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Xpost CL "several snowcats"

rdynes01

Active member
With snow cats in decent shape getting harder to find every day, based on the photos provided, those are quite reasonable prices. I don't really know what you meant by "serious" , but what he is asking appears to be very fair......Bob
 

BearGap

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
This is a guy named Kier from South Lake Tahoe. I bought my 1450 WT from him. Both Imps are WTs and in pretty good shape. But, with some serious track/mech rebuilding you're at $20k in a hurry. WTs are the way to go if you're crazy and need an Imp or 1450 to throw $ at .....like me :eatdrink:
 

Fbmcurtis

Member
I've talked to him a couple times via email. Seems pretty knowledgeable
and fair when it comes to prices...... or am I crazy???
 

300 H and H

Bronze Member
GOLD Site Supporter
I've talked to him a couple times via email. Seems pretty knowledgeable
and fair when it comes to prices...... or am I crazy???

Prices seem to be on the rise, especially the last 2 years or so.

More demand and a finite number of machines has been responsible for this.

Those who come late to the party will pay more. Unfortunately this is the way of things..

Regards, Kirk
 

Blackfoot Tucker

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
I'll admit that it seems there are fewer machines for sale and prices are somewhat higher than they were a few years ago. But some pricing seems beyond ridiculous. For example "Monster Jeff's" Imps on ksl.com are in that category. In the craigslist ad linked by Tom, there are two 1404 Imps. $14.5 K for a two door 1404 (wide track or not) seems on the high side, at least to me.

If you visit the Snowtrans website there's a quote I assume is from the late Bill Guthrie: "There is always snow in the high country, you just might have to go a little higher". Well, I think there are still some "deals" out there, but they're harder to find.

Almost exactly a month ago my snowcat buddy emailed me late at night about a machine listed on an Internet auction. There was about 36 hours left, the listing information was vague and the pictures were not great and incomplete. But the high bid was only $1,400. We were interested, if, and only if, it could be acquired cheap. As the auction was winding down we were on the phone discussing bidding strategy (no, we didn't think the $1,400 would hold up, but we were only willing buyers at a pretty darn low price point). Anyway Scott won the auction at $4,750, plus fees and sales tax. All-in, less than $6K.

The machine? A Thiokol 1200C wide track. It's an ex-Questar Gas machine listed as "non-running". It seems when a utility company gets tired of something, it sits for a while before they decide to get rid of it, and then they put zero effort into getting it ready for sale. The machine was parked no more than ten minutes from Scott's shop and we went there with his crane truck and a trailer to pick it up. The idea was to use the crane's winch and a snatch block to pull the Thiokol onto the trailer. If that didn't work, he'd just pick it up and set it on the trailer.

IMG_1438.jpg

Scott picked up a new ignition switch, put fuel in the gas tank and charged the battery. Before he looked in the gas tank he disconnected the rubber fuel line and ran it into a small can instead. The engine started right up. The gas tank was empty, but clean and rust-free inside. He put brake fluid in the steering cylinders, reconnected the fuel line and added gas to the tank. Voila...it ran, and drove (though one of the steering flexible brake hoses leaked). He replaced both brake hoses. He spent less than a hundred bucks to get it running.

The 1200C is perhaps the best-of-breed in the Thiokol Spryte series with the 300 I-6 engine, C6 automatic transmission and a OC-12 rear differential. The only downside is it's a two door cab, but we can change that. The condition of the grousers, track belts, idler wheels and drive sprockets is surprisingly good. Inside the various boxes left on the bed were three Thiokol track jacks. Those alone usually sell for a few hundred bucks...each. The original plan was to resell the machine after thorough reconditioning, which would be almost all cosmetic. But Scott has an ancient 4VL and I think he may keep the Thiokol and sell the 4VL.

The craigslist ad also has a Thiokol 1200C, but it has a five man cab and a blade. However it's also priced at $24K, and with no specific information on hours or condition.

The point to all this is the diligent buyer who is patient and keeps looking, even in the off season, may be rewarded with a good deal.. when others have given up.
 
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