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Found a old Bobcat 731 project that needs some work

spitzair

Senior Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
1,009
Location
Squamish BC (Home), Slave Lake, AB (Work)
Overall to me it looks like it’s got potential for that price. Someone has repaired the tilt cylinder mount and the crossbar of the arms like jacobd has pointed out, but from the pictures it doesn’t look like a bad repair... in fact, to me it looks like they’ve beefed up the structural metal that the tilt cylinder bosses are on, this is a common failure point on these machines, one of my 732s (same machine just a Ford gas engine) had a failure there.
For $2500 you really can’t go wrong, you’d easily get that back parting it out. There is a way to make it roll, an easy way ismjust to disconnect the hoses from the drive motors...
Good luck and keep us posted!
 

BajaJames

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
14
Location
Oceanside CA
Overall to me it looks like it’s got potential for that price. Someone has repaired the tilt cylinder mount and the crossbar of the arms like jacobd has pointed out, but from the pictures it doesn’t look like a bad repair... in fact, to me it looks like they’ve beefed up the structural metal that the tilt cylinder bosses are on, this is a common failure point on these machines, one of my 732s (same machine just a Ford gas engine) had a failure there.
For $2500 you really can’t go wrong, you’d easily get that back parting it out. There is a way to make it roll, an easy way ismjust to disconnect the hoses from the drive motors...
Good luck and keep us posted!

Thank you for that info.
Are those under the seat? Which ones specifically ?
If you dont mind taking a picture that would be greatly appreciated
 

tractormech

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Messages
347
Location
florida
No disrespect to any of the members here but as a35 year equipment mechanic here-I don't want to rain on your parade but you wanted opinions so some may not like mine but to each his own. That said, here's mine. There's no way I would give 2500 bucks for that. I'm not cheap, nor do I lowball people. I hate that. The thing is this-that machine is old. The motor is out of it for some reason you don't know. They didn't pull it out for giggles-something's wrong. You have NO IDEA if it runs or even can be made to run, or what it could cost. The hydrostatic pump may be bad-don't know. It's a big question mark. It could cost a fortune to fix it even if you do it yourself. That's just facts. You don't know what may be missing either. If you're lucky just bolts. If not look out. Stuff tends to go missing on stuff that sits. You can look to repack all the cylinders if you get it running-not a deal breaker but it costs money. Are the rods rusted and pitted? Add that cost if they are. It can be a money pit in a hurry. It needs a tire or four as well. They aren't free. I think you said he talked about scrapping it when he moves. As it sits now it's worth about scrap price. If he'll take scrap price then I'd take a chance. It's a good ways away and you have too many unknowns to give a lot of money for it. Unless you can get it cheap I'd pass on it. You'd be deep in the hole at 2500 bucks. You don't want a machine you have 8k in that's worth 4k when your done. That's a bad decision. You can buy a running machine and come out cheaper in the long run. Good luck with whatever you decide.
 
Last edited:

BajaJames

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
14
Location
Oceanside CA
35 year equipment mechanic here-I don't want to rain on your parade but you wanted opinions so some may not like mine but to each his own. That said, here's mine. There's no way I would give 2500 bucks for that. I'm not cheap, nor do I lowball people. I hate that. The thing is this-it's old. The motor is out of it for some reason you don't know. You have NO IDEA if it runs or even can be made to run, or what it could cost. The hydrostatic pump may be bad-don't know. It's a big question mark. It could cost a fortune to fix it even if you do it yourself. That's just facts. You don't know what may be missing either. If you're lucky just bolts. If not look out. Stuff tends to go missing on stuff that sits. You can look to repack all the cylinders if you get it running-not a deal breaker but it costs money. Are the rods rusted and pitted? Add that cost if they are. It can be a money pit in a hurry. It needs a tire or four as well. They aren't free. I think you said he talked about scrapping it when he moves. As it sits now it's worth about scrap price. If he'll take scrap price then I'd take a chance. It's a good ways away and you have too many unknowns to give a lot of money for it. Unless you can get it cheap I'd pass on it. You'd be deep in the hole at 2500 bucks. You can buy a running machine and come out cheaper in the long run. Best of luck to you .

