Looking at buying a dozer.

[MossRoad]

Hey guys I recently acquired another 42 acres here in Texas. The land is about 38 acres of mesquite trees. The trees are anywhere from 1in to 24in in diameter, I am looking for a dozer to clear most of the 1-12in trees. Locally people want anywhere from $900 to $1200 a day for dozer work plus cost of transport. I have found a few dozers in my area for $8000-12000 range which I am interested in buying to clear the land and eventually resell. The two "dozers" that have caught my eye in the price range that arent beat to **** will loose tracks and covered in rust are a John Deere 350B with a 6-way blade and the other is a Komatsu 31s (Its a track loader with a dozer blade). The Komatsu has 25hp more than the JD and weighs about 4000 pounds more. Do you think either of these would be a good choice? Once again i know running a dozer can cost some big $$$ which is why im looking to only own it for a few months.

I've been on TBN for about 18 years. The common advice from most experienced dozer owners has always been:

A - the machines you're looking at are too small for the job you are contemplating.
B - the machines you're looking at break easily when you work them too hard on a job that is too big.
C - repair parts and labor are expensive, often wiping out any savings from buying a smaller used older dozer.
D - an excavator with a thumb or grapple is superior to a dozer for tree removal.
E - a dozer makes dirty wood. If you plan on sawing it up for firewood, lumber, etc, it's loaded with sand and dirt. If you burn it, you have a dirt pile to deal with when finished, so you have to doze that again as well. With an excavator, you can dig a hole and bury stuff quickly.
F - you can dig holes with an excavator.
G - an excavator is also a crane. you can lift things.
H - you can break concrete with attachments on an excavator, tear down a barn, load trucks and trailers....

Listen to those voices of experience.

 

[Code54]

Good summary Mossroad!

 

[Will_C]

Yes, good summary! Bulldozers are made for pushing dirt. I be seen them used for many other things, but there is always a better tool if you have it.

 

[MossRoad]

i always thought i'd like to own a dozer for our 20 acres. then the voice of reason kicked in after reading advice from experienced dozer owners, and i realized i'd have very little use for it in all reality. i rent a small excavator for weekend rates when i need them. the only way i'd buy one now is an antique for a play toy or parade duty, or if i came across something too good to pass up.

 

[redman135]

If you go the digger route look at getting a single or 2 leg ripper. The rippers let you tear the roots out with far less soil disturbance, and time cost compared to using a bucket.

 

[nik0lai]

I have the backhoe for my tractor, it's slow going but it digs them out. I wait till it rains then get what I can done, this sandy loam gets packed hard after about a foot.

If I did it again and didn't need the other functions of the tractor, I would have bought an excavator, hands down. As big as my truck would tow.

 

[STERLING351]

Well i ended up getting a Cat D4E for free from my father in-law. Its his extra dozer he bought new in 1983. He got a new cab dozer about 2 years ago and let this one sit. I put a new starter in it and rebuilt the blade tilt cylinders because they were leaking. It only has 2155 hours on it and i have put 4 hours on it and its been amazing for clearing these thick mesquite trees i have here.sometimes it gets the rootball and sometime the tree snaps. I figure i will have to go back and spary resprouts but this has been very useful.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

Well i ended up getting a Cat D4E for free from my father in-law. Its his extra dozer he bought new in 1983.

That's the BEST way to get one! That way, you don't mind putting some money into it!

SR

 

[ovrszd]

Congrats on the machine!!! Hope it serves you well!!!!

 

[MossRoad]

Well i ended up getting a Cat D4E for free from my father in-law. Its his extra dozer he bought new in 1983. He got a new cab dozer about 2 years ago and let this one sit. I put a new starter in it and rebuilt the blade tilt cylinders because they were leaking. It only has 2155 hours on it and i have put 4 hours on it and its been amazing for clearing these thick mesquite trees i have here.sometimes it gets the rootball and sometime the tree snaps. I figure i will have to go back and spary resprouts but this has been very useful.

Nice! Great price, too! :thumbsup: