|
|
Central Iowa | I am thinking of getting an older dozer to clear tree lines, Push back sucker trees from edge of field, Possibly clear and shape a ravine for a pond. What are the best models and brands for ease of maintenence, cost of parts, availability of parts, initial cost. What should I look for to avoid in a used dozer?
Thanks
Andy |
|
| |
|
NW Ohio,near Findlay | Dresser TD-8E a JD450 second. |
|
| |
|
North Central Kansas | if you have time
cut the trees, treat with toradon, wait 2 to 3 years to rot out, then push sooo much easier
make a pile of it all and burn it |
|
| |
|
central - east central Minnesota - | bharzman - 11/14/2010 15:33 if you have time cut the trees, treat with toradon, wait 2 to 3 years to rot out, then push sooo much easier make a pile of it all and burn it Not to mention, much safer, for a newbie . . . . . Nothing like having a tree (or big branches)come back on top of your machine when trying to clear trees . |
|
| |
|
SC | For farm cleanup and tree removal a trackhoe will run circles around a bulldozer. They can reach up and remove overhanging tree limbs where a bulldozer would make a mess. A trackhoe and a bulldozer make a great combo for pushing and piling. For either machine the tracks, rollers, sprockets, are high wear items along with pins and bushings on linkages. Its not too hard to judge what looks new and what looks worn out but the in between takes some experience. I would get an opinion from someone who knows them and not rely on the seller, unless its a reputable dealer. |
|
| |
|
mo | andent - 11/14/2010 16:17
I am thinking of getting an older dozer to clear tree lines, Push back sucker trees from edge of field, Possibly clear and shape a ravine for a pond. What are the best models and brands for ease of maintenence, cost of parts, availability of parts, initial cost. What should I look for to avoid in a used dozer?
Thanks
Andy
If I was looking for a dozer now just starting out, I'd hunt for a D 7E Cat with a turbo. They were easy to run slow in the gears and reliable good power. Or a good D 6C. Both of them ought to be in the 20,000 dollar price range. There are no cheap parts on a dozer, I don't care what kind you buy they"re all high. Undercarriage rail and grouser roller sprocket front idler. Motor and transmission. If I was you I'd call the previous owner up and talk to him about the dozer. |
|
| |
|
West Chazy, New York | I second a D6; they are big enough to do some work and small enough to move without oversize loads. Look for a tilt blade if you have any grading projects to do, like waterways or road maintenance. |
|
| |
|
Marion,ks | We have a JD 644 payloader. It will do anything a D6 will do but you don't have to worry about hauling it around and it also cheaper to upkeep. It will push back trees way better than a dozer will. We also use it to build terraces with. It has none of the undercarriage issues. Tire aren't cheap but cheaper than the undercarriage issues of a dozer. |
|
| |
|
east central ND | D6 c with a 10,000 up SN is a very good midsized older machine, very reliable, big enough to handle most trees - not 60 to 70 foot cottonwoods unless you have lots of experiance. ROPS canopy is a must with trees, tilt blade very nice. Digging holes and serious tree pushing you maybe shound not get an angle blade. shapeing waterways, lighter tree work, and finish work an angle blade is great. |
|
| |
|
Lubbock, Texas | tires tear up way easier than tracks and chains do.....I am sure a loader can do a lot, but one stick, stump, or limb and it is going to do nothing without a serious investment of cash right then
with a dozer at least you can see as the tracks and components wear out and know to save up for the future instead of working one minute and stopping down for a flat the next |
|
| |
|
Sac & Story county IA | A D6C is a good piece of power. A lot of aftermarket parts made for them to keep parts available and halfway reasonable.
In my opinion, the worst dozer was an IH TD15B. Those, singlehandedly, made most of the owners go broke. |
|
| |
|
sw corner ia. | first time you lose a final drive on a 2 hour job you will be sick of the whole thing. Then.. when you go to sell your old cat it will bring about half what you gave for it so you now have the decision of whether to fill that money pit or park it. Think about it, with a contractor you get help and don't have any expenses at all, just the hours charged and you write it all off.
about a zillion old machines around that have become too big a liability just waiting for you to get sucked into. |
|
| |
|
USA | Maybe have ben lucky, but for the amount of work we have done, repairs have been far from a budget breaker. Doesn't cost much more to buy a good one vs one that needs a bunch of TLC.
