What do ya know about dozers?

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cre10

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Ok fellas got another question for you to offer some input on. I have a lot of big hedge trees/osage orange and old fence to rip out. I think I'm in need of a dozer as the chainsaw and bobcat routine is getting old. More than likely thinking I need to go with Cat for their reputation and ability to get parts. What do you all know about them? Size needed? I would rather have too much power than not enough for ripping out these big trees and old fences. I was thinking of a D6? Any experience or advice for me?
 
it all depends on what ya want to spend and how fast you want to do it
I prefer Cat or Komatsu
I have a D5H high track with a 6 way blade if ya know what you are doing pushing you can get by with a 6 way if not you prob need to go with a D6 with a tree pusher

In Komatsu I would go with a D61EX or a D65EX with LGP tracks on them

For one you have to figure how much work you actually have that needs done and what it would cost to hire it done

Another option is a track Loader like a cat 943 or 953, a loader will push easier and also you have more usability with the loader, alot of people around here have went to loaders because of there verstility

My D5H is in the price range of $45,000 a good
D6C 10K will cost around $30,000
a 953 loader will cost in the $30K - $35k range
A 943 will be about $20K -$30k
you can get an older 955K loader for about $20K
 
jedstivers":3fom88rv said:
Are you talking about buying or renting? Consider a track hoe you can clean up much easier but if you go with a dozer a 5 will do a lot unless the trees are really big.
I agree I like using trackhoes for clearing and stacking brush but If you are renting one you need to know what you are doing or it may cost ya quite a bit in the longrun
 
I really don't want to hire it done. I would prefer to buy a machine. What is the benefit of high tracks? Can you tell me more about the 6 way blade vs. the tree pusher blade..pros and cons. I would imagine that a dozer could clear out trees easier and quicker than an excavator. Not sure a track loader would do the jobs I have in mind.
 
If you do not have at least 160 hours of work hire it done. If you have 160 hours rent if you have 1200 hours or more buy. I have made my biscuits for the last 26 years with equipment. I do love to see people buy the iron that is getting tired. If you want a small dozer buy a JD large Cat.
 
cre10":33fyi2qh said:
I really don't want to hire it done. I would prefer to buy a machine. What is the benefit of high tracks? Can you tell me more about the 6 way blade vs. the tree pusher blade..pros and cons. I would imagine that a dozer could clear out trees easier and quicker than an excavator. Not sure a track loader would do the jobs I have in mind.
AC knows this better than I do because I think it's some of what he does a lot. I rent when I have time or hire it when I need it now. A 6 way is great and can be used all the time but if the trees are to big you need the pusher, a track hoe is faster if you are a really good operator but if you are doing large areas of trees both are needed. A hoe to put them down and a dozer to push and pile.
 
A trackhoe with a fixed or hydraulic thumb is pretty fast and you end up with a lot less dirt in your burn pile!
 
cre10":2k6u8bjc said:
I really don't want to hire it done. I would prefer to buy a machine. What is the benefit of high tracks? Can you tell me more about the 6 way blade vs. the tree pusher blade..pros and cons. I would imagine that a dozer could clear out trees easier and quicker than an excavator. Not sure a track loader would do the jobs I have in mind.
6 way lets you do a little more finish work if you are moving dirt

a tree pusher mounts above the blade and extends out in front of it and lets you reach higher on the tree for more leverage and as far as a loader not being able to do it I seriously doubt that!
if you know how to operate one the 953 loader will push as muchor more than a D6 as far as size because you can get higher in the tree and get more leverage

we actually use track loaders and excavators more than we do dozers

an excavator with a thumb and a finish dozer is what I prefer but like was stated you need to be fairly good at running the excavator or you can get in trouble

as for the advantage of high track they ride smoother and are supposed to put more power to the ground and also visibility is better because you sit higher
disadvantages are if on steep grades machine has more weight up high so can tip easier, also if working steep grades or in soft dirt /mud and going up and down when you back up the high track transfers more weight to the front of the machine and they will lose traction or they will dig in with the front of the track and get you stuck
 
So for a do all machine of ripping out tough old hedge trees in excess of two feet in diameter along with other trees and old fence a track loader would be the way to go? Side by side loader vs. dozer which is faster?
 
cre10":3tdonok8 said:
So for a do all machine of ripping out tough old hedge trees in excess of two feet in diameter along with other trees and old fence a track loader would be the way to go? Side by side loader vs. dozer which is faster?
I would go with the 953 loader and you will probably have to dig around the tree and tear the roots up so they push easier but you would have to do that with a dozer anyway

if you go with the loader try and get one with rippers on the back they are handy
 
I've got a JD 450 track loader with a 4-in-1 clam bucket and winch. It is much handier than a dozer. When I want to do dozer type work I just flip up the front half of the bucket and the back half of the bucket turns into a dozer type blade. I can use the clam bucket to pick up brush, logs, rocks etc.. The bucket lets me load gravel, dirt and debris if I need to. The bucket will lift up high allowing me to push 1 ft. diameter trees over (unless it is a sweet gum....dang roots go all the way to china). I can dig out big stumps, dig ponds, clear fence rows, snake logs and drive T-Posts with the bucket. My machine is not so big that I can't manuever it around in the woods but it is plenty big enough to do most anything needed on a farm.
 
