Dozer time!

[STx]

I'm glad I've taken the time to get to know and help my neighbors when I can. The neighbor across the street dropped his dozer off for me to use clearing some brush and told me he had no current projects olanned that require it so I can just hang onto it until I finish everything I want to do.

Best part is that the wife is headed to Houston tomorrow for a week so I'll be completely unsupervised. It should be exciting for both of us to see what the place looks like when she returns.

 

[EddieWalker]

Have fun. I've found that I enjoy the dozer for about an hour, then it turns to work. By 4 hours, it becomes torture!!

 

[STx]

I ran it a couple of hours this afternoon, it's a learning curve but, I'm getting the hang of it. Since there's no time limit on it and I get bored easily, I'll probably put 2 or 3 hours a day on it until I finish what I want to. There's a TON of work to do, after my FILs wife had a stroke 25 years ago he let the brush reclaim it, really he just couldn't take care of her and the land, so it's essentially raw other than where I've put roads in.

 

[whitexc]

That track looks pretty loose.....or almost seems to be missing the front upper roller on the undercarraige. No?

I have no use for one but would love to have a dozer for a few days, especially the deal you got with no real time frame. Good luck.

 

[STx]

The track in that side is worn, if you tighten it up too much it starts slipping. The grease tensioner leaks a little as well so I have to retension it about once an hour. It's got some other little issues, I'm going to fix what I can. I also told him when he gets ready to replace the track and tensioner seals, I'll kick in some cash and labor. I'll probably kick in $1,000, still.way cheaper than renting or hiring it out. Plus, like you said, no time limit takes a lot of stress off.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

That track looks pretty loose.....or almost seems to be missing the front upper roller on the undercarraige. No?

I have no use for one but would love to have a dozer for a few days, especially the deal you got with no real time frame. Good luck.

Yup, looks like the top roller isn't even there!

IF the rest of the tracks are in that bad of shape, I'd give that tractor back FAST!, BEFORE it ends up costing you HUGE money in repairs!!

SR

 

[farmer2009]

Looks like it'd be a real nice Case 350 or 450 if the tracks were in good shape. If I remember correctly you want 1-2 inches of sag in the track. Run a level from the top idler to the front roller. Measuring to the top of grouser.

Use a grease rated for "extreme pressure".

Too tight and they'll pop when you turn. Too loose and they'll come off.

 

[STx]

The other side was replaced and is tight like it should be. There aren't any more rollers on that side than this one. I've only got about 40 hours of work to do with it. I think (hope) that as long as I pay attention to it and keep it rolling like it should it will make it.

 

[EddieWalker]

I wouldn't worry too much about the track. All of those older dozers have more slack then they should.

 

[Thomas]

Good neighbors can't beat that w/stick as they say. :thumbsup:
That's one hard working little beast,don't forget to stop for lunch and diesel.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

From the pict., I couldn't tell if it had one or two top rollers...

As for older dozers always having loose tracks, that's just NOT been my experience... AT LEAST on the older dozers I've owned or run...

Why run them loose in the first place? Why not just properly adjust them??

Here's the "older dozer" that I have at the moment,

SR

 

[STx]

Good neighbors can't beat that w/stick as they say. :thumbsup:
That's one hard working little beast,don't forget to stop for lunch and diesel.

Not much chance of working through lunch, truck thermometer was reading 106 at 3PM today. Ouch.

 

[STx]

Got the new track and sprocket delivered today, the hardware will be here tomorrow. It was skipping more than I liked and I figured that since a weekly dozer rental is $1500 and a new chain, sprocket and hardware is $1200, it's a no brainer. The neighbor is going to give me a hand over the weekend getting it replaced.

I've already fixed a fuel leak on a return line, cleaned the fuel tank as it had enough diesel junk in it that it was clogging the fuel line frequently and repaired a grease leak in the track tensioner on the side you guys were worried about.

Neighbor told me that since I'm doing all these repairs on the machine, he's just going to leave it with me unless he has something he needs it for. I think this deal worked out great for both of us.

All I've got left to do after the track is a transmission fluid leak and all the issues it had when he dropped it off will be fixed. It looks like that's just a hose or fitting at the valve under the seat so it shouldn't be a big deal.

 

[EddieWalker]

Wish you where my neighbor, I'd let you borrow my dozer too!!!!

 

[STx]

I was raised that if you borrow something, you return it better than it was when you got it. Full tank of gas on a truck, sharp blades on a lawn mower, etc. Equipment is expensive, other than 2 neighbors, I won't loan anything because people never take care of it.

