The best dozer in the world rapidly takes on all the value of its weight in scrap steel if it breaks down and you can't parts and service for it. If you don't get parts and service back-up, you've bought a lemon, no matter how good the actual product is. ![]() I can't see where taking on a product line as a dealer is all that much different from buying a new machine. The small Dressta machines might sell OK in some markets but I think the bigger machines will be a tough sell. The factories spend millions of dollars in marketing and have parts depots well located. The new designs from Cat, Komatsu and Deere are very good in terms of operator comfort and efficient production. I'm sure it's better now but before taking on the line I would recommend some kind of guarantees and penalties for non compliance. Even the Komatsu dealer had problems at times. International was well known for not carrying any spare parts and taking weeks at times to get them. They claimed we were the only place in the world seeing that issue and there was a bitter fight trying to get them to pay up. The big issue I've always had with the line is support on factory issues such as the undercarriage seals. Pulling track frames and final drives on those things is just a bear of a job. The TD25 had gained a reputation for being a power house but also of being problematic at times. The TD20 was also very good but sold even less. The 15 was as good as any tractor of that size at that time but was never a big seller. Cat and Komatsu had taken over that market completely in our area. We didn't see many TD15 or TD20 dozers in the nineties and never sold a new one. The Komatsu dealer had troubles with roller and idler seals for a long time in the early to mid nineties and I also saw some problems with clutch and brake linings in the steering before I left that dealership. They suffered a bit when the manufacturing plant was moved to Poland in the late eighties and early nineties. The small machines, TD7 & 8, were the class of the industry for years. They are a well engineered machine that most anyone can work on and keep running. I worked for the dealer when they were Internationals and then another dealer years later when they were Dressers and then Komatsu. The dealer we deal with has been our dealer for almost since my grandpa started the business. ![]() I would rather run my old 15 over our D6H any day of the week. ![]() ![]() I know you don't see many on the sale's, due to the fact that owners keep them for a long time due to being a great machine. We have done alot of work to them in terms of wear items and misc break downs but every things with _, tracks or tires is going to cause you troubles sometime. But the way the machine works and has treated us(in terms of reliability) has been wonderful. We have used this machine for a number of different reasons, size being one as well as cost. Both our 15's have well over 20K hours on them and one has about 20k on the engine alone(Cummins 8.3L). The newest being the 15C model(if you look in TRBO's gallery of stuff you will see). I honestly cannot tell you about the NEW manchines they produce but in the past 60 years we have own a total of 9 International/Dresser dozers.
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