Just curious : been noticing - for example - 951C cats listed for well under 10,000$. Compared to - for example - a nice D4 7U or 6U that’s getting pretty close in price. There may be other newer CATS in the same ballpark, but that one caught my eye and so I searched some more and found several.

Is there a reason the 951C seems to have a relatively low value ?

Hi, TOGNOT.
Notta lotta people truly understand just how versatile a loader can be, whether tracked or wheeled, and so can't see the value. A loader, especially a tracked one, can be out earning its keep doing jobs that a dozer cain't even think about. It can be a bulldozer, but it can also be a crane, a front end loader, a load-haul-dump rig and a means of ferrying equipment around the the farm or ranch, all while a dozer would be sitting in the barn eating its head off,

BTW, the Cat 951C was the best of that model.

Just my 0.02.

If I was going to buy a newer loader, it would be a rear engine 943/953 series machine, I know this is an antique club but as Deas said, in the right hands, that machine can do nearly anything. I remember the first time I ran one and every other conventional track loader I've been on since has made me miss the rear engine even more. Now you got me heading for the machinery trader page Tognot....thanks.

The small dirt moving companies are out of the market for all the equipment that was made before the new clean air "improvements" where added. Some places not as much as other, but coming to all of USA it seems. A neighbor has been making a good living moving dirt with older equipment since he fixes most of it himself. He has kept getting newer trucks to comply with Calif Fruits and Nuts rules, but now it is time to bring dozer, loader ,and grader up to clean air standards. At 60 years old don't know how he will jump, but without the new rules he would of been bidder on something like 951 but is now out. So they are getting cheaper as only hobby/do it yourself types are buying.

Excavators have pretty much replaced loaders. Loaders being one of the most difficult to work on. Watch the s/n's, early 951's with 6.75" pitch track still had non hunting tooth sprockets needing track to be jumped one tooth to obtain full wear usage.