Eddie's right on with his comments. If you own a dozer you better be prepared to fix it. I'd say I do some major repair work about every 3 years or so. Other than the sheer size and weight of everything they are really very easy to fix. I been lucky in that I have a small Mom & Pop repair shop in the area that does nice work. Only problem is I have to move the dozer 25 miles to get there. Glad I have a baby dozer that I can move with a 1 ton pickup and a 12,000 pound trailer. I don't think I'll ever sell my dozer unless I find a larger one at the right price or if it gets to the point that it's only good for parts. I'm looking at an engine top end rebuild this spring (gas engine). Will cost me $350 if I do it my self or about $1000 if I bring it in. I had no idea how much I'd use this thing when I bought it. I've got about $7000 in the machine and I bet I've done $20,000 worth of major projects and countless small stuff with it. Renting one is a good way to go for a single project or in my case when I need a bigger one. I rented a JD550 for two days, cost about $1000 with hauling and fuel. Main benefit to owning one is that if you need it for a one hour job you've got it.


Gotta get back to fishin!