Anyone here have bulldozer experience?

[JasperFrank]

If your real goal is to "Have a Blast" then by all means rent a Dozer. But if you want to get something done, you should hire an operator with their own machinery. For myself, there was no difference in cost, since it took so much extra rental time, learning how to use the machine and cleaning up the mistakes I made. It was a very fun experience. But further work, I left to the pro's.

 

[ovrszd]

But then don稚 you ALWAYS use the Braille method for grading, Richard??

I can稚 tell on my phone. In the first pic is that something on the gooseneck or something in the background?

It's a Dozer, maybe D6, on another trailer parked beside the front one. Couldn't get a better pic.

 

[fruitcakesa]

If your real goal is to "Have a Blast" then by all means rent a Dozer. But if you want to get something done, you should hire an operator with their own machinery. For myself, there was no difference in cost, since it took so much extra rental time, learning how to use the machine and cleaning up the mistakes I made. It was a very fun experience. But further work, I left to the pro's.

I am in this camp since I sold my last dozer.
My neighbor is a true master equipment operator and has all the necessary hardware. His base rate is $100/hr, man and machine and he can finish grade with with his D8

 

[ovrszd]

I am in this camp since I sold my last dozer.
My neighbor is a true master equipment operator and has all the necessary hardware. His base rate is $100/hr, man and machine and he can finish grade with with his D8

And he would definitely be a "bargain"!!!!

 

[Big Barn]

I am in this camp since I sold my last dozer.
My neighbor is a true master equipment operator and has all the necessary hardware. His base rate is $100/hr, man and machine and he can finish grade with with his D8

Wow cheap. Here are the rates for blade cat in my area

 

[ovrszd]

Ouch. We hired a dozer last year to repair some washed out roads. D7. $125 p/hr.

 

[ultrarunner]

After the 1991 Oakland Hills Fire storm where 3,000 homes burned the city implemented new urban/wildland requirements.

Since my family owned a large parcel of land they came under intense scrutiny... even though it was miles from the fire zone.

Every inspector had a different idea on how the requirements applied and none mentioned the fire trail option... they are use to dealing with city lots and not acreage.

Anyway... I was able to get the fire trail proposal signed off and Dad had a friend with a large paving and grading company who came out to look... he kind of scratched his head saying it is more involved than blazing a trail which is all the fire people wanted...

He offered for his son to come up and make a proposal... it never happened... they were so busy and the two times it would have worked it was raining like never before...

Under a mandate to get it done I bought the D3 in part so I could get it done on my schedule... and avoided $500 transport fees and $600 daily rental...

I marked out a path and with no experience began...

About a month later... Dad happened to run into his friend and he mentioned I was doing the work and had bought a dozer...

His friend scared Dad nearly to death... saying it was rugged terrain and recipe for disaster for a inexperienced operator... Dad called me at work and said no more... so I called his friend... and he was absolute... but I was able to convince him to at least look at what I had accomplished.

He came out and was impressed... saying it was first rate job and being an owner operator I had more leeway than a large firm with dozens of State and Local contracts... as to engineering and such.

He did repeatedly stress how dangerous hillside work was and all it takes is one wrong move for disaster...

He also said if he was bidding the job to city spec/engineer/etc. it would cost about as much as I had paid for the dozer...

Can't fault people for being safety conscious... and he was only looking out for his friend my Dad and family.

Over the next 17 years I would groom the trails taking less than a day each year and be done... after 17 years the property was sold and I reluctantly sold my Dozer for about what I had in it...

As a side note... when it came time to replace the brake/steering brakes I tore it down and went to Peterson CAT for parts... they could not have been any nicer... while there a fleet owner started a conversation and asked me what outfit I work for and I said just working on my own equipment... the short of it is he gave me his card and said he had openings for mechanic and operator.

My point is if I had to do it over again I would... it was enjoyable, educational, money saving, etc...

 

[fruitcakesa]

And he would definitely be a "bargain"!!!!

He is that and more ie: master welder, machinist and mechanic. The real deal.

 

[Big Barn]

As a side note... when it came time to replace the brake/steering brakes I tore it down and went to Peterson CAT for parts... they could not have been any nicer......

The Cat Ag exhibit at the very first (Tulare Ca) World Ag Expo I ever attended in the late 1970’s blew me away. It was HUGE. Strictly agricultural equipment no construction gear.

