Tractor bulldozer

   / Tractor bulldozer #1  

M7vans

New member
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Messages
6
Location
Hobart, Australia
Tractor
Kioti DK35
I am planning to put a dozer blade on the front of my Kioti dk35 and wondering what mount points are the best to lift it from.Is the best spot to say add a 1/2 inch thick bar down from where a front loader would connect ,see image,and then add the arms to pivot from here and under the front axle?
I will mostly use it fro pushing over small bush.
thanks Michael
image.jpeg
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #2  
I am sceptical this will work satisfactorily. FELs are designed to lift, not push. My Kubota Operator's Manual specifically warns against "bulldozing" with the bucket. A blade on the front will decrease weight on the rear, driving tires, so you will loose traction fast.

I do not think your chassis will stand the load with a center mount, using indicated holes as pivots.


What advantage do you see to this over a Three Point Hitch, heavy, adjustable, rear/angle blade?

The Three Point Hitch is designed to take heavy loads. Tractors are engineered to PULL, not PUSH.



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   / Tractor bulldozer #3  
I'd go for the blade on the rear. Much easier to see, much better mount, and if you get real fancy a top n tilt kit will make it even more useful.

That being said some of the larger farm tractors I've seen have a blank kit. There is a really heavy duty mount up on the front of the tractor.
101.jpg
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #4  
I hope it is a (small) dozer blade,
can't imagine mounting the blade off of our 550G on my 5400 lb tractor- even with forward, center and rear axle mounts.

How heavy is the blade you plan to use?

Center only mounted (FELs) concentrate a whole lot of stress ... I believe an additional rear axle set of supports tied to the mounts you posted would make the proposed blade addition a bit stronger and safer for the tractor


Guess it could be possible- and make sense if coming off of a small dozer

jmo using only the center mount only might be a bit risky- again, if some extra supports could be run between the rear axle and the attachment point pictured I think that would be helpful or if already there, then well on your way, i just wouldn't mount a 3000lb+ blade is all . Hope it works out well
 
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   / Tractor bulldozer #5  
I would look at how the loader is mounted. The center bracket for the loader probably has reinforcing that also connects to the rear axle, where the majority of the tractive force is generated. I would duplicate this so the majority of the dozing force is put on the back axle, with the center or front mount being primarily to locate the blade side-to-side and lift it up/down.
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #6  
Any time you put "tractor" and "bulldozer" in the same sentence, be sure to add the words "front end parts"...

SR
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #7  
Over the years I've used several Dozer blades on tractors. They are MUCH more productive than a rear blade.

Using the points you indicated on the tractor, which appear to be where an FEL would bolt on, will put less stress on those points than the FEL would. Warnings against "dozing" with an FEL are to protect the FEL framework, not the mounting holes.

A dozer blade properly designed will remove weight from the front axle and transfer it to the rear axle when pushing. That's why they are so effective. How much transfer happens will be determined by your design of framework.

Front axle traction weight can be added when lifting the dozer blade while pushing if your design permits it.

If your finished product has good suction and you struggle to limit the depth of cut, skids can be added to control that. Most of this suction will be determined by the curvature of the dozer moldboard and cutting edge.

An elderly family member of mine built a dozer blade with framework for his IH 284 (I think) 2wd tractor. Incredible what it was capable of. :)

I'm very curious to see what you come up with. Post pics as you get started. First we need to see the dozer blade you plan to use if you have it already??
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #8  
I would look at how the loader is mounted. The center bracket for the loader probably has reinforcing that also connects to the rear axle, where the majority of the tractive force is generated. I would duplicate this so the majority of the dozing force is put on the back axle, with the center or front mount being primarily to locate the blade side-to-side and lift it up/down.

30 years ago it was common to see dozer blade kits on various tractors using a long beam under the center of the tractor, fastening to the rear drawbar. This was an attempt to transfer the stress to the point those tractors were designed to pull loads from. Down side was you had very limited ground clearance underneath with that large beam there. Plus side was the blade fore/aft tilt stayed stable because the blade was pivoting on that long beam. Most dozer blade assemblies purchased today will use the FEL mounting location if it's available. If you think about it, a tractor designed to use an FEL has already reinforced the center section of the chassis for that task. Utilizing a dozer blade puts a slightly different stress on the chassis. But nothing that will be catastrophic.

Thinking again, about how much force is being put on the chassis of your tractor when using the FEL and the rear wheels are lifting off the ground??? :eek:
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #9  
I had a L3130 Kubota with a six foot snow plow and the factory sub-frame(remove FEL);and no way was that a bull dozer.Work fine for snow but no so well for dirt.I realize this is a smaller tractor that the O.P.,but still think it would take a 10,000lb/100HP tractor to be effective.
 
   / Tractor bulldozer #10  
My old 8 hp Farmall Cub has one did a lot of clean up with it. Grouse makes a nice front blade. Most tractor mfgs sold a blade kit. I'm not a fan of a rear blade myself hate looking backward. A friend had an early eighties 2wd 40 hp JD with a JD blade does good work.
 
 
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