old cat dozer (video)

[jimmyjack]

found this video of a old caterpiller dozer. the machine looks like it runs as good as new;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8BTT8mXZL8

[wrenchbender]

She looks and runs good, around these parts on farms still see a lot of old cats with cable operated blades. I don't think you can wear'em out their like the Energizer Bunny they keep going & going ......

[Jeff D.]

Good video!!:thumbsup ..around these parts on farms still see a lot of old cats with cable operated blades.Here's a question about those old cable dozers. Did they rely soley on the blade weight for down pressure, or was there some way with the cables they could pull the blade down? I've never really looked at how the cable systems worked on them.

Thanks!!:)

[wrenchbender]

Good video!!:thumbsup Here's a question about those old cable dozers. Did they rely soley on the blade weight for down pressure, or was there some way with the cables they could pull the blade down? I've never really looked at how the cable systems worked on them.

Thanks!!:)

Blade weight and cutting edge pitch. This makes it so much more amazing what the operators can accomplish with these old gals.

[Dwan Hall]

Go back and look at the video again. 29 seconds into the video you will see a cylinder. This is not a cable operated dozer

[Jeff D.]

Go back and look at the video again. 29 seconds into the video you will see a cylinder. This is not a cable operated dozerI did see the cylinder up front on that one, but asked about the cable dozers after wrenchbender mentioned those kinds still down on the farm.

[544D10]

That things got style. Kinda reminds me of a ol chopped hot rod.

[Lashlander]

I don't think thats a Cat. It has a funny looking undercarriage. European maybe?? :confused: :beatsme

[NWH]

That thing has bogey wheels on the bottom like an old sherman tank.
Not like any old caterpillar ive ever seen and I have seen alot of them .

[RonG]

I think that it is a Russian dozer.I have seen similar machines on the Russian heavy equipment sites.The number at the end of the film is probably the model number.That thing is really nose heavy,huh?Ron G

[Wulf]

I think that it is a Russian dozer.I have seen similar machines on the Russian heavy equipment sites.The number at the end of the film is probably the model number.That thing is really nose heavy,huh?Ron G

I think you are right Ron. The T-74 is identified on this page which matches the number on the film clip and the bogies give it away I think...
http://www.tpaktopc.net/russiancrawlers.htm

[DPete]

Good video!!:thumbsup Here's a question about those old cable dozers. Did they rely soley on the blade weight for down pressure, or was there some way with the cables they could pull the blade down? I've never really looked at how the cable systems worked on them.

Thanks!!:) I ran cable dozers alot in past years, One benefit is they will go down as far as the cable is long not like hydraulic that rods out. Not that bad a system if everything is in good shape. DP

[King of Obsolete]

he is a good operator, that is one hard dozer to operate because the front idler and back sprocket are up in the air. so only the bottom rollers are on the ground.

thansk

[TALLRICK]

Does anyone know which models of Caterpillar had the winch control lever to the right of the seat, coming from the rear of the machine? I saw a bulldozer like that years ago, sitting in a field rusting. Always wondered how an operator would manipulate the winch to raise and allow the blade to fall. I am sure that some of you collect and run these types of machines.

[MKTEF]

Our old D7 2. war models has a winch controll like the one you are describing.
The handle operates the clutch on the back, the winch then rises the front blade. Small vinch, cable going over the driver and down front to the pullies at front. The pullies then lifts the blade. Looks wierd with the cable quide going from the back and over the dozer.
I don't realy now if this system is added later, but looks like original to me.

A very special machine to operate, dosen't have any down force on the blade though.;)
A popular machine for fine grading and levelling.(when still in use in the 60's and 70's)
It's in our engineer museum now. I had a very good day, when i got to ride all our old iron a day som years ago. (they need some exercise now and then):)

[TALLRICK]

Our old D7 2. war models has a winch controll like the one you are describing.
The handle operates the clutch on the back, the winch then rises the front blade. Small vinch, cable going over the driver and down front to the pullies at front. The pullies then lifts the blade. Looks wierd with the cable quide going from the back and over the dozer.
I don't realy now if this system is added later, but looks like original to me.

A very special machine to operate, dosen't have any down force on the blade though.;)
A popular machine for fine grading and levelling.(when still in use in the 60's and 70's)
It's in our engineer museum now. I had a very good day, when i got to ride all our old iron a day som years ago. (they need some exercise now and then):)


I found a video of this. Seems like it took a bit of practice to use the machine effectively. Also looks like the blade can be removed and the winch used for other purposes. The older machines really do have more character!

http://www.archive.org/details/Building1948

[wrenchbender]

Very cool video man things have changed in the last 59 years. Those old machines do indeed have personality but I don't think the operators miss'em to awful much. Thanks for posting:cool:

[TALLRICK]

Maybe one day some enthusiasts will get their old machines together to build an authentic 40'5-50's project. I would like to participate in such an experience just to see how our parents and grandparents did it.

[Dwan Hall]

How about the Romans? They did it all by hand and some of there roads are still used today.
Hand work is not my cup of tea but on every job there still needs to be some.

[RonG]

I have worked on the sweat end of those mixers filling the cages that hold the rebar with an hand shovel.That vid brought back memories of things I had forgotten all about.Thanks for posting it.Those were the days.Ron G:eek:

[LDK]

I think that it is a Russian dozer.I have seen similar machines on the Russian heavy equipment sites.The number at the end of the film is probably the model number.That thing is really nose heavy,huh?Ron G

Hi Ron,

For the last 4 springs and summers I worked on a project about 45 minutes north east of Moscow and I saw several of these types of dozer. I also saw one that that looked very simillar but was smaller and the operator sat over to one side of the machine and another that they called a T100, it was more conventional looking. I saw a couple of the later that I was told were only a couple of years old but looking at the engineering on them you would think that they were from forty years ago, though they did have track chains, unlike the one in the video and the small version I mentioned, their sprockets drive drive directly on the track pads.
I never saw any of these dozers moving at more than a snails pace, except for one of the small ones that I mentioned that did some work on a local farm and when he travled it down the road he would find a high gear.
I was using a D6R LGP and a D5N LGP and it would be no stretch of the truth to say that I could do more with the 5 in a day than one of those T100's could do in a week, thats if you could find a local operator that could stay sobber for a week, no easy task i can tell you.
To be fair I had a Russian guy that worked with me there from the begining and he is a good dozer hand, as rare as hens teeth over there.
Over that period of time I saw a change and this year when I was there, I saw a lot of new imported equipment, things are could be getting better.

[RonG]

Thanks for the update LDK.I have been reading your very informative posts and I do enjoy your input because you can be objective and that is refreshing to me.I look forward to your continued participation here.Ron G

[sixshooter]

I originally came on the site to ask a question, but these old iron videos are really cool, personally, I could see that with a flat back paint job a retro flames.