Anyone here have bulldozer experience?

[dodge man]

As a land surveyor I have to ask does someone in the scheme of things have some surveying skills? The reason I ask you want to make sure the drainage is good and you do not have any low spots. I have been surveying for 35 years and I have learned to not trust my eyes on how water will run off.

 

[1930]

As a land surveyor I have to ask does someone in the scheme of things have some surveying skills? The reason I ask you want to make sure the drainage is good and you do not have any low spots. I have been surveying for 35 years and I have learned to not trust my eyes on how water will run off.

No surveying skills. I have a laser transit, Ive gotten pretty good with it and am wondering how Ive managed in life without one. The property is nothing but loamy sand, Im on very high ground considering the state. If I were to have the cash to pay a big firm to do the work then Im sure I would get all the fancy stakes and markers as guides for the operators.

I hope that I am going to be Ok and not have any future issues

 

[ovrszd]

No surveying skills. I have a laser transit, Ive gotten pretty good with it and am wondering how Ive managed in life without one. The property is nothing but loamy sand, Im on very high ground considering the state. If I were to have the cash to pay a big firm to do the work then Im sure I would get all the fancy stakes and markers as guides for the operators.

I hope that I am going to be Ok and not have any future issues

Laser Transit is your best friend. It will never, ever lie to you. You might think it is sometimes. But it's not.

I moved 1,500 cuyds of Missouri clay to build a pad for our house and shop. The Laser Transit was invaluable. Allowed me to work alone. I was fortunate to have a good friend that let me borrow his. I now laugh at a bubble transit.

 

[ovrszd]

As a land surveyor I have to ask does someone in the scheme of things have some surveying skills? The reason I ask you want to make sure the drainage is good and you do not have any low spots. I have been surveying for 35 years and I have learned to not trust my eyes on how water will run off.

You mean when it runs uphill???

Here in the great State of Missouri drainage is key to success. Not sure it's quite that important where the OP is. Friend of mine has a property in Alamosa Colorado. Flat as a pool table. His house, garage and shop sit flat on the ground. The soil percolates amazingly fast. If it rains, a couple hours later there's no water in the puddles.

 

[dodge man]

First off, if you are using a laser and are getting good with it, you have some surveying skills. I assume you are talking about the kind that spins and has a unit on the rod that beeps.

Second, they will lie to you. Like any piece of equipment, they can get out of adjustment. There is a test called a “two peg” test that is a good way to check them. Google it, the test takes about 10 minutes.

 

[ovrszd]

First off, if you are using a laser and are getting good with it, you have some surveying skills. I assume you are talking about the kind that spins and has a unit on the rod that beeps.

Second, they will lie to you. Like any piece of equipment, they can get out of adjustment. There is a test called a “two peg” test that is a good way to check them. Google it, the test takes about 10 minutes.

Yes. That's the type I was using.

Thanks for the tip about testing the equipment. Did not know that. I'll be using it again this Spring on a project. I'll "test" it. Thanks for the tip!!!!

 

[1930]

First off, if you are using a laser and are getting good with it, you have some surveying skills. I assume you are talking about the kind that spins and has a unit on the rod that beeps.

Second, they will lie to you. Like any piece of equipment, they can get out of adjustment. There is a test called a “two peg” test that is a good way to check them. Google it, the test takes about 10 minutes.

Yes, it works as you described. The only issue I've had so far is knowing when the long range is needed. Theres a sweet spot in the middle where it gets finicky

 

[edgarrian]

We are not buddies.

Sarcasm buddy. Stay classy

 

[ovrszd]

Sarcasm buddy. Stay classy

I've never thought calling someone "buddy" that you are at odds with as being classy. I've always thought it condescending. Which was the intent when stated. Twice.

 

[Egon]

I've never thought calling someone "buddy" that you are at odds with as being classy. I've always thought it condescending. Which was the intent when stated. Twice.

Agreed. Being called Bud or Buddy is not my favourite and they are often used in negative connotation comments.

 

[D2Cat]

Being called buddy may be a regional thing. I know folks who often times use the word buddy in a sentence in place of ones name. One person I know fairly well refers refers to folks as "mister", as hey mister. One person will say "partner" when referring to another. I don't take it as a negative or a slam. Maybe it's all different when on the internet, I don't know.

