How far along in the JD450 line can one go before the machines have electronics incorporated into them?
I really don't see that I need any form of electronic control systems in a bulldozer. I can get by with fully mechanical systems, thank you.
Even though I'm an electrical engineer by trade, and have designed some really interesting control systems in my time, I really don't want to add the complexity of such stuff on any of my equipment. Especially, since most of these things are there to prevent operators from being too stupid. I can prevent being too stupid with the Mark-I brain I come with!
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
I ask because I saw a JD450G, looking to be in decent enough shape, but I see what appears to be an electronic panel on the dashboard in the photos. That has me thinking 'uh oh'.
I bet they aren't made from bog-standard bits that one can grab from Digi-Key to fix if they've gone haywire. Well, actually, I bet they *are* made from standard parts, just that the OEMs pay a few cents more to have the parts makers' ID removed and their own added.
I just ran into that with a Philips plasma display that decided to have start-up issues about a year out of warranty. Philips has no service information, wanting one to fork over $1200 for a power control board. New sets are less than that, of course. However, I lucked out. Someone dumped the factory design data all over the internet, and so I was able to cross those Philips marked parts to standard ones and fix the fool thing - for $20 bucks worth of parts from Digi-Key, including shipping.
![Smile :)](./images/smilies/icon_smile.gif)
I doubt I'd get so lucky with an electronic control board from Deere.
![Razz :P](./images/smilies/icon_razz.gif)
Anyway, how far along can one go before electronics show up? JD450D, perhaps?
Anything else to worry me about newer machines than electronics I can't fix myself because they made it obscure???
I figure someone knows. Hey! Digitup!
![Wink ;)](./images/smilies/icon_wink.gif)
Heck, I don't really want a 'G' anyway - they're too new and cost a bit too much for what I need. I'd like to have a newer, larger dozer than my 420c, but would like to keep the cost down under $20k. I'm sure that this rules out a 450G, even though machines are showing up a lot more frequently now that outfits are getting into money troubles around here.
Anyway, the thought about dozers and electronics popped to mind, and I really don't know when they first started showing up....
Later!
Stan