D7-M weight?

Greengiant - You haven't given the make or style of blade, nor the make or style of cable control. However, the Wartime weights are as follows;

D7M bare tractor = 23,675 lbs
LeTourneau model WCK7 Angledozer = 5,390 lbs
LeTourneau model FTD7 front PCU = 700 lbs
LeTourneau R7 rear PCU = 1,525 lbs with neck
LaPlante Choate model R76F Trailbuilder = 6,100 lbs
LaPlante Choate model R71 Trailbuilder = 7,150 lbs
Trackson model AF7 Angle Filler = 3,850 lbs

Tractor dimensions are;

Height, excluding exhaust and air cleaner = 6' 8"
Length = 13' 6 1/4"
Width = 8' 2"

Great! thanks Oz.
It has a rear PCU, and the blade is not much wider than the tractor. I'll go back tomorrow and see if I can identify it.

Is it a straight blade or an angle blade? LeTourneau blades were the most common fitment, and it appears that the WCK7 angledozer was the most common blade initially - but later on, the straight LeTourneau XD7 blade was produced in what appears to be approximately equal numbers to the angle blade. I can't find a weight for the XD7 blade at present, I will have to chase that down.

By far the best operation and maintenance manual I have ever seen for this Wartime tractor and blade and PCU setup, is the small booklet entitled "Tractors and Bulldozers - Enlisted Mens School - Special Text".

This 81 page booklet from 1942 goes into exceptional detail as regards operation, maintenance, adjustment and lubrication of the Wartime D7M and the LeTourneau PCU (both double and single drum) and the LeTourneau blade.

If you're interested, I can run off a professional copy for you and post it to you. The copy comes enlarged, with comb binding and protective clear PVC covers, to lay flat for easy use and to survive workshop handling.

I also have copies of other, more comprehensive military manuals for the tractor and the accessories, if you want more intensive information.

It has a straight blade that can be angled.
I appreciate the offer of the book, but sadly this machine is destined to be parted out.
My cat mechanic looked it over for me today and pronounced that not only is the pony stuck (which I already knew), but so is the diesel. hopelessly so short of a major overhaul. when he removed the floor plate to show me where he was prying on the fly wheel you could see that the clutch was worn down to the metal and the shock absorbers were also shot. Plus the undercarriage is all but gone. I'm afraid I let myself be snookered in the fantasy that this "running when parked" machine could be brought back to life when in reality it was a poorly maintained piece of junk. live and learn.
The mechanic has a freshly rebuilt pony but there's no point putting it on given the condition of the rest of it.
He made me his standard offer of taking it off my hands at the scrap price if I could pin down the weight, and he would absorb the 150 mile hauling expense. A fair offer considering that it is presently parked in an equipment yard where it was unloaded and so far they haven't charged me storage and probably wouldn't but still it would be good to get it moved.

He did tell me an interesting tale of woe. 40 years ago somebody in Montana picked up 2 green army surplus M's with less than 100 hours on them and had them hauled from sunny California to the Cat shop in Great Falls, Montana in the middle of a bitter cold winter. they never thought to put antifreeze in and you can guess the rest of the story.

correction: it has a straight blade but I was confusing the angling with my 3T. without looking, I'm pretty sure the M blade can't be angled.

O.K., that sounds like a LeTourneau XD7 blade. Sounds like the poor old girl is in bad shape, so you've made the right decision. It's a shame that it's not restoreable - but not all of these old WW2 warhorses can be saved.

I missed out on buying one for $50 in 2000! It was 3T, but it had no equipment, apart from a dreadful-looking home-built rake - that never even had a method of lifting it, fitted! It was just chained up, at a set height!
I went along to this agricultural clearing sale, and here was this poor old girl in similar shape to yours. Scrap was worth nothing, and even the scrap dealers wouldn't bid on it.

The auctioneer tried to get a bid of $50, but no-one even bothered to put their hand up. I was tempted, but it was way out in the boonies, in the Eastern Wheatbelt, and hauling it would have cost hundreds and hundreds of dollars.
She may still be sitting there today, but I think perhaps she went to scrap when scrap prices went ballistic around about 2008 to 2010?

Here's some scans I did, so you can identify the various makes and models of attachments.

[attachment=48273]CAT-D7M-XD7.jpg[/attachment][attachment=48272]CAT-D7M-WCK7-R76R.jpg[/attachment][attachment=48271]CAT-D7M-R76RF-R71.jpg[/attachment]

Hi Oz. If it’s ok I would be interested in one of those manuals if you are keen to knock one up for me. What would be the price etc please? Cheers

Hi Raeme - Which one would you like? The 1942 "enlisted mens" manual is only 81 pages, the 1945 full military manual is 142 pages. The 1945 manual does not contain the parts catalog.

The enlisted mens manual is basically the abbreviated operation and maintenance version, the later full military manual is the one that contains the blade and PCU indentification.

Initially, the 1942 full military manual only comprised the Military operators intructions, stapled together with the Cat Service Reference book, and the Cat parts catalog.

During the course of the War, the Military re-wrote the Military operators manual to include more extensive maintenance information, and a wider range of added peripheral information, such as tools, shipping, ID of attachments, etc - and even how to destroy your D7, to stop it from falling into enemy hands!

The cost will vary according to which manual you prefer, as I have to pay a set reproduction fee, based on per page. The bloke who does it for me is a professional copy man, he uses the biggest and best Xeroxes I've seen, and the reproduction quality is superb.

You can send me a PM if you like and I can work out the cost, including postage, once I have more info.

Thanks Oz, very helpful.
From the pic, it appears to be the XD7 blade.
my tractor has the cable running along the right side in a pipe rather than overhead as in the pic.