Dozer or high-lift?

[showme1946]

A construction company is selling its equipment in an auction. There is a Caterpillar 931B high lift and a Caterpillar D4E dozer with a 6-way dozer blade. I haven't bid yet and may not if they get too high but my question for this knowledgeable group is: which one should I focus on?

I have a small horse boarding operation on 20 acres, and I have areas where I need to move some dirt around. I have a tractor with a loader, so I can move buckets of gravel, etc., but I can't use the loader bucket to dig of course.

So I'm thinking maybe the dozer is the right choice for what I need to do (move dirt to fill in low areas, reshape areas, etc.). Is the high lift just for using as a loader or can one dig with it?

Any help appreciated.

George

 

[Xfaxman]

I vote for the high lift.

It should dig really well.

 

[Ivan49]

Why can't you dig with your loader. I would buy the dozer myself if you have a use for it, but if you don't have a lot to use it for just hire someone or maybe look for a backhoe instead

 

[kthompson]

With no idea on what size of tractor you have nor how deep you are wanting to dig and so forth sort of hard for me to make any real suggestion but depending on how deep you are wanting to dig and such there a good box blade can did right good. Not talking about a light weight unit at all. I have used heavy rollover box blade with teeth to dig very well and also heavy box blade on wheels also. At same time you might can use rippers and again not a light weight box blade's ripper to loosen the dirt for your fel possibly. Now if your budget allows and you have someone to operate one of the machines for you while you run the other, second machine will be faster.

 

[bcp]

I vote for the high lift.

It should dig really well.

Cat 953C track loader. digging a borrow pit - YouTube

Lenny Dozer Work Nov 212 - YouTube

Bruce

 

[spitter]

Ah just buy both. When you buy 1 u will wish u bought the other.:drink:

 

[Streetcar]

Do you need to regrade areas or move soil significant distance

 

[Citydude]

For reshaping terrain, the dozer hands down.

 

[pmsmechanic]

If you want to dig I would buy a small rubber track hoe. If you want lots of girt moved, hire that done. You'll run out of jobs for the crawler plus have all the maintenance.

 

[mikester]

A construction company is selling its equipment in an auction. There is a Caterpillar 931B high lift and a Caterpillar D4E dozer with a 6-way dozer blade. I haven't bid yet and may not if they get too high but my question for this knowledgeable group is: which one should I focus on?

I have a small horse boarding operation on 20 acres, and I have areas where I need to move some dirt around. I have a tractor with a loader, so I can move buckets of gravel, etc., but I can't use the loader bucket to dig of course.

So I'm thinking maybe the dozer is the right choice for what I need to do (move dirt to fill in low areas, reshape areas, etc.). Is the high lift just for using as a loader or can one dig with it?

Any help appreciated.

George

If the crawler loader has bucket teeth it will be a good little machine for pushing out trees and scrub. When you say digging I assume you are talking about gravel pit work or removing top soil and loading onto dump trucks.
You can do a good job grading but it will take longer than with the trim dozer and requires more skill. If you need to drive and move dirt a good distance then you would likely be better off with a wheel loader or TLB. Driving long distances with wear out your tracks faster.
If you are doing a lot of grading and road building then get the trim dozer.
If you need to dig trenches get an excavator or TLB.
On any track machine take a good look at the track and drives condition as they are expensive to repair.