loader or dozer as a second farm machine?

[marcin]

Hi all,

My wife and I own a 500 acre ranch in Texas, a significant part (approx 100 acres) of it has been gravel mined before and is very rough and overgrown with unwanted tree and brush species. Our goal is to clear, level and grade these areas improving their appearance but also allowing for fencing to improve cattle grazing and hay production. A year ago we purchased a Takeuchi TL12 track loader (12 000 lbs, 110 hp) with a Denis Cimaf mulcher to help with this. We have been able to reclaim completely unaccessible 25 acres over the last year in about 750 hrs on the machine.

The CTL works great for mulching and light to moderate dirt work. Some of the work remaining, however, includes heavy leveling and grading of gravel rich, compacted soil. We were also looking to build 2-3 ponds (1-2 acres each) and grade an approximately 40 acre field. I am concerned to keep using the CTL for the latter applications in fear that we will ultimately destroy it. We wanted to keep the CTL around for maintenance work with the mulcher and general purpose work around the farm (fencing, road maintenance, etc.)

My thought thus was to purchase a bigger machine: either a heavier loader or a dozer. Most seem to think that a loader is more versatile around a farm, but we already have one (although smaller). What would you recommend purchasing? My thought was to go with a 6-way blade dozer, jd750c size or similar. My budget will be around 60K. Can you please give me some recommendations on the type, brand, size and hours on the machine? I have spent hours reading forums and searching the internet and am still uncertain. Where should I look: is it better to buy through one of the machinery websites or try and find locally. Thank you all for your time.

Marcin

 

[deerefan]

Dozers are great machines. I own a Case 850D and it does a great job. Look for a lgp dozer, like a JD 650J. LGP- low ground penetration. It won't tear up your land as bad as a non lgp machine. Dozers can be pricey to maintain/fix. Keep that in mind when buying. If 60k is your max, spend 40-45 and keep the rest in a repair fund. You own it long enough you will be thankful you kept that money.

 

[marcin]

deerefan,

Thank you for your response. What size machine would you recommend? Is there a big difference between my 12 000 lb machine and your 19 000 lb dozer or do I have to go to 30 000 lbs to notice a real difference. Thank you for the info.

 

[Jim Nelson]

If you run hardened steel against hardened steel with an occasional handful of dirt and rock for lubricant you can pretty much figure on some maintenance costs.That said,if that is what's needed for the job ,you can't beat a good dozer. Cat is generally accepted as top of the heap but pricey to purchase,JD makes a good dozer,or at least used to, and they are more affordable and pretty user friendly. International/Dresser used to make good stuff also if you can find one in reasonable shape.Most of the rest go down hill pretty fast. Pay close attention to the under carriage,track rails and pins,rollers, grousers etc. as well as the power train.Any of them are very expensive to maintain so keep some of that 60K back for the un expected.

 

[TomSeller]

It might help with recommendations to see pictures of your land.

 

[EddieWalker]

I have a Case 1550 dozer that weighs 40,000 pounds and is 170 hp with an 8 way blade. It's a beast and all lot of fun to operate for about ten minutes. Then it becomes work, and then quickly becomes painful. Spending a full day on it will just wear you out. Of course, nothing does what it will do, but I sure will be happy the day I'm done with it and sell it.

I don't know your land, but when looking at dozers, you need to decide if you will be spreading dirt, shaping dirt or digging with it. If you have rock, you need a ripper. The more HP you have, the more you can get done. I think a JD750 would be a good sized machine.

The problem with dozers is they are finicky. Things break on the, or stuff gets caught up in something and it breaks. I've had to tunnel under mine to get to hoses that where busted off by branches. I know to never run over branches, but I still mess up and do it. I've had branches take off the oil sending unit on the side of the block and got lucky in noticing the lack of oil pressure quickly enough not to destroy the engine. If it can break, it will.

Buy lots of really big wrenches!!!!!

Have a sense of humor. LOL

Eddie

 

[Wnc3]

I vote Dozer.
Cat or Deere for parts and resale.
I am looking for a D5k with a cab.
If you don't need a cab then your pool to choose from is much larger.
Like others here have said before, dozer are expensive to own and upkeep. Lots of wear parts on the whole track assembly.
You may buy a $60k machine and need to spend 20k on it the next month.
I am looking at dealers with trade ins and at some of the rental companies. Ranch dozers are suspect due to poor maintenance and records. If someone says they did a track job, overhaul or whatever last year it may have been 2 years ago. Time flies by without records.
I have never had luck at a Richie Bros. auction.
If you find a machine you really like, I suggest you pay a third party for a full inspection.
My 2 cents and good luck.

 

[marcin]

Thank you all for the answers. The areas that need work are mostly gravel, no real rocks. I will go by this weekend and post some pics for your review.

Eddie,

Thanks for sharing your insight. I had read your long dozer posts elsewhere at least a couple of times. They were very informative and almost convinced me against buying

 

[MossRoad]

NOTE: I merged these two threads together, as they had the same title and same first post. Please continue discussion. :thumbsup:

 

[boggen]

have you called your local "companies" that do excavator work? and pond/lake work? the local companies more likely have larger machines and multiple machines, that they can drop off, have a small crew going.

from pushing over and out the trees and there roots, to filling in holes, to digging out a couple ponds, and running an excavator to some dump trucks to wheel loaders. moving the dirt around and putting it were it needs be and compacting it as needed.

if ya having a couple lakes put in and if one or both of them needs a dam to be built. the equipment for everything else is going to be right there. get major work done via paying someone else and then come back with your machines for maintenance work to do the personal touches if need be. (clean up)

Cat | global-selector | Caterpillar give them a call, the should be able to direct you to some local companies to either pay someone to come in and do it, or to rent one or more of there machines, to buying one new as well.

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with above said, ya most likely going to want something to tear the ground up some. "scraficer teeth" other words most box blades have teeth you can drop down, that will score and rip up the ground, busting up the hard compacted areas, so you can come back around and move the dirt. make it with a dozer, to wheel loader to other.

what are you going to do about compaction of the dirt? as you move it around to fill in holes and level things out... over a couple years those areas are going to settle. resulting in "low spots" track machines only go so far, what about some sort of vibration / compactor machine? to get the base layer compacted.

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get yourself a plan, there are a variety of internet websites that give satellite or air plane view of your property. zoom to correct setting, press PrtScn (print screen) key (top right hand corner of keyboard) open up "paint" every microsoft computer comes with it, mac's have similar program. and then go up to "EDIT" then "PASTE" use the "CROP" tool to draw a box around what you want, and then click crop. the print it out. and keep doing that till ya have enter property. then cut and tape everything together. to form a bigger map of your land. and start marking stuff out of what you want done and were. both short term and long term. and see what makes sense actually moving the dirt from place to place. less distance it needs to be moved the cheaper it will be on you. and if you are directing other folks, it gives them something to look at, of were they will be today, and were stuff will be going.

i have done above a few times here on the 80 acres. and then went out with GPS (GPS car navigator, or cell phone GPS) and spray painted areas roughly were i wanted things, if it is just me, i just eye ball it and go, but when others get into the equation...

with above you may find, putting dirt into a dump truck and driving it 1/2 mile plus to other side of property, and then have another unit spread it out and compact it. be cheaper, easier, faster on machinery. and other areas just pushing it some to were it needs to be. this might drive you to get something different for long term use if you stick to your guns and do it all yourself.