I have a 12E I get to play with a good bit. She's a tired old thing, don't know much of her history, but most graders left around here of that age were timber company machines. Had an old operator I worked with give me a good schooling about old cat graders long before I got to run one. After listening to him and running this one myself, wrist buster is a better term I think. All that being said, if it cranks easy, runs well, shifts, and has all its functions, you can learn to run it to fit the application. I've been tending a half-quarter of county road that the "driver" of a 12M2 won't attempt to blade with the E for a while. Is a newer hydraulic grader better? Depends on how much use you're going to have of it. I run a 770 Deere at work and running the old E is priceless experience in my opinion. Hydraulic side shift, moldboard roll, and saddle are all wonderful, but I can come home, light a cigar and get on the E and blade that section of road with a little thought (and sometimes experimentation) and show where it can still out blade a newer machine with more features and functions. As with any used blade, look for cracks and welds around the circle and trunion ball. If it's had a really hard living, check all the front end connections. That's good advice from Deas about the tandems and drive chains. Otherwise, buy it, play with it, and if you don't like it someone will be happy to relieve you of it.
