Dozer usage

[Loaderman22]

I know this won't be a straightforward answer for everybody, but for those of you that have them, how often do you run your Dozers? I hear a lot of stories that this froze or that stopped working "from sitting", so how often do you fire it up and move it around? How far do you feel you need to go to keep things from freezing up? 10', 50', run it around for 2-3 hours, etc?

 

[grsthegreat]

Good question. I used to lease one years ago for my business. When work slowed down to a crawl, i stopped doing that. Never had one sit around long enough not being used to know an answer. Everyone i know that has one are always using, and greasing them.

 

[Ortimber]

We've had many dozers over the last 50 years, and in my experience, they don't have any more or less problems from sitting as opposed to any other piece of equipment. It's safe to say that for clearing land, we use our excavators much more than the dozers. I would say I put 50hrs a year on a dozer.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Mine is a 1991 Dresser TD7G that I have owned since 2010. Every winter it sits from mid November until mid April minimum. When I put it away I clean it up the U/C and exterior with a hose. Drive it up on some planks, grease it, charge the batteries, and cover the dash/instruments with a tarp so air can circulate. In the spring I charge the batteries again, Check the fluids, and get her started. All summer it gets sporadic use. Might use it every day for a week then it might sit for a month. Grease every use and change fluids per maintenance schedule. Nothing ever 'froze' up. BUT it has wet brakes and clutches. Older machines with dry clutches and brakes would probably 'freeze' up sitting so long.

gg

 

[grsthegreat]

if you want you can store that dozer at my place. i can park it in shop even. hate to see it go unused so long

 

[toolbox5]

I used my old dozer 4 times in 5 years traded it on my 72 hp skid steer that i use almost every day .

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Yup, older "dry clutch" machines, many times will have problems sitting around.

I've had several dozers over the years, but when I got older and knew I wouldn't be running my dozer a lot, one reason I bought a Case dozer, is to avoid that stuck clutch/brake problem.

It has worked out well for me.

SR

 

[spruce Deere]

Well, my 1150 case dozer leaks a little even when parked. I disconnect the batterys and make sure the smoke stack flap is down when I park it

Most of my components are wore enough seizing is not an option.

The track rails, rollers and idlers were all replaced and had only a year or so of use before I bought the dozer.

In my 30 years of being around tracked equipment, some OLD stuff also, I only know of one froze up set of track rails.

 

[BackRoad]

This dozer topic is of high interest.

About 2 weeks ago, looked seriously at a '72 Cat D5 with a 4-way blade, about 65% under carriage - $10k asking price. It's still available...

The older D5s are smaller than new models, this one is 27,000 pounds and it's more like a current D4 or JD450 in size.

It's 50 years old, but still runs well and is reliable per the owner (a local guy, who grew up in this town and is reputable). He used it in his small top soil business which was shut down by the state due to their environmental over-reach (his words), so he's selling out.

My primary objective for it is digging a ~2 acre pond. Never built one, nor even operated a dozer. But always wanted to and thinking about giving it a go!

Trying to convince myself that owning a dozer makes economic sense...I can talk myself into it pretty easy...

My thinking is that if I buy it right > I can use it > then sell it at my buy price, so it should be only my time at risk if it doesn't turn out as planned.

My primary concern is I'm handy - but NOT a heavy equipment mechanic.

Unknowns are cost of operation and on-going maintenance for a dozer.

If it's reasonably sound to start...is it still a high risk of being a money pit?

Are dozers typically high cost to operate and high maintenance?

(Apologies up front for the interrupt, but this thread has a small group of contributors who I trust in their knowledge...)

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Are dozers typically high cost to operate and high maintenance?

About 20+ bucks an hour, in UC wear alone... Then theres fuel ect...

SR

 

[spruce Deere]

2 acre pond is a good size pond. How deep ya gunna make it?

If you could have one dug by someone for 10 grand, the price of the dozer you have in mind that would be the way to go.

BUT, nothing matches the feeling of dozing dirt, clearing brush, skidding logs and sculpting the earth with a dozer. 10g is a good, fair price for a dozer at that age @ 65% undercarriage and that size if it don't burn gallons of oil or no gusher leaks.

20 to 30 bucks an hour is what I figgered for operating cost for the 1150 for myself on my own ground. Charge buy the job for custom work, which I am very selective about....whole 'nuther large can-o-worms.

 

[ultrarunner]

Owned the D3 17 years and put about 50 hours per year on it...

Spent average of $200 per year maintaining... fluids, battery, lines... but did not change the fluids annually.

One time it sat for 7 months... started fine but one track really tight... after that I ran every 6 to 8 weeks even if stationary with blade and rippers down.

The 350c about 40 per year... needed a $1000 injection pump repair in year 4... may have been bio diesel related?

Tried other machines for fire trail maintenance but the dozer makes quick work of it...

 

[Patrick Herd]

I have a '54 D47U here: I usually try to at least start it every few months to stir the oil around. The clutches did get a little sticky when I didn't move it for the best part of a year one time. It lives in a shed that keeps it out of 95% of the weather. Look up Squatch253 on Youtube to learn everything you need to know about crawler tractor maintenance.

 

[Gordon Gould]

Most of my components are wore enough seizing is not an option.




I like that !!

I should have added above on how I store the tractor is that I put new SALT (sealed pins and bushings) track rails on it.

gg

 

[BackRoad]

Mr. Patrick, I have watched Squatch 253, along with Dirt Perfect. Both provide high value content on dozers and I've watched enough of them to start thinking "I should try that..."!

The pond is planned to be 20 to 25 feet at the deepest...it's an area that has some springs and stays wet all summer...unusable otherwise.

Which is a blessing for keeping it filled long-term...but a curse for digging out all the clay soil it's sitting on.

It WILL be very soft initially. Still researching how to do it, and if it's going to require "expert" level credentials to not make it a dozer burial ground.

Thanks for the information above...greatly appreciate it.

 

[Loaderman22]

All great info everyone!! I bought a 79 Cat D3 early this spring, it had lots of new internals (brakes, clutches, etc). So I went for it. Paid a bit more than what @BackRoad is looking at for a larger machine, but seemed a fair price to me. I used it to start my driveway project, and hope to make good use of it around here. It's been sitting since May, but I hope to get back on it now that the ground has firmed up. The spot I am putting the driveway runs next to a very soft wet spot that sits on pure rock, so the water doesn't drain. My plan is to use the rock (about 3' down) to my advantage, then create drainage along side the driveway to drain.

 

[grsthegreat]

Wet deep clay can be a dozer burial ground

 

[plastikosmd]

Fiat fl5
It doesn’t get much use but I do smile when I get to use it. Sits more than it should. Always starts when needed. A few frozen track pins make for a bumpy ride. Costs have been an oil change and starter rebuild over the years

 

[blueman2]

I have had a JD450C for 30 years and sits for a year between uses. No problems. Last year it sat for a year, I put the batteries in, and it started right away

 

[greenerdreams]

dozers can sit for a long time, i agree with those others stating the problem is usually frozen brakes. keep things lubed and you probably won't have a problem. have had two dozers and they were great but i got tired of them breaking. IMO dozers are one of those machines that is essentially destroying itself everytime you use it. Anything with steel tracks is usually pretty high maintenance. A rubber tracked skidsteer or excavator is much lower maint. A rubber wheeled skid steer is almost zero maint, but you need a pretty big machine to come even close to the work a dozer can do and it needs to be dry or you have to put on over tire tracks. sold my dozers and replaced with a skid and an excavator, I feel that is the perfect combination for almost any job. BTW, the other machine that destroys itself every time you use it, a stump grinder, but they are handy for sure.