What do ya know about dozers?

[cre10]

I was not meaning any disrespect by it. How did you become an "operator"? You ran the machines and got good. From day one I doubt you were as good and precise as you are today. Practice makes perfect. From day one I won't be great but each day I will get a little better and more efficient. I'm not trying to make a living with it or be the most efficient operator in the world. I want a machine to improve my land and have a little fun doing some hard work.

 

[bear]

An offset disk works as a good alternate to rippers, sometimes better.

 

[Angus Cowman]

An offset disk works as a good alternate to rippers, sometimes better.

the places where I like rippers are breaking up roots, road beds and digging up terraces and I am sure there are a few others that I failed to mention

 

[bear]

Yea, those rippers will sure bring those roots to the top. Some of the guys around here are using large ripper plows and then following with a disk to smooth up. Takes a pretty large tractor or track machine to pull one. I have always used the large offset disk to cut up debris and fill the holes. Alot of different ways to accomplish this.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Angus Cowman just barely got you started on what to look for in spotting problems on a dozer. Tracks, rollers, idlers,sprocket segments. Blade pins leaking cylinders and the list goes on. All of this stuff is very pricey. Idlers for my D5B are $750.00 each bottom rollers are $275.00 for a single flange $325.00 for a double flange. Seto tracks is around $8000.00. One final drive will cost you a $3000.00 on my B and it is about half price to a D6C or D6D and thats doing the mechanic work myself. If you own a dozer you need to own a pretty well stocked tool box.I am not trying to discourage you just trying to inform you.

 

[novatech]

An offset disk works as a good alternate to rippers, sometimes better.

Depends on the vegetation. Root plows should be designed to bring the roots to the top. Offsets have to go deep enough to do the same. With rippers you have to do a cross hatch over the area. On some plants if you do nothing but cut up the roots all you have done is propagated more brush. Huisache and Mesquite are 2 that come to mind.

 

[cre10]

As far as fill in I have a bobcat, dump trailer, 135 horse tractor with blade along with bucket, disk harrow, then I was thinking of getting a box scraper, and I have a large section of railroad track that I can drag behind to smooth an area. May not be the best set up but that's what's sitting outside the barn. My mechanic is a long time friend that will steer me in the right way for checking the machine out and servicing it. I mainly wanted input on the type of machine because I have had different people tell me different machines and different sizes. The track loader does seem to be the most versatile machine for the job.

 

[novatech]

As far as fill in I have a bobcat, dump trailer, 135 horse tractor with blade along with bucket, disk harrow, then I was thinking of getting a box scraper, and I have a large section of railroad track that I can drag behind to smooth an area. May not be the best set up but that's what's sitting outside the barn. My mechanic is a long time friend that will steer me in the right way for checking the machine out and servicing it. I mainly wanted input on the type of machine because I have had different people tell me different machines and different sizes. The track loader does seem to be the most versatile machine for the job.

I have a bobcat. I can clear just about any fence line around or take down just about any tree. The difference is time. You step up to a dozer above that horsepower you save time. Go to next size you save more time. Experience is the same, the more you get the faster you are, up to a point.
You have a 135 horse tractor. Put a single shank deep ripper on and cut the roots around the trees. On deep tap root trees dig a hole on one side of the tree with the skid steer. Pile the dirt on the other side. This will give more leverage to push over the tree. Osage orange are easy once the lateral roots are cut. Make sure to use teeth on the bucket. It helps when the soil has a little moisture.
Save the osage orange for the saw mill. Beautiful hard wood and very heavy. Cut the limbs up for fence posts. Wear armour.

 

[KenB]

As far as fill in I have a bobcat, dump trailer, 135 horse tractor with blade along with bucket, disk harrow, then I was thinking of getting a box scraper, and I have a large section of railroad track that I can drag behind to smooth an area. May not be the best set up but that's what's sitting outside the barn. My mechanic is a long time friend that will steer me in the right way for checking the machine out and servicing it. I mainly wanted input on the type of machine because I have had different people tell me different machines and different sizes. The track loader does seem to be the most versatile machine for the job.

Your 135 HP loader tractor will push over all but the biggest trees.
As for a dozer, just get what ever size play thing you can have the most fun with. :tiphat:

 

[cre10]

The bobcat does take time and patience. It seems as to once you hit a certain horse power with a bobcat it becomes useless bc it doesn't have the weight to get traction to use it. The heavy dozer or track loader will definitely help push them easier and quicker plus I won't fear the flat tires like I do with the tractors and bobcat. I can knock down a few of the osage orange with the bobcat but then there are some massive ones that it just won't budge them and I feel like I'm doing my machine more harm than good for the land. The dozer/track loader idea was on the 6-12 month plan. I'm just trying to research it all now, get familiar with models, and the market prices but tonight when I had a business meeting I noticed my tractor dealership had a 953 sitting on the used lot! Might have to call tomorrow and get some info. As for the hedge posts, I save a lot of them as they make great posts. I have some fences that are close to 75 years old with those posts!

