953 loader opinions

[Ralph Harris]

hey everybody been a while. Been busy.
I sold my backhoes and my Bulldozer I’m looking to upgrade to something bigger. I found a 953 Caterpillar that to me looks excellent. It’s a two Owner machine. All it did was load trucks. It’s whole life about 6000 hours. The owner had a mechanic look at it, legitimate shop

He said that some point the machine has been completely gone through and refurbished and whoever did it did a good job

Question is at $34,000 with the machine and excellent operating condition. I did drive it and tested out.
I know anything happened to something old, but I’m seriously consider purchasing this machine, but I’m always afraid in the back of my mind about wallet emptying repairs according to the mechanic this is a non-Hydro machine

My plans are to clear some old clear cuts take out smaller trees cut some roads and possibly do a small RV park. What do you think about this machine? I’m considering an excavator, but I like the idea of having the ability to push a lot of material.

 

[pittsburgh cat man]

If it's a 953 it is defiantly a hystat

 

[Ralph Harris]

Thanks that’s what I’ve heard. Where did he get power Shift I wonder maybe he didn’t know
Should I hunt down maybe an older John Deere say 550 or 650 honestly I’m not a big fan of the way the loader operated. I’m so used to backhoes and John Deere Bulldozers .

 

[Ralph Harris]

It’s a 1988 to 1990 is what they said

 

[pittsburgh cat man]

It could be a a or a b does it have a large transmission looking bolted to engine all I say is I think after you run it a while you will like it you can see a lot better and the cat engineer that had a lot to do the build of them always told me the hystat would go 3 engine overhauls before the hystat needed a overhaul

 

[CM1995]

If the mechanic didn't know that 953's are hydrostatic you need a different mechanic. That guy doesn't know what he's doing.

Is the 953 an A,B or C?

I have a 2004 953C with 6K hours on it that I bought new. Nothing to be afraid of with the hydrostat if it's been moderately maintained.

FWIW a 953 will do circles around a powershift track loader.

 

[Nige]

It’s a 1988 to 1990 is what they said

Ask for a machine Serial Number. That will enable an exact date of manufacture and the drive system type to be determined.

 

[Ralph Harris]

Yeah, I believe the owner would have no problem. Sending me a picture of the serial number. That’s good to hear on the Hydra stat. I’ve looked at enough equipment to know that this one has had light use. Of course anything can happen.

I’m not a big fan of running the engine wide-open and then controlling the speed with levers maybe I can get used to that I’m so used to driving down to do work. The machine turned so nice. It runs really nice hopefully 34,000 is a decent price for the machine.

I am looking at new skid steers, high flows and also 50 to 70 hp excavators. I know it does have the four-cylinder engine. I’m assuming a 3204 or something like that but I could find out thanks everybody.

 

[pittsburgh cat man]

3204 turbo makes it a a model b would have a 3116

 

[CM1995]

Do you have pics of the machine you can post?

3204 turbo makes it a a model b would have a 3116

B models are solid loaders.

 

[pittsburgh cat man]

not really much difference between a a model and b model except for the engine and charge pump and hyd pump changed location a's have charge pump on front of hystat and hyd pump on the engine b's are the other way because gear train on 3116 didn't have enough hp rating to run the hyd pump

 

[Welder Dave]

I agree the mechanic doesn't know much. 953's came out in the early 80's. A heavy equipment mechanic would of had to have lived under a rock to not know they are hydrostatic. They are/were pretty popular too.

 

[Ralph Harris]

i’m gonna post some pictures when I figure out how to do it. The machine is so clean. I made an offer of 30,000 and I’m gonna bring it home.

It’s big, powerful and simple my kind of machine

 

[Nige]

i’m gonna post some pictures when I figure out how to do it.

Click on the paperclip marked “attach files” in the bottom LH corner of the reply box. Select your photos (there is a limit of 4 per posting), click "Open" and hey presto.........

 

[nicky 68a]

Good evening.
I’m not a traxcavator man as such,but there’s 2 here in the yard where my D9 is snoozing.
The newer one is a 2014 model with 6400 hours and at £67k it’s reasonably priced.
However,the market is extremely poor at the moment and can’t give them away at any price!

 

[nicky 68a]

The older 953D is 16700 hours and a 2007 model.
It gives you an idea of the prices.
I did abit of research,and there aren’t that many 953’s around on Machinery Trader.Those that are,seem to be more expensive than these ones here

 

[CM1995]

Yeah those prices are cheap. I wouldn't take $90K for my 953C with 6k hours on it. 2004 model.

It does have about 500 hrs on a new Cat UC though.

 

[nicky 68a]

They will sit where they are.
Not desperate to sell fortunately.
I agree they are fairly priced too

 

[nicky 68a]

Forgot to mention the older 2007 model is £38k,so pretty decent price,just absolutely no demand for them over here.
Had a few tyre kickers that want them for stock,but zero genuine enquiries

 

[Welder Dave]

i’m gonna post some pictures when I figure out how to do it. The machine is so clean. I made an offer of 30,000 and I’m gonna bring it home.

It’s big, powerful and simple my kind of machine

Not so sure about the simple part. Much less complicated than newer machines for sure. You may have to re-evaluate the simpleness after you've done a few repairs or hose replacements. Good machine though.