Anyone here have bulldozer experience?

[Big Barn]

I will echo what others have mentioned. Slow wins the race. Concentrate on control. Backblading is for amateurs. Take your time.

 

[oosik]

Back in '82 my driveway was constructed with something like a 5 series JD dozer. The operator made it look like a walk in the park. He let me try. I made a bloody mess. Thank God, he easily corrected what I had done. What I thought I could do and what I actually could do - night & day.

 

[dalola]

Do it! They are great fun! I rented one many years ago to clean up a fence line, had a blast! Give yourself plenty of time to figure it out, expect to make mistakes, but enjoy the experience. I would also agree with those recommending a smaller machine, especially for what you plan to do.
Let us know how it works out!

 

[PILOON]

I once owned a HD6 and when delivered was told U unload it!
Then I 'drove' it home on about 1 mile of unfinished road bed.
By the time I arrived I was an operator, so to speak.
Next day I proceeded to spread truckloads of road base material to a standard that the dump trucks could use it.
Within the week I carved my 1000 ft driveway thru the forest uprooting trees in the process.
OK, maybe I'm a fast learner and it helped that I 'rode' with the D8 operator while he carved the road thru the forest.

That HD6 was a clutch machine with steering brakes and lots of levers to manage.
Years later I got the chance to drive a Cat D6 with hydro transmission and bet anyone could master that within the hour.

 

[Egon]

There are those who can, those who have difficulty and those who can’t. The same goes for the learning curve.

The bigger the dozer the easier it is to level things. ( contrary to popular opinion. ) The hard part is being able to judge what the blade is doing and controlling it.

It is up to the OP to determine if he is a quick learner within reasonable time.

I’m not an operator but I have moved dirt with a D9 H and ublade. Also spent a few years watching dozers doing mountain grade construction. There were some operators with years of experience that were barely competent. Others it was a joy to watch. A fellow with several hours experience had no chance of keeping an operator’s job.

 

[Gordon Gould]

You will be able to do it just fine. The controls are simple and easy to master. Go slow like everybody said. The thing that will hurt and maybe frustrate is your lack of experience, finesse with the controls, and knowledge of basic techniques to level and move material. But that will just cost you time and you will get better as you go. When leveling keep one side of the blade on the established grade and use it as a guide as you cut or fill with the rest of the blade. When moving your material from the right side to left, depending on how far you have to go, it might be faster to push it thru a slot so that you can keep the blade full the whole way across and it won't dribble off the sides of the blade.

gg

 

[mred2]

If you have the time and money, ok.
I have a small JD dozer, hydro. I have a good many hours on it. However, when I have a big project, I call a friend that is a much better operator. I can do in one hour what it would take me 3. He is that good. NOT ALL OLD OPERATORS ARE THE SAME. You may do great. But as noted, go slow, learn. Best on a smaller and less expensive machine. And track loaders and dozers are not the same. A dozer with a 6 way blade and good operator can move a lot of dirt. But it can't load dirt onto a truck. But a 6 way blade can cut a ditch or crown a road better.

 

[fruitcakesa]

I have had a handful of smaller John Deere dozers from a 1010c to a 450b.
On my steep, 50 acre wooded parcel, they were perfect for my use; logging and some dirt/slash moving
The problem was they were old and dry clutched machines that needed TLC
They were easy to operate and with care and skill would do a huge amount of work.
A D5 Cat is a bigger, more powerful machine but with slow, methodical practice you will eventually be operating competently and safely.
Having a tractor and dozer is a dream fantasy; for now a tractor is my tool of choice.

 

[ovrszd]

There are those who can, those who have difficulty and those who can’t. The same goes for the learning curve.

The bigger the dozer the easier it is to level things. ( contrary to popular opinion. ) The hard part is being able to judge what the blade is doing and controlling it.

It is up to the OP to determine if he is a quick learner within reasonable time.

I’m not an operator but I have moved dirt with a D9 H and ublade. Also spent a few years watching dozers doing mountain grade construction. There were some operators with years of experience that were barely competent. Others it was a joy to watch. A fellow with several hours experience had no chance of keeping an operator’s job.

Most honest post yet.

There's a lot of distance between a Dozer driver and a Dozer operator.

Regardless of OP's learning abilities, he'll still be a Dozer driver when his project is done.

 

[ovrszd]

If you have the time and money, ok.
I have a small JD dozer, hydro. I have a good many hours on it. However, when I have a big project, I call a friend that is a much better operator. I can do in one hour what it would take me 3. He is that good. NOT ALL OLD OPERATORS ARE THE SAME. You may do great. But as noted, go slow, learn. Best on a smaller and less expensive machine. And track loaders and dozers are not the same. A dozer with a 6 way blade and good operator can move a lot of dirt. But it can't load dirt onto a truck. But a 6 way blade can cut a ditch or crown a road better.

Another very good post.