Lashlander
Senior Member
Just don't call him a troll. 
-
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Dozers and operator cabs
- Thread starter Hjolli
- Start date
As usual you make some good points Tigerotor but I think by natural progression a bigger dozer will come and I think it will eventually come from Caterpillar.
Deas Plant
Senior Member
Bigger Dozers
Hi, Folks.
I faintly suspect that there are a LOT of companies around the world with huge volumes of earth and rock to move - and probably move a second time before they are through with it - who would early love a bigger CAT dozer right now.
Sure, there IS a bigger dozer in production today than those made by Cat. Trouble is, it's NOT made by Cat and it has proven itself to not have a long working life. How many of the few sold are still working?
We have a contractor not far from where I live who has re-powered D11's with bigger engines and modified them to handle the extra grunt to provide a better service for his clients and most of his work is root or blade plowing. He NEEDS to be able to move his machines as easily as a D11 can be moved.
Most of the jobs where bigger dozers would be viable are long-term jobs with HUGE volumes of material to be moved and it has been shown that BIG dozers are hard to beat for cost effectiveness over short distances.
I'm not holding my breath waitng for it but I suspect that bigger dozers are going to come along, probably with modular construction, so that they can be assembled for work and dis-assembled for transport with minimum fuss and minimum technology. Buster Peterson designed his Saimese D8's to be assembled and stripped by ordinary workmen with fairly minimal tools and there were NO fluid connections to work with.
Just for chuckles, try this sucker on for size. The HEAVIEST and the seond most powerful dozer so far built, the Acco dozer has never struck a blow 'in anger'. At 183 tons and with 2 x 675 hp Cat V8's, it iS a fair lump of iron.
Hi, Folks.
I faintly suspect that there are a LOT of companies around the world with huge volumes of earth and rock to move - and probably move a second time before they are through with it - who would early love a bigger CAT dozer right now.
Sure, there IS a bigger dozer in production today than those made by Cat. Trouble is, it's NOT made by Cat and it has proven itself to not have a long working life. How many of the few sold are still working?
We have a contractor not far from where I live who has re-powered D11's with bigger engines and modified them to handle the extra grunt to provide a better service for his clients and most of his work is root or blade plowing. He NEEDS to be able to move his machines as easily as a D11 can be moved.
Most of the jobs where bigger dozers would be viable are long-term jobs with HUGE volumes of material to be moved and it has been shown that BIG dozers are hard to beat for cost effectiveness over short distances.
I'm not holding my breath waitng for it but I suspect that bigger dozers are going to come along, probably with modular construction, so that they can be assembled for work and dis-assembled for transport with minimum fuss and minimum technology. Buster Peterson designed his Saimese D8's to be assembled and stripped by ordinary workmen with fairly minimal tools and there were NO fluid connections to work with.
Just for chuckles, try this sucker on for size. The HEAVIEST and the seond most powerful dozer so far built, the Acco dozer has never struck a blow 'in anger'. At 183 tons and with 2 x 675 hp Cat V8's, it iS a fair lump of iron.
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Thats a big dozer. It looks like they used the high drive sprocket as well as another drive sprocket in the rear. Did they use one engine to power the high drive and one to power the rear? Did Acco make all the components or did they use other cat stuff from big cats to build it?
Deas Plant
Senior Member
Questions???????????????????????
Hi, MikeJ.
Will ya shuddup and stop asking questions for which I don't have answers. Woddaya tryin' ter do? Make me look iggerant er sumpin?
To put it a little more politely, I do know that it has two Cat diesels. I seriously doubt that one was driving the upper sprockets and one the lower. The synchronisation issues would be enormous. I even doubt that they would have had one driving each side. I'm more inclined to think that they merged the power from the two engines into one transmission and then to normal crawler clutches and brakes steering but I DON'T know. I have been told that the pairs of sprockets on each side were driven together by a gear train.
I also gather that it and a 200 ton grader never went to the job for which they were intended in Libya because of trade embargoes imposed against Libya at the time of the Lockerbie plane bombing. I have been told that neither has ever turned a paying blade of earth. On top of that, Acco also built a 160 ton prototype of his grader before he built the 'real' one.
Here are a few photos of this li'l' jigger for the blade hands here.
Hi, MikeJ.
Will ya shuddup and stop asking questions for which I don't have answers. Woddaya tryin' ter do? Make me look iggerant er sumpin?
To put it a little more politely, I do know that it has two Cat diesels. I seriously doubt that one was driving the upper sprockets and one the lower. The synchronisation issues would be enormous. I even doubt that they would have had one driving each side. I'm more inclined to think that they merged the power from the two engines into one transmission and then to normal crawler clutches and brakes steering but I DON'T know. I have been told that the pairs of sprockets on each side were driven together by a gear train.
