Watched the videos.

IMO know when to say when . Its a parts machine

But then again, I dont know heavy equipment costs either.

The problem becomes once your into it and find more issues. You are now committed

In regards to replacing the tracks themselves. all comes down to what you intend to do with the machine long term. If its just something to piddle with around the homestead. Leave the tracks alone

If you really plan to work the machine regularly,,,,then reevaluate

Caterpillars are out of my price range, knowledge, or experience, but I have been involved with a large number of "free" cars and trucks.

Usually "free" means its not going to be an easy money maker, if that was what was on your mind at the beginning, you are a fool. Its going to involve work or special equipment to retrieve from its position, the dead line is pretty short, or other difficult things are going to be present. If it was going to be easy, it would have already been gone. That means you enter into these operations because the challenges are just too great to pass up, for something that has the potential to be really a cool or fun. If that is why you entered into the challenge, you have to know how deep you are willing to go. You really shouldn't expect it to come out as a wonderful experience, but at the same time, you sort of hope it does just that.

In the end, most "free" projects I collected were barely worth the effort invested from a financial stand point. Most produced some great stories, and many were actually fun, and challenging at the same time. Nearly every one of them was a learning experience. I was always aware of the point at which it was time to pull the plug on the "free' operation and call it done.

This Caterpillar adventure has been a great story and a fun adventure, but I'm beginning to question the guy's ability to end the adventure. He seems pretty stuck on the idea of it being a money maker, and keeps chasing that end farther down into the big hole of it being an expensive failure. He needs to call it done, and start selling parts to recoup some of his expenses, while the story is still sort of a fun story.

Sorry if I missed this, but what year was this built? A quick internet search says it could be as old as 1955?

wall art

I don't know Marvin Heemeyer.

Thanks,

Scott