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Advice on Komatsu
- Thread starter D21S-5
- Start date
scottwolowich
Well-Known Member
Get an excavator instead
scottwolowich
Well-Known Member
what do you plan to do on the property and what is the terrain like?
Previous property pushed up several piles of rock, dirt, and tree stumps. Also started what looks like a pond, although there is nothing to feed it. I would dig the "pond" out some more and start filling it in with rock and stumps and cover with the dirt left over.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
You might be better off with a larger skid steer or CTL. The loader in your pics. has way more than 600 hours and has been repainted. What kind of price are they asking? The other important thing is parts availability. I don't think the D21's were too popular in N. America.
Welder Dave
Senior Member
Seems pretty high for what it is. I'd look for something else.
mitch504
Senior Member
The reason the hour meter isn't correct is that most of those that are in the USA were imported as used machines. Most of them got new hour meters when they arrived, I bet the hour meter looks nothing like the other gauges. A few were sold new here, but until recently small construction equipment wasn't popular here. I know a lot more about the -6 machines (1990s) than I do the -5s (earlier). They are good solid real dozers, not converted farm tractors like the chinese stuff from Northern Tool and others. Parts are readily available from Komatsu dealers and aftermarket for -6s, I don't know about -5s.
mitch504
Senior Member
Yep, american hourmeter on a japanese machine. 
I am not near my books to see the exact year, but it doesn't matter on equipment, parts are ordered by serial number, not year. For buying it, what difference does it make if it is 28 y/o, or 35? Condition matters at this point.
Condition of undercarriage is the big thing, then transmission, (that is a direct coupled powershift, btw), then engine, then everything else.
I am not near my books to see the exact year, but it doesn't matter on equipment, parts are ordered by serial number, not year. For buying it, what difference does it make if it is 28 y/o, or 35? Condition matters at this point.
Condition of undercarriage is the big thing, then transmission, (that is a direct coupled powershift, btw), then engine, then everything else.
The owner says the undercarriage is 90%. He buys and sells farm equipment, not sure how much experience he has with dozers. He says it operates like it should. I'm trying to figure out what a fair price would be. Do you know if you can add a grapple to these?
John C.
Senior Member
My serial number source goes back to 1987 and starts there at 60033. Your machine is older than that. The tracks are on backward but they look decent. Ask the seller what 90% means. Anyone in the business would understand 90% in an ad as that much worn. A cold start would tell you a lot about the engine. It should steer freely which is always an issue on those old machines that have likely sat for a long time. Check the back side of the sprockets looking for oil that might be seeping down. The joints in the boom an tilt linkages will tell how hard it has been used and the slop in the control levers will tell you how much it has been used. There should be a panel on the right outside of the machine that has the hydraulic control valve under it. If so, remove it and look at the valve spools for leakage. It isn't a fun job to reseal those but it isn't that expensive. Problems with cylinders are self explanatory. Make sure the tranny works in all the gears. Good Luck!
mitch504
Senior Member
I am always suspicious of percentages people pull out of the air, getting an actual measured percentage is a several step process. From what I could see, that sprocket looks decent (sprocket teeth should NOT be sharp), and the pin and bushing I could see didn't look like it had been moving around?
Check all the oils, level, not milky, not dirty feeling. Think there are 2 dipsticks through the floor, plus the engine one.
I would want to start it it's first time of the day to see how it starts cold, then run it enough to get it all hot. Check engine blow-by. Make sure steering clutches don't slip, disengage when they should, brakes work.
You can add a grapple, but it will take welding and splicing into the hydraulics, not just buying one and plugging it in.
I am seeing decent D21a-6s with a 6-way blade going for $10-12,000 around here, loader probably less?
Check all the oils, level, not milky, not dirty feeling. Think there are 2 dipsticks through the floor, plus the engine one.
I would want to start it it's first time of the day to see how it starts cold, then run it enough to get it all hot. Check engine blow-by. Make sure steering clutches don't slip, disengage when they should, brakes work.
You can add a grapple, but it will take welding and splicing into the hydraulics, not just buying one and plugging it in.
I am seeing decent D21a-6s with a 6-way blade going for $10-12,000 around here, loader probably less?
mitch504
Senior Member
John and I posted together. A 60000 serial number would be a -6, I thought they started in the late '80s. Look at JohnC's videos on undercarriage and some of his others before you go look at it, they are excellent.
Looks like I see tilt cylinder seepage on the bottom of the bucket.
Looks like I see tilt cylinder seepage on the bottom of the bucket.
Besides the tracks on backwards it has new sprockets a sign that the old ones were wore out.
I gona guess the 90% is close--- to wore out , when the pad bolts are as tall as the grousers pretty much wore out .
If you can get pictures of track pins and bushings could tell a little more.
Bob
I gona guess the 90% is close--- to wore out , when the pad bolts are as tall as the grousers pretty much wore out .
If you can get pictures of track pins and bushings could tell a little more.
Bob