Anyone here have bulldozer experience?

[crashz]

I agree with Egon. The bigger the dozer, the easier it is to level. Its also easier to grade when you are pushing a full blade of soil in front of you.

Remember, its all in the seat! You will feel the grade changes in the seat back.

Dozer operating is something like riding a bike. You first get on and drive the machine and move the blade. In frustration you say to yourself: "Its physically impossible to make a flat surface with this thing!" After practicing and getting very frustrated, one (hour, day, week) later, you'll just get the feel of it.

My father has three old open station machines with steering brakes. I ran a new D5 in December and it was soooo sweet. I was grading and pushing backfill pretty confidently within a few minutes after not running a dozer for 10 years or so.

 

[Ortimber]

Go for it...I didn't know how to run anything either until I just got on something and gave it a try. A construction series, low track D5 is not overly large or intimidating.

 

[ultrarunner]

I really enjoy Dozer work at my own pace but found my proficiency went down as the day progressed. I was putting in fire trails on rather steep terain... CAT D3 and also seat time with a JD 350C

 

[ovrszd]

I really enjoy Dozer work at my own pace but found my proficiency went down as the day progressed. I was putting in fire trails on rather steep terain... CAT D3 and also seat time with a JD 350C

20 years ago I never experienced that. I do now. After 12hrs in the seat my eye hand coordination diminishes. That's disastrous when operating earth moving equipment.

 

[ultrarunner]

Yep... plus the D3 cutting in across slopes required physical effort to work the brake/steering pedals... a good 4-5 hours and I would call it quits because the only time I did stupid moves was always at the end of a full day or rushing.

That said it was very satisfying and the results satisfying...

 

[Big Barn]

Every heavy equipment operator is a dozer driver. (Me included)

A real dozer operator is in a class of his own.

 

[ovrszd]

Yep... plus the D3 cutting in across slopes required physical effort to work the brake/steering pedals... a good 4-5 hours and I would call it quits because the only time I did stupid moves was always at the end of a full day or rushing

Yep. "What's wrong with this thing, the blade is going down!!! Oh, I'm pushing the lever."

 

[ovrszd]

Every heavy equipment operator is a dozer driver. (Me included)

A real dozer operator is in a class of his own.

Yep. A Master of his domain.

I can run one, but I'm not an operator.

 

[mapper]

There are some pretty good tutorials on YouTube (The sand box - I think). That being said I have never operated a dozer, but I have watched some pretty good operators and what they can do is almost magic to watch. I would suggest starting somewhere you don't mind messing up completely.

 

[ovrszd]

There are some pretty good tutorials on YouTube (The sand box - I think). That being said I have never operated a dozer, but I have watched some pretty good operators and what they can do is almost magic to watch. I would suggest starting somewhere you don't mind messing up completely.

Yep. A 30 second mistake will take 30 minutes to fix.

 

[ultrarunner]

One of the most fascinating grading I have seen is two dozers with the large on at the top and a slightly smaller one on a cable clearing the side of a mountain... too steep to walk or climb yet the two dozers had it wrapped up in about 10 days...

The craziest/skillful operator was a guy running an excavator putting in sewer lines... simply clawed his way up impassable terrain... creeks, banks, ledges... simply amazing what that machine/operator could do... would not have believed it had I not seen it... all I could think of is I hope he doesn't lose power.

My brother owns the 350C but gets frustrated using it so I come out each spring and do clean up runs...

Between the levers and 6 way blade you are in constant motion... but the 350 is like a little mountain goat... point it and go.

 

[Rebeldad1]

You might be much happier on a skid steer in sand

 

[ovrszd]

You might be much happier on a skid steer in sand

A CTL maybe, but not a skid steer.

 

[4570Man]

A CTL maybe, but not a skid steer.

Agreed. Wheeled skid steers suck. Tracked ones are amazing machines.

 

[ultrarunner]

Hit a patch of sand down at the bottom of a ravine... just could not get traction to extricate.

Waited months for the first good rain and then a few more days... started up the dozer and drove right out...

Moisture Content of the soil can make all the difference.

 

[Egon]

Hit a patch of sand down at the bottom of a ravine... just could not get traction to extricate.

Waited months for the first good rain and then a few more days... started up the dozer and drove right out...

Moisture Content of the soil can make all the difference.

No logs or evergreen branches?

 

[ovrszd]

Dozers have tremendous pushing power and traction. Until the belly pan touches the ground.......

 

[NC419N]

Dozers have tremendous pushing power and traction. Until the belly pan touches the ground.......

:laughing:My son found that out the hard way

 

[ultrarunner]

No... just coastal oak of very large size and sparse... dusty dry and the tracks were moving sand under a thin covering of dry seasonal grass just like a conveyor belt...

I was no worried but others thought I had to act immediately... I said it will be fine as soon as the rain comes... just happened to be a drought year so it took awhile...

The soil varies greatly probably due to a active earthquake fault... at least the dozer did not get swallowed up... but it was at the epicenter of one small quake... didn't seem small when you are on top of it but 3.8 is what USGS showed.

 

[4570Man]

Dozers have tremendous pushing power and traction. Until the belly pan touches the ground.......

I don’t see much danger of getting the dozer stuck. They’ve already worked it with a wheel loader.