be in good condition. I can re-build the cylinders myself. Parts are about $50.00 each.
Just after shutting the engine down I unscrewed the filler cap on the hydraulic tank. I noticed that there was pressure in the tank and it spewed a small amount of air as I unscrewed the cap. Is that normal? The pressure build up was not caused by heat or the sun, it was a cloudy day and raining.
I could not see through the sight glass to check the hydraulic fluid level. The engine oil level was at the add mark and dirty. I did see a very small amount of oil on the ground where the machine was parked for two weeks. No leaks from the final on the inside of the sprockets.
Now for the big question and possible deal breaker. Before the engine was started and according to the owner it had been two weeks since it was last used, I felt of the manifold, head and filters to verify that the engine was dead cold. Outside temperature was about 75 degrees F. Glow plugs were used for about 30 sec. and the engine fired right up. The old engine sounded pretty good. Some white, to bluish smoke was seen. We let it run at a fast idle for about ten to fifteen minutes and operated the hydraulics which seems strong despite the leaking lift cylinders’. I had him shut the engine down, wait ten minutes and try to restart it. The starter engaged and spun up to normal revs but the engine refused to even try to start. Heat the glow plugs for 10 to 15 sec. and it will stubbornly fire up. We repeated the process of starting, shut down, wait, and restarting several times. Each time it needed glow plugs. With ought using the glow plugs on the already warm engine. I think the starter could have grinded away until the battery was dead and it would not have even tried to start. As it was cranking the white, to bluish white smoke spewed from the stack. What do you think? Is this, or could this be a major problem?
As it had been raining all day and was very muddy, I did not try to operate the machine because it would have torn up the ground. I asked him to move the machine forward and backwards. It preformed ok. I have never operated a loader. He guarantees that the steering is ok and denies any other known problems.
His asking price was $12,900. After haggling we agreed on $10,000. All operators, repair, and parts manuals that he has goes with the machine. The new shoes and extra new shoes are included with the understanding that I will pay the $200.00 for the sheering of the shoes.
The owner seems to be an honest person and says that he bought the loader from his father. Says that his dad bought the loader when it was two years old. The son has owned it for more than twenty years now and used it to load top soil that they dug and sold from their farm. They just sold the farm and now need to get rid of the loader.
According to the specs the loader weighs 28,000 lbs. It will need to be transported 117 miles from Kentucky to Tennessee. One hundred of those miles are interstate and the rest on state highways. A professional heavy hauler gave me a flat price of $500.00 to transport and unload the machine.
I have raked and scraped to save for a loader that I might be able to afford. This seems to be my best chance to own one. I am prepared to spend what I have on the loader and the known needed repairs. I just have no money for big surprises, or to waste.
I am too old to be playing in the dirt and working on old cats, but I love it. I would appreciate any and all ideas, comments and suggestions. I agreed to let the owner know, one way or the other, within five days from 9/29/2013.
What are the weak and strong points experienced with a Cat 951-C
Thanks
I have convinced myself that, in addition to the dozer, I also need a track loader! Money is tight but I am considering buying a Cat 951-C. Serial # 86J2188. I met with the owner and went over the machine pretty good today. Paint and general condition is fair. I think the bucket is just a standard 1 ¼ yd. The bucket has been re bushed with new pins and all is tight and well.
The rear sprockets, track link, track chains idlers, rollers, top and bottom, look good, and I would guess 75 % life left. The tracks are not SALT. The pins and bushings have not been turned and are nowhere near ready to be turned. The seals in one track adjuster have been replaced; both sides work and adjust ok according to the owner. All ten lower rollers turn by hand and have no play.
