Komatsu D20A-6 ?

[GuglioLS]

With the cutting & gluing done it was time to bore out some holes for new "T" nuts that will hold the mount bracket:

Then bore out a smaller through hole for the bolt:

Then using a bolt, set the "T" nut spikes down into the wood:

Test fit the mounting bracket onto new wood arm rest base:

Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

With all that taken care of, now it's time to cut the Naugahyde :

Since I finished building my home many years ago, its seems I use my levels more for drawing straight lines than anything else these days:

Got the material all cut out and ready to fit & staple onto the new wood arm rest base:

I pretty much just wrapped it up like a Birthday or Christmas present . For never ever doing upholstery work, I think it came out OK for a Bull Dozer:


Here is the finished product installed and ready for some serious arm resting:


Larry

Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

All the maintenance is done on my dozer and I have some practice using all the blade controls and steering levers on flat land. Today I finally started to use the dozer for what I purchased it for - cutting a road on my hill to access the rest of my land.
First I had to let myself through the gate that keeps my dogs in the yard:

Then across & up the arroyo to "the hill"

That hill looks wimpy from the photos, believe me it's steep!
Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

There are LOTS of rocks & boulders mixed in the lose soil and it's very bumpy. Once I got to the top I bulldozed my way down using gravity & the weight the dozer to be more effective at moving rocks, boulders & dirt.
There were lots of hidden bed rock that would not budge so I just pushed dirt over it to smooth it out.





It will plow down the juniper & pinion trees no problem. The woods is very thick and overgrown and needs to be thinned out. this will reduce fire danger and over time, improve the overall health of the remaining trees.

 

[GuglioLS]

The biggest challenge was finding a clear place to get dirt to push over the outcroppings of rocks. So I just pushed over a few trees to get a clear area. I MUST be very careful when backing up so as not to get skewered by a branch. I have seen Dozer's with expanded metal on the rear to protect the operator from backing into branches.

This is the scary part - going down hill, I think because it's so open and you can see WAY down makes it seem even worse. We used to go straight down this hill several hundred feet to the bottom in the ATV & and my tractor with loads of firewood and chips. No more! I am cutting a switch back into the side of the hill.


Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

This is where I am starting to cross cut diagonally into the side of the hill. The Dozer is surprisingly stable sideways to the hill, Something I would not even think of doing on a tractor, as it would tip over in a second:

I kept uprooting massive rocks, so back & forth I went to get them lifted out and pushed to the side.


Larry

 

[GuglioLS]

I got a diagonal cross cut into the side of the hill in an area that was pretty darn steep, so now it's not so bad to climb up the hill in any of our other vehicles (ATV & tractor) It was pretty dusty doing all this. I worked up there for about 5 hours. My teeth about rattled out. I think next time I go up there, I'll chew gum to cushion my teeth. It can beat you up and jar you around pretty bad, especially working under severe conditions like this.


Time to take a break and have a cold one:


I got quite a bit done in the little time I spent up there today. I was quite pleased and very surprised my little dozer was able to do what it did.

Thanks for looking,

Larry

 

[BTDT]

Great pics and play by play on the work. I don't think you'll be selling that any time soon, looks like your having way too much fun.

 

[hz293]

Great thread. I had the same dozer for about 4 years and loved it. That sucker would go just about anywhere. I didn't use it much after I got my place cleaned up but wish I still had it. At the same time I had an 11,000 pound trackhoe. What a combination.

Harris

 

[NSTractor guy]

Hi Larry,

I was just wondering if you looked at getting a chinese dozer, I assumed you did but wanted to know why not? Also, know you need an small trackhoe. I am so jealous of your new toy. Enjoy.

NSTractor Guy