Possible D2 Purchase

Hi

Check the track gear first for remaining life, wear and tear - this is very expensive to repair and replace and many componants are no longer available.

Sprockets - look for remaining life - if pointed teeth then worn out. Rollers and idlers - look for leaks - seals are over 200 bucks each x 2 per roller, bushes over 60 bucks each x 2 per roller and new rollers - well good luck in finding them.

You can easily spend up to 5k repairing and replacing the track gear alone. Pony motor - allow a k to fix more if cracked.

Clutch - can be acessed from the top on later 5Us, earlier ones require splitting ther machine. Steering clutches - do they work, if not then may require costly repairs as the whole track frame has to come off, housing removed and clutch drums can shatter on removal if rusted up.

Are the track covers there - bonus if they are, hard to find if not.

Rust? Look for severe rust on track frames which could render them scrap.

Equaliser spring - complete or broken and check the sump where the spring sits as this is usually cracked and leaking oil.

Price - hopefully it will be cheap because repairs are very expensive unless you can do many tasks yourself.

Additional features, eg., electric pony motor start, generator, lights etc are always nice to have.

Welcome to the forum.

D2 and 22's are plenty of fun and can be quite useful on a small farm. If possible get yourself one with a dozer blade and/or rear PTO.

if its in good nick Just buy it.

steve

Finish the member signup! That way you can put in where you live as maybe there is someone nearby to go look at it!
Like them fellers said, if the Pony is stuck, its money to repair, maybe replace. Look at the Tracks/Undercarriage, again expensive, hard to source parts. Clutch/Linkages? go back a page or two and read the one where the guy just spent money to put a Clutch in! That amount added to what you are willing spend on this one will buy you a better one! Peruse the FOR SALE as Steve over in Michigan just listed 2 running 28's for decent prices! There may have been a better tractor than the one you have described listed also!
Look at Chrisco's Craigslist Ad Thread, there are probably some better ones there. Go back ten pages maybe and find the D2 listed in Lusiana(?) as it is rough but probably in better shape! Also Wally just listed a tractor over there in the past day or so.
Me?
I'd buy what you described for Scrap price or less as hauling is required to move it. Then I would part it out to help finance a good machine! Like them guys said, parts are heavy to handle when you need to tear it apart.
Once you get it home, you'll need it running so you can move it.
Post pictures as maybe everyone who gave advice is wrong, but I doubt it as these guys are straight shooters in the know!

I'm in Wamego, KS. The D2 Is located in mclouth, KS which is north of Lawrence, KS. I'm not afraid to tear into anything and learn to fix it. I'm actually an Allis Chalmers guy, but I have worked for Caterpillar Work Tools in Wamego, KS for almost 10 yrs. I've always wanted a small Cat to take to tractor shows, parades, play with at home, etc. This machine is on craigslist. He's asking $1000 for it. The link is below:


http://kansascity.craigslist.org/grd/4912942768.html

I would buy that for a k sight unseen but then again I always pay too much😊

Seriously from the pics it looks to be worth that amount in scrap value alone and it would be nice to see another example of Caterpillar magic saved from scrap - and you clearly have the skills and contacts to make it work out😖py:

Looks pretty rough and worn out, might be worth $500 for a parts machine, if you needed it, looks like every part on the machine will need work and if you did restore it you would have many times more in it than it would ever be worth. If you spent five times as much on a nice runner it would be much cheaper in the long run.

If it's a 3J which it looks like to me, the radiator guard, breather and oil filler show it to be a tractor with a serial number up 3J2554 inclusive.

The very early "J"'s had no Pony Exhaust Pre-Heater around the Intake Manifold.
I admit it, I'd buy it for 1K if I couldn't dicker him down a little as I'm a sucker for the "J" series D2.