buying a Caterpillar D7F, advice needed

[jellybe4n]

My cousin's trying to find a good Cat dozer for his acreage, and he just found a Caterpillar D7F for sale right near him here in Idaho

The owner told him it's a Japanese made machine, serial number 92E1533.

Now, we know those early D7Fs had some transmission quirks, right?
Some came with the older D7E transmission, and others supposedly got an upgrade.

So, does that 92E1533 serial number give any clues if it's got the 'better' transmission or the older one?
What should he really be scrutinizing when he goes to check out this Cat in person?

Beyond the transmission, of course. Also, being a Japanese made one, are parts generally harder to find up here in Idaho compared to US made Cats?

Any advice would be a huge help for him! Thanks

 

[crætûs]

The 92E serial number prefix confirms it is a Japanese-built machine. With a low number like 1533, it'll almost certainly have the earlier D7E style transmission, not the updated version. When inspecting it, your primary focus should be on measuring the undercarriage wear, paying close attention to the sprocket teeth, track chain pins and bushings. For a machine of this age, parts availability for major wear items is driven more by its age than its country of origin, so aftermarket undercarriage components are obtainable.