hd5

what are the pros an cons of an HD5. Thanks

In my opinion, it is big enough to do most jobs along with small enough to move without a semi (my loader crawler weighs 17000).  If it is a loader crawler, I've heard that the truck frames can get bent from lifting and pushing.  Downside is that the truck wheels are an odd size, but you can buy new ones or adapt others to fit.  Some parts are maybe a little hard to locate, but usually you can find what you need or make it.  The advantage of a 5 over a 6 is that the 6 used the same drive train for the finals and undercarriage (undercarriage was 1 roller longer though), but supposedly had issues with the final drives holding up if worked hard with the added horsepower.  There were some 5's I've heard of that companies put 3-71 Detroit engines in instead of the stock 2-71.  If the 6 final issues are true, they probably had similar issues then.

Edited by wayneIA - 02 Aug 2017 at 12:42am

buying my first HD5G in 1972 and still owning it can say it's a good little machine that will do a lot of work - have problems now finding track and undercarriage parts - other parts for machine are around . 
 2-71 engine worked good for the machine / 3-71 engines were used in conversion for field work in ag use.

Certainly would need the counter weight. I've picked up logs that would mash the front end right into the ground. So I would get under it and run a D-4 up on the tongue. That held her down, and could pick it up at an idle. Backed the truck under the log and you had her whipped.

Direction of travel when loaded - height of carry - and speed all make for safe operation of a machine - sometimes it's not how much a heaped bucket can hold but what a machine can move safely . When I had the HD4 loader it was faster moving than the HD5G but for brute force the 5 outworked the 4 , in light material it was fine but as no counterweight when loading trucks or ? one had to be careful or forward tip could be a immediate scare . 
  Then the 715B TLB would out-load both in most materials and for other jobs was faster also - every machines has the intended purpose of operation and range of use - pushing beyond that creates danger to the operator 

JC(WI) wrote: "very machines has the intended purpose of operation and range of use - pushing beyond that creates danger to the operator"   Really kind of a fact there. Sort of like yesterday, neighbor asked if I could come and remove his old outdoor wood burner stove and set his newer stove in its place. Sure I said... I had my little 610 Bobcat on the trailer and thought I would just take it down and try that. Put the forks under it and yea, came to the end of its hydraulic lifting capacity without budging the stove. Loaded the bobcat up and came home. Fired up the 974 Bobcat and went back. Picked up the stove without a struggle and carried it out, and took the newer stove in hanging from the forks and set it in place.  But now since this machine was so much bigger than the little bobcat, he has wheel depressions in his yard.  A medium sized bobcat would have been better there, but a fellow uses what he has.

Saw your bobcat comment. I have an 863F turbo. Love it. 78Hp and can lift 2k pounds. Not fast as it does not have two speed but fast enough for me. would love a 900 series. Not sure the model but almost bought the one that had 100hp and 3,000 pounds of lift I move a lot of dirt and stumps and that would help. HOWEVER, now that i have my hd16, i am not worried of busting out stumps in the fence row.