cheap 1975 350c dozer

[truck209]

Bought this dozer to use at camp here in southern Vt. for 6000.00 did a lot of work at first then the track adjuster cracked open. Bought new adjuster and decided to get new chains and sprockets since we were at the end of adjustment. When we changed the chains we realized the idlers were bad so after installing chains and sprockets six months later bought new idlers. We got idlers on without seperating chains by raising front of dozer and having a winching the track while bumping the track forward. Since I done all this bought another track adjuster and spring covers now it,s all new. Took Ken P advise and bought tech manual. Did more work at camp then one day the dozer wouldn,t start we were adding a lot of oil and smoked a lot. Right now I,m having someone rebuild motor. Someones post said no such thing as a cheap dozer and they were right. I have never opperate this dozer do to leg injury friends do the work. I,m headed for retirement Have about 16500.00 into this but well worth it. My question is have I done all the costly repairs or is there going to be something else just as costly. Trying to figure if I can still afford this machine down the road. Thanks BoB

[pondhogvt]

Hi Bob,

I see you are from southern VT and I am from Northern Vt, so I thought it would be neighborly to respond. I think no one has responded because it is just to much of a loaded question.

the dozer is always worth it when it runs and always a pain when it doesn't. Too hard to predict what might happen. One thing for sure the 350c model will not give you the steering clutch problems that the older ones experience. the dry clutches really do work good but they hate sitting around. It sounds like you don't use yours much so the C-model with wet clutches is definitely a good choice on your part.

If you should need advice don't hesitate to call, I'm no expert on 350's , I know 450's much more,but I am gaining some valuable and expensive experience on 350's as well.

Besides you're gonna need that dozer to pull out your big Buck next as I hope we all do, Best regards. Mark.

[Lavoy]

Guess I missed this one, sorry.
You can never say something else won't come up, but you have eliminated a lot of the larger items, so barring a catastrophe, you should be good on them.
Any machine that is used may break, but this is normal, and may or will occur regardless of what you fix, it just happens some times.
Lavoy

[Stan Disbrow]

Hi,

Yes, it does sound like you have it pretty well caught up to there.

You might have been thinking of my tagline, there. There really is no such thing as a cheap crawler. You either pay a large fee to begin with, or a pile of smaller fees later, it does seem....

Stan