 

[cre10]

Anybody got any links or websites for a heavy ripper for my tractor? I did a search and all that is coming up are very small not so sturdy looking rippers/shanks.

 

[bear]

Rockanddirt.com
google pull type rippers
google finishing rippers
Tractorhouse.com
That should get you started.

 

[novatech]

The bobcat does take time and patience. It seems as to once you hit a certain horse power with a bobcat it becomes useless bc it doesn't have the weight to get traction to use it. The heavy dozer or track loader will definitely help push them easier and quicker plus I won't fear the flat tires like I do with the tractors and bobcat. I can knock down a few of the osage orange with the bobcat but then there are some massive ones that it just won't budge them and I feel like I'm doing my machine more harm than good for the land. The dozer/track loader idea was on the 6-12 month plan. I'm just trying to research it all now, get familiar with models, and the market prices but tonight when I had a business meeting I noticed my tractor dealership had a 953 sitting on the used lot! Might have to call tomorrow and get some info. As for the hedge posts, I save a lot of them as they make great posts. I have some fences that are close to 75 years old with those posts!

Get a set of tracks that fit over the tires, makes a huge difference and adds weight as well. A set of good heavy duty grapples is a must. I use them to cut the lateral roots. I have taken out 1 1/2 foot bodiarcs. As far as dozers are concerned you need to go up to a D5 or 6 range. Otherwise just keep using the bobcat. I am with the others on here as far as purchase. If you buy a used one from a dealer they put a sizable markup on it so you will take a big hickey on it when you sell. If you buy at auction or individual then you had better take an expert with you. Due to the economy you can make some excellent deals right now so be patient and look long and hard.

 

[cre10]

How much trouble is it to put the tracks on? I run my bobcat a lot on gravel and concrete with forks to unload some trucks a couple times a month for my business so the tracks would need to be somewhat easy to take on and off. What would you estimate them to cost?

 

[HOSS]

Repairs are the biggest problems with crawlers. My JD 450 had some parts fail in the reverser. My Dad and I did all the labor. Parts alone cost $3,500. The quote on parts and labor was double that at a dealer. The machine can be really be handy but I cringe at the thought of a mechanical problem or buying any replacement parts.

 

[novatech]

How much trouble is it to put the tracks on? I run my bobcat a lot on gravel and concrete with forks to unload some trucks a couple times a month for my business so the tracks would need to be somewhat easy to take on and off. What would you estimate them to cost?

Getting the tracks on can be a major pain. They sell a tool for this which makes the job a lot easier. I built one and can now do it alone. The tires must be deflated some what and then aired back up. I rent out mine so I have to do this quite often.
If I am on gravel I leave the tracks on. On concrete I take them of just to keep the concrete from being scratched up.
I seem to recall about $3,200 when I bought mine several years ago. You may make a better deal with aftermarket suppliers. You can find them in some of the equipment magazines.
Some Tips;
Be careful using the forks. Wear the seat belt. I have end-o-ed mine forward a couple of times over loading it.
If you are clearing brush get the safety door on front of the cab. Those limbs have a nasty habit of snapping back into the cab with you. Remove the tail lights before you start or the brush will do it for you. Clean off the radiator grill sever times a day. Remove the grill and clean radiator at the end of every day along with the air cleaner.

 

[cre10]

I even thought about trading mine in for the new one with rubber tracks but not sure how well they would hold up in the gravel and on the concrete that I run on a lot. As for the forks I only put about 800 pound pallets on it with equipment and go very very slow as the equipment on the pallet is pretty pricey! The forks are great for picking up logs. I have one guy in the cab while I'm out and cut them up for firewood. It keeps the saw blade out of the dirt so I don't dull and ruin chains plus there is no pinching or binding. Saves a lot of time. The forks are also good for stirring up burn piles since they have a little more reach.

 

[novatech]

Grapples are the best investment I ever made. Carry off brush, dig up roots, screens out big stuff from the ashes in burn piles, move just about anything that will fit inside plus it doesn,t fall off.

 

[cre10]

Anyone used one of those brush grinders? They are like a brush hog but I guess more heavy duty to knock out and grind up smaller trees? Some guys used them on a pipeline nearby last year. I didn't see how good they worked but I saw the end result was a nice clear path.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Anyone used one of those brush grinders? They are like a brush hog but I guess more heavy duty to knock out and grind up smaller trees? Some guys used them on a pipeline nearby last year. I didn't see how good they worked but I saw the end result was a nice clear path.

they have brushogs and also tree shredders and they work good but your machine has to have the Hi-Flow Hydraulics for them to work I hired a guy with one a few yrs ago to clear for a pipeline job I was doing that the brush was to small to doze effectively