Thank you for the insight and I came here for just that the good, bad and ugly.

Thank you, Im going to talk to the owner again this weekend last I talked to him he is more than willing to accept an offer. I would like to get it for $500 or less considering what I know it needs right now.
You are 100% right it may be only worth scrap or parting out, and I wont know that until we start messing with the engine.
 

tractormech

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Messages
347
Location
florida
Thank you for the insight and I came here for just that the good, bad and ugly.

Thank you, Im going to talk to the owner again this weekend last I talked to him he is more than willing to accept an offer. I would like to get it for $500 or less considering what I know it needs right now.
You are 100% right it may be only worth scrap or parting out, and I wont know that until we start messing with the engine.
"I heard" and "They said" gets you in trouble. He said it ran when they pulled the motor out, so why was it pulled to start with? If the motor was running fine then the Hydrostatics must be giving trouble. Be real careful bud. IF he's talking about scrapping it I'd give him scrap value and save him the trouble of hauling it in. I'm not being ugly, but that ain't no '69 Camaro barn find. It's an old, non-running tractor with no history. Price it accordingly. You may wind up at the scrapper with it yourself if you find out it's junk. A reman pump in an 853 was 2200 bucks a couple months ago so keep that in mind. Good luck.
 

Arny L

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 23, 2020
Messages
277
Location
canada
Just my 2 cents, and I have been a Mechanic, diesel and auto, for 40+ years. I agree with Tractormech 100%. I can t tell you how many times I ve seen someone dive into a restoration, with high hopes, only to give up 3 years and many thousands of dollars later, because the scope of project was way to big, and they didn t have the skills or enough money to finish. Unless you can get it for next to nothing, I would look around for something a bit more together. Again only my opinion. Good luck, what ever you do.
 

spitzair

Senior Member
Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
1,009
Location
Squamish BC (Home), Slave Lake, AB (Work)
I absolutely can’t disagree with tractormech or Arny, their advice is rock solid. Having said that, it seems around here if it runs and moves people want at least $10k for such a machine these days. I bought my latest 732 for $2500 non-running, guy selling it to me told me it worked until it just quit one day. I had no way of knowing the condition of it either but it looked ok in the pictures so I took a chance on it, figured worst case ontario I’d use it for parts for my other machine if I couldn’t get it running or there was something major wrong with it... I lucked out, didn’t take much to get it running but the engine was tired, but luckily the rest of the machine was fairly sound. I used it as it was for a few years while I rebuilt a spare engine I had for it. Now I have a very useable machine that I didn’t pay an arm and a leg for, in fact just this evening I spent 2 hours on it at -20 dealing with the foot of snow we got today.
If you can really get it for $500 or less then you’re laughing. So if you do get it you can undo the hydraulic hoses right on the travel motors, they are behind a cover on the outside of the machine between the front and rear axles on either side. No need to remove the seat. I think they’re either 1 1/18 or 1 1/4” wrench size. Once they’re off the machine should roll with not too much persuasion but be careful, it will roll away on you if you let it. If you still want some pictures I can remove the covers on mine and take some once all the snow melts off of it in the shop...
 

BajaJames

Member
Joined
Jan 29, 2022
Messages
14
Location
Oceanside CA
Oh well some things are just not meant to be.
I just called him and its gone someone picked it up this morning.

Back to my search for another machine.

Thank you all for the help.
 

tractormech

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 19, 2015
Messages
347
Location
florida
Oh well some things are just not meant to be.
I just called him and its gone someone picked it up this morning.

Back to my search for another machine.

Thank you all for the help.
Don't let it bum you out. That was in my opinion a blessing in disguise. You'll find one.
 
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