JD 430 dozer questions

I've been looking at a JD 430 dozer and would like y'alls opinion on the machine.
Are they decent machine although not a powerhouse? It is in decent restored working condition.
Prone to particular problems?
Hard to find parts? Where at?
Where could I find a PTO kit to install?
Where could I find a PTO winch to install?
Is it properly called a 430-C for the crawler version?
How much does it weigh?

Thanks for your input, Michael

PS: I posted this to the Crawler forum but no replies yet.
 
Consider the jobs it will do before investing. If youre using it to push driveway snow or cleaning fields makes a huge difference.
Whats the reward to getting this unit ?
Make a budget of what it needs now that you can see. Then triple it . Time and materials,your choice
 
Why do you need (think you need) or want a crawler? What jobs would you try to do with it. How far are you from parts sources? How far are you from someone that does custom work with a crawler? How big is your budget for said crawler? Is a crawler the only machine that can do the jobs you intend to do?
 
In my experience the make or break on a 430 C is the condition of the under carriage. No one make the parts, so if you need them it's a time consuming hunting exercise, and can get expensive. You may want to check out the DJcrawlers site for more info. I would guess this crawler without a blade will weigh 7000 - -9000#. The PTO parts are the same as on a wheeled tractor, not hard to find, the winch will be more difficult.
 
As the proud owner of my grandfathers 40C I will say this. It is better than a shovel, but not much. These little crawlers were meant to be farm tractors, not construction machines. You can do a little dirt work, move snow all you want, and other light duty tasks. A good skid steer will work circles around this JD crawler.

As others have mentioned, undercarriage condition is the biggest factor in value. I am lucky that my grandfather had rebuilt his not long before retiring the dairy herd. His main use for the tractor was to spread manure all winter long.


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Take an old retired dozer operator with you to look at it. He'll spot potential problems that you won't notice if you've never worked a dozer. Buy him and his wife a nice steak dinner to repay him for his advice. Buy him two dinners if he talks you out of it. Trust me - it will be the cheapest expense that you'll encounter with a 60+ year old dozer.
 
A friend bought a 40. Thought he really had something there. First time he used it, he was disgusted. Said he could do more with his narrow front Farmall M and loader.
 
Pete I could have not said it better, one could take the money he is to spend on the 60 year old machine out on the porch and thro it in the air and been better off. At least could see it blowing away. Not that the JD is problematic it is just expecting to get work out of a 60 year old dozer? I know this is an old forum but sometimes a guy just has to face reality
 
I about bought a D2 Cat one time, thought it would be just the thing for pushing corn silage while filling the bunker. Holy crap that thing was slow. I could push faster with my two wheel drive JD 1020 and loader, and that's not saying much.
 
Listen to what others are sayen. I have run and worked on Crawlers/ Dozers for years and i know of NO old crawler that has not had the snot worked out of it , been run hard and put away wet. Last one i worked on was just the same . One of my old customers had a 430 that HE took apart many years back and it sat in the corner of the shed and he decided he wanted it back together , BUT oh wait he forgot how . So he calls me to put the puzzle back together . Yes i got it all put back together and running had to make a new wiring harness fix other problems and told him flat out the undercarriage was just about toast. we found SOME NEW parts but for get under carriage . They are a high ware item and expensive play toy Steering clutchs are another item that will give you fits , when not used they will stick and rust together if they get water or oil on them old ones they slip , final drives can be a problem and bunch of work and costly to repair . I saw a U tube vid where a guy restored i think a D 2 cat and all the parts chasen and the total cost of the restore and i am thinking it was over 20 K . I know Bob had well over 6K in just getting it back together in his 430 and it still needed more if he could find even good USED parts.
one of my other old customers KID just had to have this NICE OLD T 6 International dozer , Yep it sure looks nice in Org. paint the old 248 M engine they used in them run like new , BUT the right steering clutch is stuck the under carriage is junk , needs rails , several bottom rollers sprockets and ft idlers built up and re bushed . He has been looking for rails for like 8 years now can't find sprockets or even the old weld on repair rings So it sets and takes up space .
 
Pete, I've had a 420C apart in my shop for several years. I doubt if it will ever move on its own again in my lifetime. There's always something more important that needs my attention. I got a lot of good use out of it, but it has seen a lot of wear.
 
Their best use was for pulling logs and mowing wetlands if PTO equipped. Some had them for maple tree tapping. The ones used for those jobs were not so beat down compared to if it was used like a much heavier dozier pushing yard after yard of dirt. As said before here after over 60 years they can be in need of a lot of repair work. A 430 C would be an interesting acquisition.
 
Speaking of John Deere dozers...
I have a repair manual here for a 350 that I sure would like to see get into the hands of someone who could use it.
My email is open.

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I bought one about 25 years ago, looked good when I got it. Problems started as soon as I got it off the trailer. I was going to show a friend how great it was, that's when the reverser stopped working. Next was left steering clutch, not a big deal. Then I had to get the correct grease gun to grease rollers. Next it started getting expensive, was walking out of the pads on right side, no problem ordered used parts from an out of state used parts dealer. But at least he had them. Put it together and mudded in about 8 acres of oats that spring. Really was a great machine for the two times I used it and didn't have to fix it. When I sold it, I figured I got $2000 more then I paid for it, so I only lost $3000 in parts on the deal. Still finding rollers and other parts that I bought for spares and never used. If you need it for your collection great, if not buy a skid loader.
 

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