Originally posted by NuttyGambler:
OK you guys are making the case for the dozer, but to be honest, they kind of scare the .... out of me. Visions of me with one on its side run through my head. Although, I would think you would have to screw up pretty bad to tip them on their sides. Should have a pretty low center of gravity.
Hey Gambler.
I will say once more that nothing digs like a dozer. If you keep the push distances real short, you can pile up several 50 yard mounds of dirt in an 8 hour day. Just be ready to load them and move them out with the appropriate equimpent. It's very hard to keep up with a dozer!
After using large and small tractors for a "dozer" for years, I found the dozer was actually much easier to use. It took me 10 minutes to get comfortable in it. As Eddie said, it takes longer to finesse it. But hey, it's just a big hole in the ground, and perfect for learning.
You're right about the low center of gravity. Use "seat of the pants" feel, and you will be safe. When you slip and slide in the seat, and tug hard against the seat belt, you will know to back off. I once made a mistake and rode 1 track up on a ridge, and thought I was in danger of turning it over. I worked my way out of the cab and took a look, and couldn't believe it was less than a 30deg tilt... not even the slightest danger. The worst thing I have ran into so far is not paying attention and making little ramps or humps, and
running over them and making the dozer pivot suddenly. It makes a big bang, and smacks your kidneys around. But again, outside the dozer, it doesn't look bad at all. So just go by the seat of your pants. A comfortable ride is a safe ride.
A real big scraper is awesome, because it digs
AND hauls non-stop. Don't worry too much about soft spots, because they will disappear after a pass or 2. Even here in LA, they rarely go deeper than 2 feet. I used a smaller (3 yard)scraper to dig most of my pond, but soon ran out of places to haul the dirt. You tend to haul it farther and farther, and it begins to eat up the speed advantage in smaller scrapers. A huge scraper is the implement of choice for digging larger ponds, but you had better have some acreage to dump all that dirt!
Good luck, and git er done!
