Another machine Iam thinking of buying

howardjohn · Post by **howardjohn** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 8:05 pm

Hello All and happy holidays. I am still in search ofa JD crawler and found another machine that I was hoping to get some advice on. It is a jd 450c on ebay. The item number is 181047153682 My concern is the tracks. The seller stated the under carriage is at 85%. I know pictures are sometimes hard to tell but the track pads look like 50% to me. Also the one track looks loose. You have to scroll through the pictures to find the picture of the track. Do you think the slack is excessive or that the track could be adjusted and tightend? Also I am guessing it is missing the rear counter weight?? Thanks for all your help Howard

Frankdozer · Post by **Frankdozer** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 9:37 pm

The machine looks OK..........Hard to tell with just pictures.........For a purchase like that , I'd rather inspect it in person or ask if the seller will sell it subject to an independent inspection paid for by you. There is a counterweight underneath the rear, but it would need much more. For cheap money you could bolt on a 55 gallon drum and fill it with dirt. I did that and it works perfect. I know that before I purchase anything like that I need to run it and inspect it myself. Figure $100.00 minimum for each hose with new ends, not including labor. Thanks, Frank

05victorylly · Post by **05victorylly** » Thu Dec 20, 2012 11:16 pm

Sure is hard to say just by pictures but the under carriage looks to be between 50-75%. Doesn't look too bad, but honestly I would never buy sight unseen with a crawler.

Ask the guy if you can give him refundable deposit pending inspection.

77 Ford · Post by **77 Ford** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 8:19 am

There is a bunch of adjustment left to take out slack, so the tracks being loose is not a big deal. I'd guess in the 50 to 65% range but it's not terrible at all.

The counterweight is there but something looks funny, the draw bar hitch is made into the counterweight just like my 450c. It slides up under the back of the machine and it's about 6" thick. However, it almost appears to me in the photo the counterweight is welded to the transmission case. Is anyone else seeing that? Or is it just me?

As far as not being enough counterweight, it's all my machine has and I can lift heaping buckets of wet clay (into my dump truck) and never felt anything that would indicate it needed more counterweight.

vestor_guy · Post by **vestor_guy** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 10:27 am

If the slack could have been taken out of the track, the seller would have done so prior to the photo.

Look at the angle difference between the piston and the cylinder in that adjuster. It is significant and indicates the piston is probably broken. That requires breaking the track and new parts for the piston, seals and adjusting cylinder.

Since he did not disclose a broken adjustor, you might suspect other things. He obviously knew it was bad since he took a direct photo of it. It is buyer beware.

77 Ford · Post by **77 Ford** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:02 pm

I guess you have better eyes than me, I'm not seeing the issue with the track adjuster. That's the great thing about this site you get multiple opinions and what one person misses another will catch.

vestor_guy · Post by **vestor_guy** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 1:36 pm

77 Ford, take a close look at the expanded photo. Look at the angle of the cylinder yoke to the track frame. It is slanted upward several degrees and does not match the piston angle. Then look at some other photos of Deere crawlers and you will see the yoke is level. Also, there is something funny in place of the grease fitting where the yoke cylinder is filled.

Again, it is a simple task to tension the track with an ordinary grease gun. He would have done it prior to the photo if it were possible.

scampr · Post by **scampr** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 5:11 pm

i would think if your someone local i would see if you can hurry over and see it.. it might be worth the time and if not you might regret it..At least i have passed on deals and kicked myself after, but then again i have jumped on "deals" and blew it too..lol

howardjohn · Post by **howardjohn** » Fri Dec 21, 2012 6:04 pm

THanks for all the input. I am going to try and take a look at the machine and see if it makes his reserve. I will check out that one adjuster as was pointed out and compare it to the one on the other side. If there is a grease fitting there I will see if it will take grease. If not I will have to assume that the adjustor is bad. Thanks for all the advice I always learn a lot from this sight. Anyone live in southern NJ?? Thanks Howard

little1406 · Post by **little1406** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 1:24 pm

Wow, Frank....

$100 per hose. That makes me real glad that I have my own crimper, a used Coll-O-Crimp (Weatherhead) that I got off Ebay a few years ago. I can make up a 5' long 3/4" hose for about $25-$30 worth of materials...if I buy the stuff from discounthydraulichose.com

But, if I buy the fittings and hose from the local Hydraulic House, it DOES come out near $100 per hose.....!

scampr · Post by **scampr** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 3:40 pm

did you get it???

howardjohn · Post by **howardjohn** » Mon Dec 24, 2012 8:57 pm

No I did not buy it. The winning bid was for $6300.00 a little more than I thought I wanted to pay especially since it needed some track work, had been sitting for 2 years and would have needed all the filters changed and fluids as well as the hydraulic hose that was leaking. Also I got a little turned off because the seller was stating the under carriage was 85% and most of the feed back I got stated the undercarriage was only 50-60%. Which is what I felt it it was. Possibly the owner did not know any better, like me, or maybe he was saying that to get a buyer. Never know when buying a used machine. But I found another machine a 450b with a 4in 1 newer tracks and a new motor and new steering clutches. This one has a small leak by the loader valve and needs a cutting edge on the bucket and teeth. My only concern is the dry steering clutches. I have heard some good and some bad. Any opinions??? THanks for all your help Howard

kedorland · Post by **kedorland** » Tue Dec 25, 2012 8:46 pm

I've been watching on eBay for another machine too for some time.

It may just be me...but it seems the bulk of the machines on eBay are from the Carolinas to Maine...and many are in the New York/New Jersey area.

With the hurricane that passed through the area...how could you know if this machine had been buried under sand/water, the exhaust pipe blown full of sand/water, or if the crankcase has had sea water in it?

It could very well be fine......however, just this old man's opinion....I'd run.

Good luck.

Kevin from Iowa.

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Another machine Iam thinking of buying

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