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Komatsu Serial Number check Please

John C.

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It is a gray market machine with a Cummins clone engine. Last I looked at it was 2016 when it showed just over 7,000 hour on the clock.
 

Newtek

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Feb 17, 2021
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Seattle, WA
Thanks John, appreciated. So how serviceable is the machine and what should I be "warned" about besides it being gray market which makes the price more attractive? Any sense of market value at just around d 9500 hrs and seemingly still in pretty good shape?

Heading to look at it this weekend.

Thanks a million in advance
 

John C.

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I'd be asking about any pump or engine work. The Cummins clones worked OK but this one should have some blow by out the breather. The pumps could go 5,000 hours or 12,000. If this one has 9K it might be on borrowed time. An oil sample from the reservoir might be worth the thirty bucks. You would be looking for brass or copper in the oil. The rest of the stuff is normal. Movement in the joints, undercarriage wear, slewing bearing up and down and how the engine starts up cold.

I think $26,000 was offered on trade back in 2016. How much are they asking.
 

Newtek

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Seattle, WA
I'd be asking about any pump or engine work. The Cummins clones worked OK but this one should have some blow by out the breather. The pumps could go 5,000 hours or 12,000. If this one has 9K it might be on borrowed time. An oil sample from the reservoir might be worth the thirty bucks. You would be looking for brass or copper in the oil. The rest of the stuff is normal. Movement in the joints, undercarriage wear, slewing bearing up and down and how the engine starts up cold.

I think $26,000 was offered on trade back in 2016. How much are they asking.

They are asking $33K Craigslist / $34.5K Machinery Trader lol. It does have a hydraulic thumb & seemingly clean all round from the pics. My target is around $30K as a "willing to pay price" if its sound enough. I looked an older US model last weekend for $12K, but it would have taken another $15 to fix / replace all the damaged components (just past around job to job by people who didn't maintain in anyway or have a clue). The oil sample is a good idea TY. I do that every 10K for my truck.

One of the big things for me is to know how it was used & serviced as well if any logs of the activity as it tells a lot both about the machine but also the seller. We will see of course if they have done any work to date or know of any done already that would help with any of the noted areas of concern. I will make some calls before the weekend to local servicers / dealers & get a sense of who is willing to do what, where to get a manual as I like to do what I can when possible & sounds like I need to price out a motor & pump just in case. Usage is personal for property clearing, but I want something to keep around vs. sell after done.

Have been reading the these forums where this model is listed or any grey market conversations & it sounds like the grey market for Komatsu is not so bad if one can verify part availability & local servicers.
 

John C.

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I don't know who owns it now or where it is at. I looked at it down by the Pierce County landfill south of Graham. It had some dents and beat up sheet metal back then. Are the owners quitting business, just liquidating the machine because they no longer need it or looking for something newer. Right now no dealer is going to give them their asking price on a trade. Run the market numbers on Machinery Trader to get the ranges in both asking and auction.
 

Newtek

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Feb 17, 2021
Messages
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Location
Seattle, WA
I don't know who owns it now or where it is at. I looked at it down by the Pierce County landfill south of Graham. It had some dents and beat up sheet metal back then. Are the owners quitting business, just liquidating the machine because they no longer need it or looking for something newer. Right now no dealer is going to give them their asking price on a trade. Run the market numbers on Machinery Trader to get the ranges in both asking and auction.

I didnt realize you were local :)... Its in Enumclaw atm & listed on Trader so yeh, will go in with the comparisons. No major exterior damage at all. I will PM you the link.
 

SlatcoAu

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Oct 21, 2020
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Edmonton, Alberta
Looking at a Komatsu Wheel Loader WA470-5H. The only reference I can find in regards to the "H" is for some sort of Hyper Specification lol. Is this a north American model or something imported from Europe?

e816d336-0da1-401d-8f3c-41a74fadbf85.jpg
 

John C.

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German machine. I've only seen one of two of these in the states. I have no idea what the H stands for. Komatsu does do that once in awhile. It may have an odd ball ignition key as well. I had to change the key switch to a standard one years ago.
 

LCA078

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Sep 29, 2019
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292
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Austin, TX
Looking for year and any service records for a D65E sn 40478. Going to look at it this weekend for a ranch dozer but can't find much info on it yet.
 

John C.

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As far as I can tell it's gray market. Serial number doesn't show anywhere in my stuff.
 

LCA078

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Sep 29, 2019
Messages
292
Location
Austin, TX
As far as I can tell it's gray market. Serial number doesn't show anywhere in my stuff.

Thanks, John. That's the serial number reported by the consignment lot but I'll see if I can find more info if I can inspect it in person. Any particular markings I should look for to determine it's true origin?
 

Welder Dave

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Oct 11, 2014
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Canada
Looking at a Komatsu Wheel Loader WA470-5H. The only reference I can find in regards to the "H" is for some sort of Hyper Specification lol. Is this a north American model or something imported from Europe?

e816d336-0da1-401d-8f3c-41a74fadbf85.jpg

Guessing the H stands for Hanomag which is really bizarre. Never knew Komatsu had some kind of partnership with Hanomag.
 

Welder Dave

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Oct 11, 2014
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Like all the bigger players taking over the small ones. Maybe for brand recognition in different countries?
 
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