Opinions on JD 750 dozer

[JimHam]

I have been looking at a JD 750 dozer and noticed that the exhaust manifold has a weld right about the center of the manifold. No signs of cracking or leaking otherwise but just wondered about whether this is a red flag i.e. overheating the engine or just a flawed casting that is not a big problem if welded properly. This thing is rusty all over so it apparently has been kept outside. Price is right but anything I need to look at very carefully? Some of the discussions I have seen on these they can have problems tracking straight and that can be hard to fix. They seem to be pretty stout and there is a youtube video of the 750 going head to head with a D6C and the 750 pushed the CAT backwards. Anybody with experience on these that has an informed opinion? Thanks for comments.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I'd be alot less concerned about an exhaust manifold than I would be about the undercarriage, pins and bushings, cylinders, transmission, and engine condition. I have a 550 JD and put alot of man hours into refurbishing the undercarriage in the past two years. The machine ran like a top and shifted great. the undercarriage needed alot of love and now I have a pretty reliable machine. Is it a powershift or torque converter tractor? Does it peddle steer or lever steer? Any particular plans for that large of a dozer?

 

[JimHam]

Owner is claiming 3700 hours, new sprockets, newer grousers, new chain - rollers not changed out. Pedal steer from what I can tell - no joystick or levers. I haven't been to see it yet because it is a pretty good drive but will be going through the area where it is in the next week or so and thought I would go look at it if it is still there. I was looking at this size machine because my property is 55 acres of reclaimed strip mine. Needs a small amount of brush clearing - mostly autumn olive but it has some badly eroded areas and the rock is mixed in with the soil with some very large boulders. Deep gulleys to fill and some acidic areas that need liming and covering with soil to re-establish ground cover. Also want to build a technical training pond with levees, islands etc. so I need to move some dirt there and then dam a small draw to flood it. Would like to add or extend some points to another pond - I train labrador retrievers as my main hobby and need the technical water.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

3700 hours isn't to bad but I would not be to concerned with the hour meter. Most of them barely work if at all. I would check every component regardless of whether he says they are new or not. If you don't know anything about undercarriages take someone with you who does even if you have to pay them. Get the dozer up to operating temperature and bury the blade, it should be able to spin both tracks in low gear. The machine should also track straight in forward and reverse. I don't know if those dozers were hydrostat or not but they should run through the gears easily if not. I'd pull every fluid cap and smell the fluids for any signs of contamination. Also, look at the fuel bowl for any signs of water. If the filters were just changed, i'd be a bit more suspicious. The autumn olive come out of the ground very easily. I cleared about 8 acres with my 5083 and the loader with 0 problems. Sounds like a good matched machine for your needs. The reclaimed strip job may have some gnarly surprises if you tried that with a smaller dozer. Just an FYI, make sure you look into any applicable permits especially for the pond building. It may get pretty in depth. (No pun intended.)

 

[JimHam]

That's good advice. I had planned to take somebody with me if I got serious about buying it. This trip is just to get a general overview and see if I think this guy is telling the truth. I used to work in the coal mines and was a maintenance supervisor for a while so I've been around a lot of heavy equipment and even got to run some during contract strikes but I did not actually work on anything - union rules - so I really know just enough to understand how risky buying used equipment can be. I've been reading on a number of heavy equipment forums and any articles I can find. Also been stopping at HE dealers to look at different machines so I can compare and learn about machines that have been maintained and those that have been abused or neglected. You can tell some things just by doing a walk-around. I shopped for tractors for three years before I pulled the trigger on my Kubota M8200 because I knew enough to realize it was a good deal. Seriously shopping for a dozer but also looking for that machine that has been taken care of and will not - hopefully - cost me a fortune in maintenance costs. I plan to do my big jobs then sell it.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Sounds like you know enough to not get into to much trouble with it then. It should be worth what you paid for it when you are done so long as nothing is to worn out. I'd still budget some money for replacing some common parts if need be. There are several sites online and a salvage yard in myerstown, PA (wengers) that dismantles equipment and sells the parts for pretty good prices. They specialize in Case, JD, and International. I think an idler wheel for my 550 was $500 bucks though. Some other specialized parts can be much more expensive. If you don't have 3/4" sockets, 3/4" ratchets, and a 3/4" impact I'd start shopping for those soon. Working on a dozer with 1/2" just doesn't cut it sometimes. I'd also suggest making sure the oxygen and acetylene tanks are full, they become very useful for heating up frozen bolts! Might as well buy a GOOD grease gun, a case of grease and a lock-n-lube coupler. :thumbsup:

 

[JimHam]

Yep, my brother-in-law is a big farmer and he put me onto the 3/4 drive stuff so since I got into some farm equipment like my tractor and 10Ft bush-hog, JD disk etc. I bought a Milwaukee m18 3/4" impact and a set of heavy duty impact sockets to go with it. Also picked up the Milwaukee m18 grease gun. OxyAcet tanks and torches etc. are definitely on the list. I can't imagine I will put a huge amount of hours on any dozer I buy so I don't think I will add much wear and tear. If I buy the right machine and get lucky I hope the repair/replacement budget will not break me up.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Well thats great to hear about the 3/4" drive tools! Well from what you described earlier to me that sounds like a couple years worth of projects to me! Id say you have several hundred hours ahead of you for sure. If you are not in a hurry it shouldn't be a problem, but if you are up against a time frame, I'd keep some cash handy for parts just in case. It wouldn't be surprising to have to spend $2500 bucks on a dozer that size for something.

 

[Industrial Toys]

The guy that did work for me, had just bought this sweet looking 750. It blew one hose after another, here and later. Finally it blew a hyd drive motor and I think it may be parked ever since. He bought another, not with the wide tracks and I think it may have it's issues too. The cost to repair these things blows my mind!

 

[BrokenTrack]

I was never impressed with the 750 John Deere either.

Mechanically I shattered a left rear sprocket with only 3500 hours on it, and then snapped the track in half hence given me my User name. Yep, clearing land on the side of a mountain and went to back up and watched the top of my track go zipping past the window and pile up by the back of my blade. That was a sickening feeling!

I also thought it never had a lot of power, nor capacity. Going a step up to the John Deere 850 seemed to get far more for the money in my opinion.

My wife emotionally attached to her favorite White Pine. (LOL)