Anybody run a D5M/N ??

[rino1494]

We are looking to get a another dozer shortly. We want a somewhat bigger dozer that will used for mainly road building and fine grading. We are thinking about trying a D5G, but were wondering about how the M's or N's run. I have heard that the fingertip controls were very nice, but also very jerky.

[DR RPM]

The 5G with the hydrostatic drive is a smoother machine, but the 5M/N has more power and you heard correctly, the steering paddles are very touchy and most techinicians cannot set them to react smoothly.:bash

[CascadeScaper]

I moved a D5N (brand new!) forward and back in our dealer lot. Very touchy controls but the cab and dozer controls are excellent. If you're doing close-in work around buildings, culverts, etc. I don't recommend the FTC as it's not quite the best thing. Although, you have a solid 20% increase in horsepower over a D5G and the elevated sprocket which will really put the hammer down when you're using all 120 horses.

You could jump for the D6N, probably a bit more bread, but it is differential steering with the tiller bar which will give you the best of both worlds in control and power all in one package. Of course, it comes at a price.

[RonG]

We are looking to get a another dozer shortly. We want a somewhat bigger dozer that will used for mainly road building and fine grading. We are thinking about trying a D5G, but were wondering about how the M's or N's run. I have heard that the fingertip controls were very nice, but also very jerky.

I have run the D5M and also the D5XL.....I did prefer the XL for the more conventional steering although you can get used to the fancy paddles too.I just have the feeling that those electronic switches out in the weather is just another thing to break down when you don't need another problem.
The D5 is a good grading and pushing dozer but it has other problems that you might want to consider before you buy one.First is that the dozer is nose heavy and does not have good balance,maybe if you could put some sort of counterbalance on it like a ripper it would improve it but the dozer is not comfortable grading up and down a steep bank like the bank of a retaining pond.I can think of a lot of dozers I would rather use on steep ground.
Another thing that I do not care for is the poor visibility in the area of the drive sprockets,when you are working around structures and grade stakes it is difficult to see the ground in that area and to the rear as well while sitting so high.
If those concerns are not a problem for you then the D5 is a good dozer,I really don't know what else in that weight class is worth considering.
I like the John Deere up to the 650 size but the D5 weighs quite a bit more and I am not really sold on the larger JD either,they are nice without a doubt but may not live as long as you would expect and I am not really sold on the HyStat drives either.When I am grading next to a curb or house foundation I want 100% confidance that my dozer will respond to my commands the same as it did the last time and I do not have that with the HydroStatic drives,at least the several Cats,Komatsu and John Deere dozers I have run that had it.
I would pick the Cat hands down from D6 on up however.Ron G

[rino1494]

Thanks for the replies. We are most likely going to be demo a D5G and a Case 850. We recently picked up a '94 Case 550E with 1700hr very very cheap. Before that, we only ever had one dozer and that is a 196? Case 450. We did all of our grading with that dozer for over 20 years and it has about 25,000 hrs on it.

Anybody have any experiences on a D5H with the powershift transmission ???

[LDK]

Thanks for the replies. We are most likely going to be demo a D5G and a Case 850. We recently picked up a '94 Case 550E with 1700hr very very cheap. Before that, we only ever had one dozer and that is a 196? Case 450. We did all of our grading with that dozer for over 20 years and it has about 25,000 hrs on it.

Anybody have any experiences on a D5H with the powershift transmission ???

Hi, I ran several 5H's with the powershift transmission when they were the current model, I allways thought they should have had a little more power and that the blade control (like all the CAT's that I have used with a 6 way) gets to feel real stiff by the end of a shift, that is if you have been grading all day.
The 5H was replaced by the D6M and if you were thinking about that size of dozer, I would try out the Komatsu 61 EX or PX, it has grunt and it's smooth.
I also ran a 5G for a few weeks and for the first few days I felt like I had never been on a dozer before in my life, because I found the hydraulics very lively but I had just been on an 8R for about 6 months so that could have been the reason. After that couple of days getting aquainted, I liked it.

FTP control is not jerky if it is set up properly, the problem is a lot of them are not. I had a brand new 6M that arrived on site way out of spec, the CAT guy came out and recalibrated it with his laptop and it was fine, for about 6 months. I have found this on the 5M and N's too, not when they were new but later having to have the steering and forward and reverse control recalibrated. If they are set up well, they are nice to use but personaly don't have a problem using the clutch and brake system and with that I have had no problems.

If anyone out there could tell me what they think to the JD 700J and 750J I would appreciate it. We are currently looking at buying this size of dozer and I have not used either model.

[BrianHay]

Of the D5 size I have only been on an H. Except for beeing a little underpowerd as mentioned, it was a good machine. I was very comfortable on the slopes with it. I didn't notice a balance problem but it did have a winch so maybe that helped. Have spent time on 6M and loved it. Like the 6R a lot to. If a 6 isn't to much to spend at this time it may be worth considering? A wide pad 6 is a nice machine to trim with. And it may prove handy to have a little bigger cat in the future as you guys grow?

I havnt been on the smaller J but I did spend some time on an 850J. Very nice machine. All kinds of power, realy comfortable and the controls are quick and precise. The air intake is goofy though. Dust lands on the hood and ther is nothing stopping it from going from there right down into it.

[biggixxerjim]

we got a D5M where I work, and it is pretty nice. Definitely more power and weight than a standard 5. I dont think it is too jerky, but Im also not a huge fan of the design.

[biggixxerjim]

Thanks for the replies. We are most likely going to be demo a D5G and a Case 850. We recently picked up a '94 Case 550E with 1700hr very very cheap. Before that, we only ever had one dozer and that is a 196? Case 450. We did all of our grading with that dozer for over 20 years and it has about 25,000 hrs on it.

Anybody have any experiences on a D5H with the powershift transmission ???

We got a D6 H, actually one of the first high sprokets in NJ. Those long steering levers wear on you throughout the day.

[LowBoy]

We are looking to get a another dozer shortly. We want a somewhat bigger dozer that will used for mainly road building and fine grading. We are thinking about trying a D5G, but were wondering about how the M's or N's run. I have heard that the fingertip controls were very nice, but also very jerky.








We have a new (a year old or so,) D5N XL that I absolutely love. Along with a rental fleet of 4 other dozers, mainly D3G's, the 5 is a really smooth ride to run. I spent 60 hrs. on it last year doing a good size residential site, and it worked nice. Good visibility, good power, the paddle steering was a little jumpy then, but since then it seems to have broken in more and is as sensitive as you want it to be now.I had it here at home, and put in an unadulterated 12 hours on it 4th of July day, while everybody I know was eating, and drinking and shooting off fireworks. I cut a road in to my back 20 acres with it from scratch, and crowned it for watershed, and it's holding up beautifully, despite the monsoons we've had since then, especially in the newly loosened up fill.

The fingertip steering is now my favorite setup after running this high track 5 as much as I have been. I don't have any complaints about jumpiness, or quick turning response now, as I said, it seems to have broken in and works great.I can feather the thing and be so gentle with it that it's easy to be close to something, and not have a care in the world.

I regraded all out behind my house, approximately a 1/2 acre, and worked within an inch or two of my foundation, the woodshed pillars that are pressure treated 4 x 4's, and around my newly buried polyethelene septic tank, and fine graded with that 5 like it was made for it...All I need now is a pull behind York rake and some seed and hay, and it's Miller time.:thumbsup

Our D3's are mixed, but the one with Hydro-Stat is my next favorite I'd say, for the smaller projects. 2 of them are LGP's, and they're pretty nice to run, but I'm partial to my D-5N XL now...

Hope that helped in your decision process.:drinkup