I'm guessing that is a pretty small dozer for around $40 per hour. Do you know the model?

If it is a small one, a larger one at twice the price might get the job done cheaper.

If your time is not worth much (retired) and you have ran tractors most of your life, you can learn to operate a dozer. Thing of it is, it will take you at least the time to build the pond to gain any kind of proficiency. So if you are wanting to learn to run a dozer, pushing dirt is a lot easier way to learn than some other work that dozers do. But from strictly a cost standpoint, a proficient operator can probably do the job in enough less hours to make hiring the dozer work done by the hour less expensive. And when you are hiring someone to bring in their dozer, the labor costs the same if they are operating a small tractor or large tractor (within reason dozer sized for the job).

When someone contracts to build a pond (or anything else) they have to build in some cushion for unexpected things they might run into. If you hire someone by the hour, they will likely give you a figure that is competitive with going rates. So if you are willing to take on the risk of cost over runs should something unexpected turns up, hiring a good operator by the hour could be cheaper than getting a turn key job bid. Also if you are in control of the hours operated, you can determine when you want the dozer to stop and what part of the job you want to finish up with farm equipment. Finish work can take a lot of time.

If you are fortunate to have the subsoil that does not need to be compacted, leaving the bottom of the pond rougher is much better than smoother. A lot of operators like to leave a professional appearance when they leave. A pond bottom smooth as a baby's but is not desirable from a fish point of view. If a person has to line with compacted clay or something like that, then it is a lot harder to not finish the bowl. But you can save some dozer hours and make the fish happier if the bottom of the pond is left rough. The rougher the better. With cuts and dips and humps even better yet.

Just some thoughts.

John

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