Dozer Question

[Kyle241]

I'm in the market for a small dozer for work on my property. I'm only at the initial stages of looking and have a dozer operator who will help me choose so that I don't buy a clunker. One question I have comes from a local dozer for sale. It's a Cat D4H and it's a 'high track' (sp?) which I only ever seen on large dozers (D7/8, etc.). What is the benefit/negatives to a high track?

Tks.

 

[Bob Rooks]

The Hi-Trak eliminates the traditional "ham" final drive and replaces it with a more compact planetary drive. You can actually work on them without blocking the dozer. It's a Cat thing.

 

[JasG]

I'm in the market for a small dozer for work on my property. I'm only at the initial stages of looking and have a dozer operator who will help me choose so that I don't buy a clunker. One question I have comes from a local dozer for sale. It's a Cat D4H and it's a 'high track' (sp?) which I only ever seen on large dozers (D7/8, etc.). What is the benefit/negatives to a high track?

Tks.

I don't see any advantage or disadvantage in the smaller dozers. Not sure cat still makes high tracks that small anymore, I don't think they do. You might be able to see better. The high track started on the larger dozers and does seem to make them easier to work on than older dozers. It also in mining application is suppose to be easier on the drive train. I think they just went over board and made everything a high track for a while.

Depending on what you want to do, I like Deere or Dresser in that size of machine. I owned a TD-8 for a few years, really nice machine, parts were a little easier on the wallet than Cat. Between the 3 though they are all good machines.

 

[Bob Rooks]

Between the 3 though they are all good machines.

Add Komatsu to that list.

 

[Storm56]

I'm in the market for a small dozer for work on my property. I'm only at the initial stages of looking and have a dozer operator who will help me choose so that I don't buy a clunker. One question I have comes from a local dozer for sale. It's a Cat D4H and it's a 'high track' (sp?) which I only ever seen on large dozers (D7/8, etc.). What is the benefit/negatives to a high track?

Tks.

Seems to me that the high tracks were supposed to have some advantages in muddy swamp like conditions. Also that the high tracks were subject to higher wear rates than conventional tracks. In any event they no longer offer them on the smaller machines so there must be something negative about them.

I too have a need for a small dozer on my property and for 15 years had an old JD 450B. This year I found a real good buy on a low hour 2007 Dressta, (Dresser), TD7M LT, (long track frame).

I like Deere & Cat but found that I could buy a much newer lower hour machine in the Dressta for less money than Deere & Cat. Have only put about 10 hours on it since I have had it, but it works fantastic. Plus it is a simpler machine that I can fix a lot of things on whereas the Deere & Cat require more specialized tools and procedures that I am sure would be above my level of expertise.

 

[crazyal]

I have a small Case 450 and it's done everything I've asked. Plus parts for them are real easy to get. I would add the Case 450 and 550 to your list.

 

[Taylortractornut]

D4H is a good machine. THe high track gave more visibility to the blade, kept the driver sprokets out of the mud and sand and rock, and made the transmision and drive train come out as a modular unit. On a concrete floor with a small forklift and a few tool I can have the transmission out on the ground in 4 to 5 hours. The tracks costs more as theres more of them but the idlers can be built up with weld.

 

[ultrarunner]

I was looking for a small Dozer and ended up buying a CAT D3... the only thing I don't like about it is that I have nothing to transport it...

On the plus side, every time someone asks to use it... I tell them it will cost at least $300 to move it and they loose interest...

I've been about to do a lot with it and I don't mind that it is bigger.

 

[Bigfoot62]

I'm in the market for a small dozer for work on my property. I'm only at the initial stages of looking and have a dozer operator who will help me choose so that I don't buy a clunker. One question I have comes from a local dozer for sale. It's a Cat D4H and it's a 'high track' (sp?) which I only ever seen on large dozers (D7/8, etc.). What is the benefit/negatives to a high track?

From CAT's website:

Elevated Final Drive
*Isolates final drives from impact loads for extended power train life.
*Protects sprocket teeth, bushings and final drives from debris, abrasive materials and moisture.
*Provides long-lasting final drive performance and durability.

No doubt, CAT is a good machine. A cousin has been in the business for 40+ years. They don't buy anything except CAT dozers. In fact, most all of their equipment is CAT. I had opportunity, last fall, to run a new D4K. It was a very nice machine.

Now, having said that, my personal pick is Case. That's what I bought when I needed one.

 

[Kyle241]

Thanks everyone for educating a newbie to dozers. The makes I am looking at are CAT, Case, Deere, Komatsu and Dresser (almost all :laughing. Around here, Case is the most popular as there is a local dealer but there are the occasional CAT for sale at usually a higher price. I found a 2008 Dresser yesterday at a good price, likely too good and was going to call the seller today. Seems like they are cheaper than the rest and Komatsu's are hard to come by locally.

This CAT is a 1998 with 60% undercarriage and the seller is asking $29k CAD. Don't know when the undercarriage was redone. A little higher than I want to pay but I may keep it on my list to view.

Tks.