How much for a dozer?

[JRobyn]

I watched the experienced D6 operators work and they are fast and accurate.....then sit back and enjoy.

Amen TxDon. I really enjoyed watching the supremely experienced operator of the JD 700H dozer doing our waterline work. It was like a 30,000# ballerina. Pure grace in constant motion.

 

[meadowlarkponds]

While I agree with the advocates of "larger is better", that doesn't mean that smaller is unacceptable or unworkable. I'm about 3/4 complete on clearing 70 acres of the thickest East Texas overgrowth clear-cut you can imagine. I've done it all with a Case 450C dozer. If I had it to do over again, no question, I would do it the same way. I'm in no big hurry and have access to repair help. The nice thing about this size dozer is you can put it on a trailer behind a pick-up and haul it in for repairs. Try doing that with a D6.

I paid $13000 for mine, have renovated and expanded two ponds, cleaned up extensive Hurricane Rita damage in additon to the project mentioned above. I've had $14k offers for the dozer, but absolutely will not sell it. As a property maintenance machine, it has no peers.

 

[RedRocker]

That looks like a good size dozer, I could do most of what I want with a 450C I'm sure.

 

[horsinaround]

Great topic and great advice. I have a very similar situation with about 20 acres of mature woods that "skipped a generation or two", as there are mature hardwoods, over 16 inches in diameter, then a bunch of thick underbrush about three inches in diameter. I want to clear out a lot of the underbrush and have some nice grassy areas and pasture under some big hardwoods. I then want to push some trails through the rest of it. I have thought about renting a dozer to push it into piles. Then burn, but the problem comes when the piles need pushed up again, as the rental unit is gone. I hired someone to push up some piles, but the continuous pushing up as they burn themselves out makes the need for something other than rental.

A guy down the road has a Liebherr Loader he might sell, so I am leaning that way, or a really big skid steer, like an ASV 4500, that is about 80 HP. As others have mentioned, mess up the hydraulics, or transmission, and you soon have a pile of rust in the back yard. What I don't want to do is drop 15 grand on something, have it "blow up" and then have it rust right there, as it isn't worth fixing.

Any thoughts on Liebherr Loaders? it is a 621B, so a pretty big machine, but great for grubbing and pushing. I could also dig that pond.

Would I be better with a big skid steer, a dozer, or a loader?

 

[dirtworksequip]

newcountry, I'm going to go where no one has seemed to go. I don't understand why. Maybe inexperience. A track loader will way out perform a dozer in the type of work you are wanting to do. Advantages: 1a)With the loader you can reach up on the tree and get a leverage advantage on a tree that will push over most trees with minimal digging around the roots.1d) With the dozer you are going to have to dig a lot more around the roots,plus the blade will only reach 3 or 4 feet up on the tree with very little leverage advantage.2a)With the loader you can carry or doze the trees to the burn pile or waste area more effectively than with dozer.3a) By tipping the bucket with the teeth pointing down you can clean up brush and small tree limbs without getting a lot of dirt with it. 4a) You can also carry dirt to fill in any big stump holes you have after removing the stumps. 5a) You can shove up your burn pile higher and easier with the loader. 6a) You can also do almost any work with the loader that a dozer will handle,plus more. Dig a foundation,constuct a pond and build a road. The list goes on and on. The loader is the machine for your job, I really don't understand why it is overlooked. You will do your work faster,cheaper and with less effort with the track loader. Give me a loader anytime.I'll go head to head with anyone with an equally sized loader to dozer on clearning and put the dozer to shame.
Just my 2 cents worth and 33 years of equipment experience.

Sincerely,
Dirt

 

[horsinaround]

So, dirtworksequip, what do you think of a Liebherr trackloader, 621B. Will I be able to get parts? I don't see many Liebherrs around.

Thanks.

 

[txdon]

newcountry, I'm going to go where no one has seemed to go. I don't understand why. Maybe inexperience. A track loader....

Sincerely,
Dirt

Excellent idea! When I was looking for a tractor my cousin had just completed refurbished one and the owner wanted to sell it for 14K. I did consider, and thinking about the clearing I have done with my 50 hp tractor the loader would have make it so much quicker for those jobs and larger. At the time I was thinking either/or instead of "and".

 

[newcountry]

Thanks everyone.

I like the track loader idea a lot, it makes sense, thanks Dirt. Now it's just a matter of father-in-law and me to find the right machine for something we can afford, which means it may or may not happen. I'm not saying FIL is tight with his money, but...

I will let everyone know what happens if/when we get to a final decision.

 

[dirtworksequip]

horsin, I'm not really familiar with the Liebherr machines,because I've never been around any. I've seen some on job sites,but have no personal experience with them. From what I understand they are Deeres. Go over to the heavyequipmentforums.com site and ask there. I'm sure someone can give you good info. As far as parts availability goes that is very important. A friend of mine had bought a Thomas mini excavator several years ago and was assured by the dealer that parts would be no problem. Now that he needs parts he was told. "Oh, that has to come from overseas and will probably take 2 MONTHS!" Now this guy makes his living with his machines and now will have to get by without one of them for 2 months or more, just because of a simple part. That's one thing nice about Caterpillar...........parts the next day. Of course that is why you pay more for Cat.

Also, anyone doing any clearing be extremely careful, its is dangerous work and you can get hurt very easy. Just remember "For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." "If you think you should not be doing it. Don't!"

Sincerely,
Dirt