It was set up by Cat but I think Peterson was the host dealer. I could be wrong.

I have pics of the “CAT” gal I met who was handing out flowers. I will have to look for them. Ah memories.

 

[edgarrian]

This is what you said. I'll let you pick and choose what you want to defend.

Class act buddy.

 

[ovrszd]

Class act buddy.

We are not buddies.

 

[1930]

If your real goal is to "Have a Blast" then by all means rent a Dozer. But if you want to get something done, you should hire an operator with their own machinery. For myself, there was no difference in cost, since it took so much extra rental time, learning how to use the machine and cleaning up the mistakes I made. It was a very fun experience. But further work, I left to the pro's.

I appreciate all the advice and for sure Im gonna get some seat time but after reading all these posts Im gonna go this route. Ive already had the dozer ( which seems sorta small in my opinion ) dropped off. The guy is supposedly gonna start work next Wed or Thurs and Ill meet him Fri evening again.

Hopefully I will learn half as much as I did with all the seat time I got on the wheel loader but Im not counting on it. He is also gonna bring his skid steer and a second operator supposedly.

He is gonna grade the entire 5 acres ( fill in all the holes from stump removal as well ) and the cost is 4500 dollars.

Id have to pay 2 gee for my own dozer if I rented, Ive noticed I typically go thru about 60 dollars in fuel a day with this heavy equipment ( pushing material like a dozer does will prob consume a little more ) and Id have to find a good operator and thats another 200 a day from what Ive experienced, so this guy is costing me a little less than 1500 dollars more than doing it myself with help.

He and I are also gonna set up my three containers in the back corner ( U shaped so I can put a roof over them eventually )

At this point I want this part of the project over with so I can get my well in and start getting some vegetation ( trees ) re planted.

Here are some more pict I was able to take today before leaving.

 

[ovrszd]

Awesome!!!! Post more pics of your progress. This guy is going to transform your site into exactly what you want!!!! Perfect grading dozer!!!!

 

[1930]

Thanks, Im wondering if anyone here has any experience with bolting these containers together? Like I mentioned I want the U shape so I can lay some gravel maybe on the inside, put a roof over the top and have additional storage space ( my campers going in there in the meantime )

I looked a little at the corners today, hard to tell if I can get a straight shot thru some heavy material with these containers.

Im gonna have to do some research

 

[ovrszd]

I don't remember ever seeing them bolted together as you explain. I agree, the strongest, thickest metal in the containers is at the corners.

Keep us posted on that part.

 

[D2Cat]

After you get the containers located where you want them, and level, weld some clip angles at the top, middle and bottom of the inside corners.

 

[1930]

After you get the containers located where you want them, and level, weld some clip angles at the top, middle and bottom of the inside corners.

Another problem possibly to overcome, we are gonna drag the containers to the pad and thru the pad, the pad is level and packed pretty good but sand nonetheless. Im sure that all that is gonna go away fast once we start dragging the containers thru.

Obviously best solution would prob be to rent the offroad forklift mentioned but money is going out faster than its coming in right now so Im trying to make things happen with what I have.

I also wanted the containers secured together so that all three would settle evenly and together.

Im prob gonna have to come up with a jack of some sort to lift them once in place so that I can get them even in height, then comealong the tops together and start drilling and running hardware thru.

Still trying to put it all together in my head.

They are going directly onto ground, its sand, it sheds water super fast, I wont have any issues in my lifeteime with rot

 

[1930]

Awesome!!!! Post more pics of your progress. This guy is going to transform your site into exactly what you want!!!! Perfect grading dozer!!!!

What cant be seen in the pics is that I am standing approx 7-8 feet above the grade of the house pad and the surrounding yard in that right rear corner. The only thing left around the circumference of the property is 20 feet of driving space that I created. All that material was moved to the left front of house pad.

 

[D2Cat]

Here's an idea. Remember those suckers are heavy. Leveling a Loaded Container in the Field with a Bottle Jack - YouTube

 

[1930]

Here's an idea. Remember those suckers are heavy. Leveling a Loaded Container in the Field with a Bottle Jack - YouTube

Thanks, I also found this one and less money to be spent and less goofs

Putting a Shipping Container up on Blocks with 3 ton Harbor Freight Jack - YouTube