I second the motion about getting the rippers if possible. I have a hard time imagining a tree that couldn't be handled by a D6 with a 6-way blade. I had a TD 7 and only came across 1 tree that I couldn't get to fall over. The bigger problem was moving it when it fell......... :shock:

You also need to consider operator skill (or lack thereof). Some folks can operate a dozer, and some can't. If you can't, you can really make a mess. :lol2:
 
Unless you have hours in the seat of any of the machines that have been talked about HIRE it done it will be cheaper. D5H with a six way blade is a nice dozer and will do alot of work if the person in the seat knows what they are doing. same with a hoe you have to know what and how to do the job. A D6C or D6D with a pusher will get most trees you will run across. Parts for yellow iron cost lots of money. Get a good one that won't break. IT AIN'T BEEN MADE!!!! Another question for you before you go out and buy a dozer is do you know what to look for to buy a dozer that is ready to work?? I have spent a lot of money learning about dozer's.
 
Red Bull Breeder":mx1a2znb said:
Unless you have hours in the seat of any of the machines that have been talked about HIRE it done it will be cheaper. D5H with a six way blade is a nice dozer and will do alot of work if the person in the seat knows what they are doing. same with a hoe you have to know what and how to do the job. A D6C or D6D with a pusher will get most trees you will run across. Parts for yellow iron cost lots of money. Get a good one that won't break. IT AIN'T BEEN MADE!!!! Another question for you before you go out and buy a dozer is do you know what to look for to buy a dozer that is ready to work?? I have spent a lot of money learning about dozer's.
very good points
I have always had a hard time hiring employees that can operate to my expectations and actually found it was easier to hire a person that hadn't been running one very much but had a basic knowledge of equipment that way I could teach them the way I wanted it done

But unless you have alot of expeience operating and by your questions I would assume you don't, you could hire the work done ALOT cheaper than you can do it yourself
I could probably do in 2-3hrs what would take most people with little exp 8-10
not bragging just making a experienced observation

it cost me about $100 per day to run a D5H in fuel cost alone with fuel around $2 per gallon
 
Unless you have a long term use for it, I would rent. I had the CAT people deliver a D6 LGP with a 6-way blade, last year, for 40 hours of use. Cost about $2000 plus fuel. Built a pond and and knocked down trees ( Huge Elms, lots of Pecan and a lot of Bodark). All the trees went down easy except for the Elm. Had to tilt the blade and cut some of the base roots first on them. Once the trees were down, it was a simple matter of pushing them into large piles. The D6 was incredibly easy to operate. I had no previous experience with dozers before. Be careful though, the ease of operation is so easy, you can pretty much get to feeling like Superman and get into trouble real quick.

Bees live in trees and they don't like it when there house is going down!
When moving large downed trees, those branches seem to want to be in your lap and face when pushed.
Any bulldozer CAN get stuck in a situation it can't get out of.
After getting the root ball out, you will be left with one big crater. How are you going to fill it in?

YES to rippers!!!!!!! A must for neat clearing.
 
I really don't know a lot about them or have much experience which is why I was asking you guys. I played with a D8 for a couple hours one day but that is the extent of my experience. I've run plenty of large tractors, bobcats, and uni loaders, obviously not as large or powerful as a dozer. I understand a dozer can be dangerous and has a learning curve but lets be realistic, it isn't rocket science look at some of the guys operating them! I have a good friend that is a Cat mechanic that has offered advice along with a good friend that is a wal mart construction contractor manager and my neighbor that has a D7 and some type of JD track loader. I wanted to pool all the thoughts and ideas together to get a nice variety. Hiring it done is not going to happen. What fun is that? Call me crazy but I like doing hard work on my land and learning new things. I feel much better and more satisfied knowing that I did it. Plus I want to do it right at my pace. I can't really hire it all done and have every section of fence ripped out at the same time. Drivers might not like my cattle all out on the roads and highways ;)
 
cre10":3qxg7r3u said:
I really don't know a lot about them or have much experience which is why I was asking you guys.
I understand a dozer can be dangerous and has a learning curve but lets be realistic, it isn't rocket science look at some of the guys operating them! ;)
I kinda take offense to this statement as would any good operator!

Like I have said anyone can run one but it takes alot of skill and time to be an OPERATOR their is a huge difference

Alot of it is natural ability that can never be taught or learned

I know several people who have ran them for years and make their livings running them that I would not classify as operators
 
cre10":klgqthb5 said:
I really don't know a lot about them or have much experience which is why I was asking you guys. I played with a D8 for a couple hours one day but that is the extent of my experience. I've run plenty of large tractors, bobcats, and uni loaders, obviously not as large or powerful as a dozer. I understand a dozer can be dangerous and has a learning curve but lets be realistic, it isn't rocket science look at some of the guys operating them! I have a good friend that is a Cat mechanic that has offered advice along with a good friend that is a wal mart construction contractor manager and my neighbor that has a D7 and some type of JD track loader. I wanted to pool all the thoughts and ideas together to get a nice variety. Hiring it done is not going to happen. What fun is that? Call me crazy but I like doing hard work on my land and learning new things. I feel much better and more satisfied knowing that I did it. Plus I want to do it right at my pace. I can't really hire it all done and have every section of fence ripped out at the same time. Drivers might not like my cattle all out on the roads and highways ;)
Whatever you decide you need to lease the machine for a month and operate it or have someone who is familiar with them operate it so you can check it out for any problems they usually apply 80-85% of lease to purchase price

transmission over heating ,how it starts when cold and hot , oil consumption,hydraulics weak when it is warm, and major leaks, engine running warm make sure transmission is in good shape
 

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