Being an adult sux sometimes...

Downeaster

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One of my "imaginary friends" has a John Deere 420C crawler he'd let me have quite reasonably. Needs a bearing in the transmission, but otherwise ready to work.

I'm not at all sure I want to tackle that big a job: You have to drop the tracks and pull the final drives and clutch packs to work on the trans. IF (big if...) all it needs is that bearing, I'm sure the part could be found. But by the time I paid him for it, drove 700 miles round trip to go get it, spent the Winter fixing it I'd have $2000 or $2500 in it if everything went smoothly (when's the last time that happened, especially on a 60 or 70 year old bulldozer?)

Just can't make it pencil out. I can hire a big dozer and a professional operator for half a day (if that) to do everything I want done around here and it wouldn't come to half of that.
 
Hmmmm.... That's a tough "adult" decision. Unless you absolutely 'need' another winter project (and the satisfaction of doing everything yourself), you'd be further ahead shopping out the work. Then you wouldn't have all the heavy lifting, sweat, invention of new swear words, and where the hell to put the thing, when you were done. :twocents:
 
....but just think of the fun you’d have clanking around the Maine estate pretending you are Gen. George S. Patton......
George-S-Patton-1945.jpg

.....yeah, on second thought...better to skip the rebuild and hire a guy with a dozer.

Besides, you're a Navy guy - whatchyu want with a frickin' tank anyway?
 
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I've read there is a place in Las Vegas where one can play heavy equipment operator if one has the yerning and enough $$$.
 
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One of my "imaginary friends" has a John Deere 420C crawler he'd let me have quite reasonably. Needs a bearing in the transmission, but otherwise ready to work.

I'm not at all sure I want to tackle that big a job: You have to drop the tracks and pull the final drives and clutch packs to work on the trans. IF (big if...) all it needs is that bearing, I'm sure the part could be found. But by the time I paid him for it, drove 700 miles round trip to go get it, spent the Winter fixing it I'd have $2000 or $2500 in it if everything went smoothly (when's the last time that happened, especially on a 60 or 70 year old bulldozer?)

Just can't make it pencil out. I can hire a big dozer and a professional operator for half a day (if that) to do everything I want done around here and it wouldn't come to half of that.
As my friend Eddie used to say, "You need to find an alcoholic with a back hoe."
 
Another take, your time.

Dunno about you, but my mind (and its fond memories of cranking out 2-3 overhauls in a day) can get me into a lot of trouble.

On this forum, it's easy to tell someone to pull the engine, head, cylinders,...etc.

Then, to get a drink of water and take a break, takes me 1/2 an hour, accompanied with "why did I just get outta my chair?".



Gettin' OLD sux...
 
seems to me there are two kinds of bulldozers: the dangerous earth shredding, property damaging kind and the "liberating" kind.

I am thinking with your personality and skills it will be viewed as the "liberating" kind.

go for it !
 
Well, poop.

He made a counter-offer AND the CFO is neutral about the idea. Wishes I wouldn't, but knows I'd have fun and "it's your money".

That's not as loaded a comment as it sounds. We have "our money" (military retirement and SS) "her money" from her various enterprises such as eggs, can redemption, room-and-board from her brother, etc and "my money" from my side jobs. I have enough in the "my money" cookie jar to pay for it and the gas for the trip.

I'm thinking this is too good an opportunity to pass up, even if I wind up just parting it out.
 
Well, poop.

He made a counter-offer AND the CFO is neutral about the idea. Wishes I wouldn't, but knows I'd have fun and "it's your money".

That's not as loaded a comment as it sounds. We have "our money" (military retirement and SS) "her money" from her various enterprises such as eggs, can redemption, room-and-board from her brother, etc and "my money" from my side jobs. I have enough in the "my money" cookie jar to pay for it and the gas for the trip.

I'm thinking this is too good an opportunity to pass up, even if I wind up just parting it out.

You're getting your own tank!!??

OK - dammit, I'm comin' over.

Pete
 
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