I made the mistake of loaning my dump truck to a guy at the end of the road and it came back with water in the oil. It was probably a longer term issue that caused it than his use but, he hasn't even helped to turn a wrench in the rebuild, much less offer any money. Heck, he didn't even add any diesel and I was giving him dirt. Left a real bad taste,I don't want to be that guy.

 

[EddieWalker]

I agree with that 100%. It's a big reason I hate borrowing anything. Last time I did it, I borrowed a clients sawzall because I only had my battery powered one with me and I couldn't keep up with charging the batteries. It was a Black and Decker that lasted less then an hour, so before I went home that day, I went to the store and bought him a brand new one.

I have a friend that I let borrow stuff because he goes through it and makes it better like you do. I also tell him to keep it as long as he wants, the longer the better in most cases because it's just taking up room at my place. For everyone else, I tell them that they can borrow it, but they have to leave me with the cash to buy another if they do not return it, or destroy it. So far, not one person has ever agreed to that deal.

 

[TheMan419]

I was raised that if you borrow something, you return it better than it was when you got it. Full tank of gas on a truck, sharp blades on a lawn mower, etc. Equipment is expensive, other than 2 neighbors, I won't loan anything because people never take care of it.

I made the mistake of loaning my dump truck to a guy at the end of the road and it came back with water in the oil. It was probably a longer term issue that caused it than his use but, he hasn't even helped to turn a wrench in the rebuild, much less offer any money. Heck, he didn't even add any diesel and I was giving him dirt. Left a real bad taste,I don't want to be that guy.

I agree. Neighbors see that I have a tiller. They asked about borrowing next spring when they put their garden in. They only want less than 1/4 acre. So I told them they could not borrow it. Just tell me what Saturday they want it done and mark it out. I'll just come over and do it. Steaks and beers are on them that night.

 

[STx]

I agree with that 100%. It's a big reason I hate borrowing anything. Last time I did it, I borrowed a clients sawzall because I only had my battery powered one with me and I couldn't keep up with charging the batteries. It was a Black and Decker that lasted less then an hour, so before I went home that day, I went to the store and bought him a brand new one.

I have a friend that I let borrow stuff because he goes through it and makes it better like you do. I also tell him to keep it as long as he wants, the longer the better in most cases because it's just taking up room at my place. For everyone else, I tell them that they can borrow it, but they have to leave me with the cash to buy another if they do not return it, or destroy it. So far, not one person has ever agreed to that deal.

That sawzall example is why I don't like to borrow junky tools, I always end up breaking them and buying something nicer to replace it. Better to just buy a nice tool for myself.

I borrowed a junky Troy Bilt ZTR from a different neighbor with a pair thin deck. He's the one that's partners with me on the dump truck and he uses my mini-ex often so we share stuff. He'd already dented the deck once hitting a stump and the blades had torn it up some. I repaired it, added some more steel up front, replaced the blades a couple of times, finally upgrading to Gator blades because the OEM are garbage but the deck would bend on a dirt clid and it's pretty well junked now. He bought himself a nice Huskvarna and I ended up trading him about $600 of stuff plus the couple hundred I'd already spent fixing it for the Troy Bilt. He wanted to just give it to me but, I can't do that with a clear conscience. I felt that even though the deck problems weren't all me, I had done enough of it and they definitely depreciated the machine so I needed to take care of him. I really need to put a new deck on it but that's another $500. I'll probably weld one up out of 1/8 plate and flat bar over the winter. Anyway, the point is I didn't really want the mower, I was planning to get a Kubota diesel in the next year or so but, because I'd borrowed it and helped with the damage, I kind of felt like I needed to compensate him for it so it's here now.

 

[STx]

So we replaced the chain and sprocket today, that job kind of sucks, especially driving the link pin with a sledgehammer. But, someone riddle me this...how did I end up one shoe short? I've looked everywhere, I don't think we lost it. Is the new chain different somehow? Same number of links and the shoe bolt holes matched up to the chain perfectly. I'm perplexed.

 

[rustyshakelford]

That's weird. Those pads aren't to expensive luckily. Your doing great work on that. If I had friends like you I'd let you borrow my stuff that's in good shape. Atleast I'd get it back in similar condition. As it is, outer things get torn up and dropped off or I have to go get it. Drives me crazy to the point everything is locked down and I won't let anyone borrow it except for a chosen few

Brett