Does anyone have any info on, or experience with, the Komatsu D85E-12 dozers???

[JDDozerman]

Dang, I hope no one will get upset with me, but I don't know any other way to ask this, except by posting a thread!:beatsme I don't want to go "overboard", so I apologize if I'm doing something "politically incorrect"ointhead!!! I just got a call from a friend of mine who knows someone with a 1978 Komatsu D85E-12 dozer he is willing to sell me. It has 80% left on the entire undercarriage, and it only has 1600 hours on a rebuilt motor, transmission, and torque converter, plus he just had the right final drive rebuilt, or replaced, as well. He sent some pictures of it, and it looks real good, and I guess it runs and operates VERY good as well! I can buy it for $20,000.00, maybe even less, plus it's only 74 miles from my farm! ANY info, input, or experiences, you all could give me about this dozer would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I just want to check out ALL my options thoroughly before I make my final choice on a machine, which I hope to do by weeks end, God willing, and I my brain doesn't short circuit!:Banghead Thanks again for your time and consideration!

JD

 

[monkey]

that's a BIG machine
hell of a price if it's in that good a condition
any way you can test it out for a few hours and see if it's really "right" for you

just my thought and only from my little experience on my dozer, aren't those really for more "solid" ground work.....being the skinnier pads and all that weight. I would be getting that thing stuck all the time........does it have a winch

 

[JDDozerman]

Thanks for the input monkey, I'm really not familiar with this dozer, at least this model, it IS rather big, at 225 hp, but I do have mainly very solid ground, but not much in the way of rocks, which is nice. I don't know that I would be afraid of getting it stuck, I guess if anything I would just wonder if it's "too big", if there is such a thing??? I will mainly be using it for knocking trees over, leveling ground, building, or repairing ponds, cleaning fence rows, maybe building some small "roads", etc., if that's any help? It really does appear to be quite a good deal, but I need to find out more before I really consider it. I have a few other machines I still want to check out as well, I just need to get the best "suited" machine, as well as the best "deal" I can. I just got the call this evening, on this dozer, so it's coming in kind of "late in the game", but the friend who called to tell me about it knows the guy, and the dozer, so I feel I should check it out at least. Thanks again for your input.

JD

 

[monkey]

my input is VERY limited to most on here
I always wish I had something bigger than my D31....but it gets everything done I ask and more

seriously though, that is a big machine

what type of blade set up? Here again from my limited experience, I couldn't imagine not having a 6 way blade for what I use it for. Which sounds very much like your plans....a little of everything around the farm. Just a simple movement of the hand, you're tilting, lifting and or angling. I find myself doing all of that constantly

then there is also fuel consumption on a bigger machine

just throwing thoughts out there