I just bought a D47U4793. Could anyone give me an approximate date of build on this critter? I've recently retired so this is gonna be my project for a while. According to the owner's son, it runs. Visually, it looks good. Tracks, sprockets and idlers look good, angle blade isn't beat up and Hyster winch (complete with rusty cable) doesn't have any apparent leaks.
Thanks in advance,
ol' Grump aka Paul

This always seems to trigger debate but my info shows 1949 production:D

ol' Grump - can you post photos? Digital camera? Would love to see your tractor. GWH

Thanks OM, I appreciate your checking on the date. I'll be posting some pics when I get the critter home. Right now I'm waiting for a buddy to get back off vacation so I can borrow his dump truck and trailer to haul it with. .hopefully that'll happen in the next few days. Then it's time to get dirty and check it out, change oil, filters, grease it, fix whatever isn't working the way it should, etc. I'll probably be asking a few questions from time to time until such time as I can find an op manual and parts book.
Thanks again,
Paul

You can start studying up on the "Hyster" winch for free at this site.
www.alliedsystems.com/pubs/pubs.htm
click on allied winch then manuals.
Hyster is long gone........now Allied Systems but they don't have much in the way of parts for the old units.

Thanks again OM for the links. .that winch on the D4 looks to be the bigger brother of the one on my little D25J kitty. .same controls and all. When I get the D4 here, I'll line 'em both up and get some pics to post.

On an aside, when I went to look at the D4, in about a mile and a half I spotted more old Cats. .ranging from a D2 to I think, a D8. As they were half a mile from the road, those are just guesses. Quite a few farmers/ ranchers have these old critters sitting around as they did a lot of logging and placer mining back in the day before the envirowackos shut everything down. Now that I'm officially retired and on the dole, er Social Insecurity I'll start taking the camera with and get pics of the old critters and country on my little side trips back from the big city of Baker City (pop about 10,000). There is more old iron in this country than you can shake a stick at. Makes my wish my pockets were deeper. . .

Pictures of that old iron would be great....always fun to see what's out there along with the adaptions made to do the tasks of those times.