Got a Free Cat 977H. Now What?

[Doug]

Yeah, that seems to be pretty common Final Life Stage for a lot of heavy iron. Repair costs far exceed replacement cost. Equipment life cycle (here in Alaska, at least) goes from the prime contractor who bought it new, to the smaller local contractor, when he's done with it it might go to a small gypo logger or a gold miner. And that's always the last stop. When it finally gives up they'll just push it off to the side and walk away. Thirty years later trees growing up around it.

 

[Doug]

The one that was stuck down over a bank in Fairbanks finally sold. Of course no one would buy it where it was at. The seller finally hired a winch truck to pull it back up on the road. Think he got $12K for it. Supposedly less than 1000 hours on it. Pretty good buy if true.
No equipment junk yards in Alaska, so if it don't run and drive it's just yard art.