 

[ddbackhoe]

As a land surveyor I have to ask does someone in the scheme of things have some surveying skills? The reason I ask you want to make sure the drainage is good and you do not have any low spots. I have been surveying for 35 years and I have learned to not trust my eyes on how water will run off.

Maybe they dont require storm water management plans there?

 

[dodge man]

Lets not get technical here, he would probably need a SWPP also (storm water pollution prevention plan) which means hay bales and silt fence.

 

[Peter 315]

Lets not get technical here, he would probably need a SWPP also (storm water pollution prevention plan) which means hay bales and silt fence.

Doesn't the water just go down the sinkholes...

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Half the time the silt fences are uphill and do no good. I really think the people who dictate them are on drugs, it makes no sense where they direct them to be installed.
Last job I was on, had a silt fence right thru the construction area, got ripped out the first day.

 

[deezler]

Half the time the silt fences are uphill and do no good. I really think the people who dictate them are on drugs, it makes no sense where they direct them to be installed.
Last job I was on, had a silt fence right thru the construction area, got ripped out the first day.

Plus, around here anyway, there seems to be zero oversight of regulation on REMOVING the stupid silt fences after a project is over. Almost all contractors leave them in the ground forever, a permanent blight of plastic woven garbage upon the landscape. Most of them catch zero silt, and then litter the land forever. Really ticks me off.

 

[dodge man]

A SWPP seems to be mandatory on most projects we work on now. We almost always have a sheet in the plans. Its very silly to have silt fence on the high side but that seems to be what the government wants. Straw bales are also common in ditch lines. Some projects the silt fences get removed but a lot of them don't

 

[bdog]

I bought a dozer in 2018. I haven稚 used it a whole lot. Mainly just clearing brush. Grading and spreading material I can do so much faster with my skid steer even though the dozer is capable of doing it much faster it won稚 with me in the seat. I have ran backhoes, wheel loaders, excavators, skid steers, etc and a dozer requires skill. It isn稚 super difficult to operate but it is difficult to operate well. You can make a big mess in a hurry. I am getting a couple of semi loads of gravel delivered tomorrow. A good dozer operator could spread them out in minutes. I don稚 even plan on starting the dozer because I know I can do a better and faster job with the skid steer.

 

[ovrszd]

I bought a dozer in 2018. I haven稚 used it a whole lot. Mainly just clearing brush. Grading and spreading material I can do so much faster with my skid steer even though the dozer is capable of doing it much faster it won稚 with me in the seat. I have ran backhoes, wheel loaders, excavators, skid steers, etc and a dozer requires skill. It isn稚 super difficult to operate but it is difficult to operate well. You can make a big mess in a hurry. I am getting a couple of semi loads of gravel delivered tomorrow. A good dozer operator could spread them out in minutes. I don稚 even plan on starting the dozer because I know I can do a better and faster job with the skid steer.

Very well said.

 

[edgarrian]

Dozer takes the longest to get proficient at. It takes seat time and if you don't get seat time you won't improve. I worked for a big excavating company in Indianapolis and could run a D9 pretty good. I used D4 and D5s the most so getting on this machine where you cant see the cutting edge of the blade made it much different to run. My first week on it was really frustrating but after that I was able to move twigs without scratching up the soil with the blade. Carry grades and so on. I was never a fan of operating a dozer as i much prefer a trackhoe (375).

If you have the ability to get a lot of seat time on a dozer I suggest trying to do that as you can work wonders with them when it comes to moving dirt.

I bought a dozer in 2018. I haven稚 used it a whole lot. Mainly just clearing brush. Grading and spreading material I can do so much faster with my skid steer even though the dozer is capable of doing it much faster it won稚 with me in the seat. I have ran backhoes, wheel loaders, excavators, skid steers, etc and a dozer requires skill. It isn稚 super difficult to operate but it is difficult to operate well. You can make a big mess in a hurry. I am getting a couple of semi loads of gravel delivered tomorrow. A good dozer operator could spread them out in minutes. I don稚 even plan on starting the dozer because I know I can do a better and faster job with the skid steer.