Have a trackoe, crawler loader, and dozer. All 3 are Komatsu. Have found, a person can get more machine for the money with Komatsu vs a Cat.
Most high repair item here, is the tile machine. Money spent on trackhoe, crawler loader and dozer combined hasen't equaled the upkeep on the tile machine. |
|
| |
|
Columbia Basin, Ephrata, WA | Dozers can be VERY expensive to own and run, especially the older ones in the price range that most farmers are shopping for. Rentals can be a good deal if you can get it and run it hard for the time of the rental. The late model machines you get on rent will be way more productive than the older machines you might buy, and with no surprise costs.
I rented a Deere 450J LT (with 6 way blade and ripper attachment) this spring to clear trees from several acres and around field edges, rip some rock ground, dig up and backfill an old main line, and build a small irrigation overflow pond. I knew exactly what it was going to cost me in the end before it even showed up, it was surprisingly fast and powerful for it's size, and easy to learn to run. Everything was done in a week with time to spare.
We also rent a wheel loader for a month every spring for manure hauling, and got a mini excavator for a day to pick rocks. That's more than $200K worth of equipment used without buying it.
Edited by Ben in the Basin 11/14/2010 20:45
|
|
| |
|
| What are you running for a tile machine Coup? |
|
| |
|
USA | Buckeye Super H. |
|
| |
|
North Central Kansas | 966 int with great loader and a D4
thats our combo.
As someone stated about a backhoe.
Cut the tree down, cut the branches up pile em up to dry.
treat the stump, let it set, then use the backhoe or dozer to plow em out. |
|
| |
|
WY, OK | We have a JD 350B, does everything you listed except the tree line, not sure how big of tree's you are wanting to tear out. Ours does a fine job with willows, which have a much more extensive root system than any tree but don't have the trunk size a tree does. Only problem we have is not using it enough and the clutches go out and need adjustment/replacement every few years. Ours still has under 900 hours on it. I'd love a new 450 if I didn't have to pay for it. |
|
| |
|
| Is it one of the first ten made? |
|
| |
|
USA | Number 27. . Have had nothing major with it in the last 4 years. Replaced about all the hydralic hoses first year, and replacement of digging parts since. This year thus far have had to replace dirt belt, day after belt was replaced, shaft that runs through roller, that drives dirt belt broke. |
|
| |
|
NW Ohio,near Findlay | After reading all posts, I agree with most of them, if new to the game, hire it done, or rent one for a set price. If you own it and it breaks, all is lost. Been on dozers and backhoes for a long time and last year hired a ditch job done. Could have rented excavator or borrowed one from a friend, but the guy I hired, I'll admit was faster and better on ditch/slope work than I ever was. Sure love those dozers, can take political frustrations out on trees. |
|
| |
|
SW Iowa | I'd say best to bite the bullet and get something that works well, doesn't leak oil, ready to go when you want it to, and is fun to run. The Caterpillar D6RXL with differential steering, tilt blade fills the bill. Be sure to get the XL for the extra track rollers. It rides better, and is easier to make a level cut.
As the other poster says, nothing better than jumping on it on a Sunday afternoon and moving some dirt or knock down and pile some trees for a couple or three hours. You can't hire a custom bulldozer/operator for an afternoon's work, or even a day's job. They like those full week jobs where the money is. I'd stay away from the old tractors (anything older than a 2000 year). Just too many things wore out, and everytime you want to start up and do something, first thing you do is fix something, or add hydralic oil due to leaks, or---. Get the picture? It is like an old combine, always breaking down when you want to thresh. If you like mechanicing, then fine, get an old dozer. If like to do dozer work, then bite the bullet.
Also, get a real good lowboy tandem axel trailer with tires and brakes. to haul it around too. The D6RXL Cat weighs around 46k lbs, so, you get a legal load with a 30,000# tractor-lowboy trailer combination.
Good luck! It is a big step into a good Cat dozer/lowboy, but once you do it you;ll be happy.
|
|
| |
|
NEIN | Actually dead trees are much more dangerous to remove. There is a reason they are called "widow makers", it is because branches break and snap off and come back over the operator. Take them out live if at all possible. BTDT |
|
| |
|
NEIN | Renting works very well for anyone who is not in the business for the long haul. Winter rental rates are better and allow more time to get things done and with a know cost. |
|
| |
Best Older Dozer For Newbie
