Do I Need a Dozer or Therapy?

[Ken45101]

What are you going to do with the dirt? How far are you going to move it? A dozer is not good for moving dirt any longer distance although it can be done. An excavator and dump truck is better for moving the dirt longer distances but then you still have to grade it out, a weak point for an excavator.

A dozer is good for grading the fill area and packing it down. A skid steer with tracks will do the job too but not as well as a dozer.

Ken

 

[Biggreenavalanche]

I think swick1 is on the right track...although I'd seriously consider renting/leasing the trackhoe/dump combo as a package...then if anything mechanical goes oops you're covered...

 

[Todd727]

About $5000 for a 1 month rental direct from Komatsu. I ended up with a brand new machine. State of the art. Any problems, they come out and fix it. You can do a lot of work in a month if you are industrious. If I remember correctly, they allow 40 hours a week on the meter without paying overage.

Komatsu America Corp. - Equipment - D37PX-22

 

[swick1]

One thing I find funny about this site is that most people want to buy an old junker and fix it to do their work rather than rent a nice new one and take a week off work. I understand the desire to own equipment, but not the logic. Oh well, how do you justify a boat or toy hauler???

 

[EddieWalker]

Without seeing the size of the dam, the slope of the land or any idea of the distances involved, it's hard to say what the best machine for the job is. The problem with small dozers is they just don't do very well at moving dirt or digging into it. There are also two types of dozers, finish dozers and dozers that move a lot of material. D6 sized machines is where that line really becomes obvious. Smaller machines are easier to get to and from the job, manuver around and give you a nicer finish, but the blade wont hold very much dirt. 150 hp machines on up will have U blades that hold more material and can be extremly effective at doing what you want done. Buying or hiring it out, be sure you get the right machine for the job.

As for getting an excavator, they are great for digging, but terrible at moving or spreading material. They are the type of machine that you get when you have a dozer there to spread your material after you haul it with a dump truck.

Have you considered a full sized loader/backhoe? While the amount of material is much smaller that you can move, with time, it does add up. They sip gas compared to a dozer and they are extremely versitile in what you can do with one. Digging the dam, hauling the dirt, spreading it out is all something that it is perfect for. With water in the pond, you need to dig out a ditch to drain and dry the pond before you can do anything. Dozer isn't very good for this, the backhoe or excavator is.

Another consideration is how deep is the silt in the pond that you want to fill up? Just driving a dozer over it might create a nightmare beyond comprehension. Getting a dozer stuck is something you never EVER want to do!!!

Nothing makes sense financially when you own land, so it's not going to add up no matter how you do the math. Decide on what you can afford, what you want to do, and go into it accepting that it's a money pit and it will cost more then you thought possible.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[Ken45101]

One thing I find funny about this site is that most people want to buy an old junker and fix it to do their work rather than rent a nice new one and take a week off work. I understand the desire to own equipment, but not the logic. Oh well, how do you justify a boat or toy hauler???

From a pure numbers standpoint, you are right. However, there is a lot of comfort in having the machine available when it is convenient to you, and not being on a tight schedule to get the work done within the rental period. That becomes more like a job than fun.

Ken

 

[swick1]

I guess I hadn't considered the undertaking to be a form of leisure. I work my machine hard and although the jobs are satisfying, there are periods of boredom just like any worthy endeavour. The results are worth it though! At least we all agree he should do the job. Good luck!

 

[sdkubota]

What about just breeching the dam so it no longer impounds water then plant the former lake bottom? Who knows, maybe sometime in the future someone will need dirt and you can have them remove it and get paid for it at the same time.

 

[sixdogs]

Virtually all of the equipment I own is the result of savings from not paying others to do the work but instead buying the item and doing the work myself. Over the years it can really add up. My vote is buy what you need, maybe a little more, and enjoy yourself. You never know when that trap door of life will open for you. If nothing else it's great conversation over the holidays.

 

[BigJim]

Well, I certainly appreciate all the input; it's been very helpful. But in the end, no matter how I tried to do the math, the numbers just didn't add up. And so unfortunately, I've hired it out to a pro. I always hate doing this because it FEELS like money flushed down the toilet, when in reality it isn't. At least I still have fun tearing out trees with the 49 backhoe on the back of my JD5425, largely thanks to Eddie's posts here from several years ago.