Tracked Dozers for Sale (94)

What’s your dozer’s most likely duty cycle?

There is a huge range of sizes of dozers – For example, Komatsu’s range starts at an operating weight of 8 tonnes going up to a whopping 108 tonnes. For this you will need to consider areas such as the maximum operating speed, the size of the load you are looking to shove and how many hours a day the machine is expected to work.

What type of ground will it operate on?

If you will be operating on really boggy terrain, then you may need to consider longer and wider tracks to minimise ground pressure. Taking Komatsu as an example again, their dozers are available in long track‐on‐ground (EX) or low ground pressure (PX) configuration.

What is the ideal blade type?

There are plenty of different types of blades to consider – however, with complexity comes cost and, sometimes, loss of capacity. You could opt for a 6-way hydraulic blade – good for grading and slopes. A stiff arm blade is a lot more basic but will be stronger and have a ‘C’ frame to strengthen the blade further. On larger dozers there is a U-blade for pushing materials longer distances, keeping the material on the blad, rather than it spilling from the side.

Do you need an automated blade?

This all depends on the jobs you are carrying out and how precise the finish needs to be. If you are totally levelling a site for a concrete pad to go down then you may want to consider a machine with an automated positioning system for the blade.

Accessories

A winch is useful if the machine is stuck and can be hitched to a solid point to help pull the machine out. However, if you are always on solid, flat terrain with no ledges or hills in sight, then reduce the complexity and avoid a winch.

Rippers break up the ground to make it easier to break the ground. Single for harder substances or multi shank for work with softer materials like clay, for example.

What to Check on a Used Dozer

Make sure the specification is right. Is the blade right for the job you have destined for it? Does it have cracks in it or has it been welded? Check the blade hydraulics in all angles. Look fr leaks – remember, any fluids that had leaked out may well have been cleaned off prior to your inspection.

Check the final drives and the torque converter. Try moving the machine with the brakes on very briefly – if the engine struggles then the torque converter is good.

Check all fluid levels – if they are low then this is not a sign of good maintenance. What is the colour of the fluids? Discolouration may be a sign of contamination.

The undercarriage condition is vital. Check the sprockets and the rollers and the front idler. If the cleats are on their last legs it usually means that the rest of the under carriage is in need of an overhaul. As the vendor about the overhaul history of the total undercarriage.