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I bought a JD450 crawler loader (1970 model) last year to use on the family farm of 240 acres. Since it's 100 miles from where I live I have a time problem. I'm not real experienced with tracked equipment, but since nobody's answered you yet I'll throw in my two cents. Mine just had the engine and clutches, etc. rebuilt. The sprockets and undercarriage seem to be in very good shape. I have street tracks and am thinking about replacing them. I did find I spend a lot of time chasing hydraulic leaks and a leak in the cooling line on the transmission down. All heavy mechanical work. Always finding bolts to tighten and other time consuming work to do. Sure could use an acetylene welder and cutter also. Spent two days getting a snap ring out of the main hydraulic arm to replace an o-ring that was leaking. Things like that with a 30+ year old machine.
Need to find time to learn to use it properly also. My wife says I keep leaving holes big enough to lose a cow in when I am clearing. I think I try to do too much in a short time. Do less, and do it right I had to transport across a state line and no local state transporters were licensed for interstate. Had to use the JD dealer at a cost of $400 for 100 miles one way. Parts seem readily availabe from the John Deere Dealer and third party suppliers. If you have tohire the mechanical work done, it can get expensive, so I just plug away and learn as I go along. Hard to get advice from the dealers, but people operating equipment for a living seem to answer my questions. If you like this type of work and have the time to play (and have money for parts) you should be OK.
My wife says I spend all my time working on it and not doing any work with it. Maybe in a year or two when I retire I'll have more time. Phil
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