The track shoes are shot. The owner bought a new complete set of triple grouser shoes that are 18’’. The machine cannot run the 18’’ shoes because they are too wide and will hit the frame on the inside. The track shoes were ordered by a dealer for a customer years prior and were never picked up. They were stacked outside for years and sold to the 951’s owner for ½ price with the understanding that they would need to be cut down. The bolt pattern is the same and otherwise they will fit. The owner tried the gas ax on the new shoes but decided to give up. He has a friend who has access to a huge sheer that will sheer off 2’’ on one side of all of the shoes. The friend wants $200.00 to sheer the shoes. Half of the shoes will be sheered on the right and the other half will be sheered on the left so as to accommodate both sides of the tractor. The new set of shoes will come with, and will be included in the price of the loader. I agreed to pay the $200.00 charge, above the price of the loader for the sheering, if I do decide to buy the machine. There are also extra new shoes in the deal. I know that I will need to purchase new bolts and nuts and I am aware of the time and trouble it will take to replace the shoes. I know that an offset shoe may seem a little odd but after the idea settles in, I think it will work out just fine. I will be working in dirt and mud, no rocks. Cleaning out the lake, I can use the most floatation that I can get. What are your thoughts, pro and con?
After running the engine here was some antifreeze in the seam on the top tank. It may have come from the overflow because the rubber overflow tube was missing, or it could be a pin hole in the top tank, I could not tell. The antifreeze was clean and full. There were no visible bubbles in the radiator when the engine was running.
Both lift cylinders will need to be rebuilt as they both drip. The chrome rods and outer cases look to be in good condition. I can re-build the cylinders myself. Parts are about $50.00 each.
Just after shutting the engine down I unscrewed the filler cap on the hydraulic tank. I noticed that there was pressure in the tank and it spewed a small amount of air as I unscrewed the cap. Is that normal? The pressure build up was not caused by heat or the sun, it was a cloudy day and raining.
I could not see through the sight glass to check the hydraulic fluid level. The engine oil level was at the add mark and dirty. I did see a very small amount of oil on the ground where the machine was parked for two weeks. No leaks from the final on the inside of the sprockets.
Now for the big question and possible deal breaker. Before the engine was started and according to the owner it had been two weeks since it was last used, I felt of the manifold, head and filters to verify that the engine was dead cold. Outside temperature was about 75 degrees F. Glow plugs were used for about 30 sec. and the engine fired right up. The old engine sounded pretty good. Some white, to bluish smoke was seen. We let it run at a fast idle for about ten to fifteen minutes and operated the hydraulics which seems strong despite the leaking lift cylinders’. I had him shut the engine down, wait ten minutes and try to restart it. The starter engaged and spun up to normal revs but the engine refused to even try to start. Heat the glow plugs for 10 to 15 sec. and it will stubbornly fire up. We repeated the process of starting, shut down, wait, and restarting several times. Each time it needed glow plugs. With ought using the glow plugs on the already warm engine. I think the starter could have grinded away until the battery was dead and it would not have even tried to start. As it was cranking the white, to bluish white smoke spewed from the stack. What do you think? Is this, or could this be a major problem?
As it had been raining all day and was very muddy, I did not try to operate the machine because it would have torn up the ground. I asked him to move the machine forward and backwards. It preformed ok. I have never operated a loader. He guarantees that the steering is ok and denies any other known problems.
His asking price was $12,900. After haggling we agreed on $10,000. All operators, repair, and parts manuals that he has goes with the machine. The new shoes and extra new shoes are included with the understanding that I will pay the $200.00 for the sheering of the shoes.
The owner seems to be an honest person and says that he bought the loader from his father. Says that his dad bought the loader when it was two years old. The son has owned it for more than twenty years now and used it to load top soil that they dug and sold from their farm. They just sold the farm and now need to get rid of the loader.
According to the specs the loader weighs 28,000 lbs. It will need to be transported 117 miles from Kentucky to Tennessee. One hundred of those miles are interstate and the rest on state highways. A professional heavy hauler gave me a flat price of $500.00 to transport and unload the machine.
I have raked and scraped to save for a loader that I might be able to afford. This seems to be my best chance to own one. I am prepared to spend what I have on the loader and the known needed repairs. I just have no money for big surprises, or to waste.
I am too old to be playing in the dirt and working on old cats, but I love it. I would appreciate any and all ideas, comments and suggestions. I agreed to let the owner know, one way or the other, within five days from 9/29/2013.
What are the weak and strong points experienced with a Cat 951-C
Thanks
