D3G To D6K

[RonL]

I'm considering going from a D3G to a D6K.
Aside from the fuel shut off solenoid crapping out almost immediately, the D3G has been a nice little machine. The 5 liter 6 Cyl engine has good push and is surprisingly fuel efficient.
I know the D6 will not be as maneuverable as the D3, but will there be a major difference?
Alternative may be to keep the D3 and look for a used D6.

Any recommendations?

RonL

 

[CascadeScaper]

I've been running a D5K LGP here and there as needed at work. I'm not a seasoned dozer operator, but I've been on quite a few different dozers from D3-D9 size in various vintages. The D5K is an impressive little dozer, very smooth, precise, and predictable. The steering and blade response is excellent, the blade control really surprised me. Along with the new blade control handle, the metering is incredibly smooth. The blade can be quick if needed or very slow and precise, very helpful for me as a dozer operator that's still learning. I also really like that the brake pedal has been eliminated, braking is now done using the decelerator pedal only. I don't mind having to use my left foot on the brake, but this single pedal setup brings you to a nice, smooth stop which I can appreciate when working on a slope. Most dozers I've been in you almost need a 4 point harness to keep yourself from getting launched out of the seat with even the slightest touch of the brake.

While I know you're not looking at a 5K, I would wager to say that the 6K will react much in the same way.

 

[RonL]

Thanks for the info.

I've watched a number of videos of the D6K on youtube. It seems to be a very maneuverable dozer. My only concern is whether I would have trouble doing fine finish work.

At present I have the D3G and a Cat 416C IT on my property in the mountains of New Hampshire. I'm doing everything from clearing and pulling stumps to putting in the septic system. I would like to have a winch for culling trees and various other purposes.

Once I officially retire I plan on working these machines.

RonL

 

[CascadeScaper]

You said you're working on your own property, will you be working in tight quarters? That would be my only concern with a 6. Finish work is easily accomplished with a VPAT D6, you shouldn't have any issues there.

 

[BIGDIRT]

Our D6K is a great finish machine, I like it just a well if not better than our D5k.

 

[RonL]

Thanks for all the information.

Close quarters is not a problem on my property. The drive will be nearly six hundred feet. My main concern is what niche I can drop into when I retire and start working the machines for my second career. The D3G is a small and maneuverable machine that has surprising push. It is however a small machine and is a little light in the tail for some of the things I have been doing. I just take my time and plug away at it.
My thoughts are that the D6K is small and maneuverable enough to do the finer finish work while weighing enough to do a little heavier work.
I am also interested in a winch. I was going to fab up a mount for the front toolcarrier on the 416 and put on a hydraulic winch. I want to cull out a number of trees and do other tasks with a winch. My thoughts turned to the idea of upgrading my D3G to a D6K with a winch.

 

[bigbob]

I am from SE NH. Look around and see what most of the excavation contractors in the area are running for equipment in the residential, light commercial market. Most have a 12-15 ton excavator and a D-3 to D-5 sized dozer. I would dump the backhoe and get an excavator. A D 6 size dozer would be overkill. There are a lot of boulders around here from the glaciers. Most material we push is imported sand, gravel, or you would use the dozer to strip loam or stockpile stumps. Excavators are much better for digging out stumps than trying to push them out. I have a 311CU and a 307 Cat excvator. Works well for me. Also have a 420 DIT backhoe. I do not use it much.
You should not be running a rubber tired machine on the septic footprint. Read the notes on the plan or go to the DES web site and read the installation rules. Compacts the soil and may ruin the soil structure.

 

[RonL]

Interesting!

For me the most useful machine has been the Cat 416C IT. I use the forks on a regular basis. And on a site of any size if you are going to move anything around I would think that you would want a wheeled machine. That was the reason I went with a TLB and a dozer. With those two machines I can do everything I need to do on my property. They may not be the most efficient for a certain task but they will do it. I would like to have an excavator in the Cat 315 size but at the present I can't afford a third machine. I think a 15 ton excavator with a thumb would be a better machine to pull and stockpile stumps. At present I use the backhoe to pull out stumps and the dozer to push them into piles. The problem is a lot of soil is carried along. I have several piles that I will eventually have to screen.
In my situation I don't think that I could do without my TLB. It will also be the machine that I will use for plowing and clearing snow in the winter.

RonL

 

[RTSmith]

Ron, A lot like you I strictly work at home, with a 420D and a D4G. But probably the most used machine is a 242 skid steer. Almost any kind of loader work I did with the TLB, I do with the skid. Right now, you can pick one up pretty cheap. Rather than trade the D3 for a 6, I'd add a machine. Just my .02$

 

[Porter]

I would take a JD700J over the D6K. The 700 is the best small machine I have ever operated.

Also, the 6K is NOT built on the same platform as the 3K - 5K machines

 

[dirtmonkey]

HEY ! Im new to the site and really like it! I own a D5k and love it! I think a D5 or D6 is a good choice , but for manuverabilty and easier transport, the d5 is the way to go. THE NEW ''K'' SERIES MACHINES ARE GREAT! I DONT GO HOME BEAT UP AT NITE!!!

 

[willd8r]

The biggest advantage with the D6K is the isolating track frames & still only a small machine