I also gather that it and a 200 ton grader never went to the job for which they were intended in Libya because of trade embargoes imposed against Libya at the time of the Lockerbie plane bombing. I have been told that neither has ever turned a paying blade of earth. On top of that, Acco also built a 160 ton prototype of his grader before he built the 'real' one.
Here are a few photos of this li'l' jigger for the blade hands here.
Attachments
Grader4me
Senior Member
Cute little fella isn't it. Curious as to what the moldboard visability would be like from inside the cab.Deas Plant
Senior Member
dirtworksequip
Active Member
EROPS vs OROPS
The way I see the EROPS vs OROPS is this. While cabs are alot more expensive up front, over the long run they will probably pay for themselves with increased productivity and owner or employee satisfaction,because of a more comfortable operating enviorment. Some of the big name excavating contractors that I have worked for now have very few orops machines. They are just phasing them out and replacing any new machines with cab models. Eventually because of health issues, you probably will not even be able to purchase an OROPS machine. Maybe not in my lifetime,but eventually.When buying any machine for myself I always opt for a cab model..........but of course I'm getting old and soft.lol There is a certain amount of lost visibility with any cab model,but the advantages far outweigh that one disadvantage. One thing I hate to see is anyone get on a new cab machine and throw the doors and windows open.Geez! I feel if a company is going to pay the extra money for a cab I should keep it sealed up tight and as clean as possible. I realize that some operators feel they can't hear or see as good out of a closed up cab,but its just gettting used to a little different sound and different sight lines. So, keep them cabs closed up and clean.
Sincerely,
Dirt
The way I see the EROPS vs OROPS is this. While cabs are alot more expensive up front, over the long run they will probably pay for themselves with increased productivity and owner or employee satisfaction,because of a more comfortable operating enviorment. Some of the big name excavating contractors that I have worked for now have very few orops machines. They are just phasing them out and replacing any new machines with cab models. Eventually because of health issues, you probably will not even be able to purchase an OROPS machine. Maybe not in my lifetime,but eventually.When buying any machine for myself I always opt for a cab model..........but of course I'm getting old and soft.lol There is a certain amount of lost visibility with any cab model,but the advantages far outweigh that one disadvantage. One thing I hate to see is anyone get on a new cab machine and throw the doors and windows open.Geez! I feel if a company is going to pay the extra money for a cab I should keep it sealed up tight and as clean as possible. I realize that some operators feel they can't hear or see as good out of a closed up cab,but its just gettting used to a little different sound and different sight lines. So, keep them cabs closed up and clean.
Sincerely,
Dirt
biggixxerjim
Senior Member
Those machines are simply amazing..... Id love to get a look at some of that.
Last edited by a moderator:
OzDozer
Senior Member
The ACCO dozer is the heaviest and most powerful dozer built.
The D575 on initial release, was 1050 HP, but has since been uprated to 1150 HP.
At 336,420 lb / 152600 kg, with blade, counterweight, cab, ROPS, operator and all lubricants and full tank of fuel, the D575 SD is still a way behind the Acco dozer.
D575 SD specs .. http://www.equipmentcentral.com/north_america/new_equipment/machine_data.cfm?prdt_id=523
Not sure that the production figure of forty D575 machines is correct. According to my S/N book, which is 10 years old, there were 23, D575's built between the release date of 1991, and 1996.
They have been in production for 16 years now, and a likely total production number would be more like, well over 100 machines. There are 5, D575's operating just in the State of Western Australia, that I know of, and possibly more. There are several in Australia that have been parted out.
Umberto Acco used all Cat components in his enormous machines .. and he built two huge (different size) graders, a number of rear dumpers, as well as numerous monstrous 4WD tractors, besides the giant dozer.
His workshop was an incredible size, and littered with components like a Cat factory. He made all his money from civil construction, and spent heaps of it, on building large-scale 'toys' ..
Well, they weren't supposed to be toys, originally .. because he built these machines for massive projects in Libya, that Gaddafi had planned.
However, when Gaddafi started on his terrorism line, in the 80's, and the U.N. slapped sanctions on Libya, Acco was left holding the baby, as no-one was allowed to deal with Gaddafi in any commercial manner.
Umberto Acco died a couple of years ago, and his company directors have now 'cleaned up' his workshop (sent everything to scrap), and placed all Umbertos 'dream machines' in a storage shed that is not readily accessible to the public .. and people wishing to inspect the Acco giant machines must obtain Acco Construction Co permission to visit them.
It is not known what will happen to the machines. There is talk of them being put into some kind of 'museum' or public display, but that has not happened yet.
"Small" Acco grader .. http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/2522/accogradersmall1bs1.jpg
Acco rear dumps .. http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/30/accoreardumpskx9.jpg
Acco grader blade visibility - cab view .. .. http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5476/accograder6xb6.jpg
Acco large 4WD tractor .. http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7003/accotractor1vi1.jpg
Two pics of the Acco workshop, prior to being 'cleaned up' ..
The D575 on initial release, was 1050 HP, but has since been uprated to 1150 HP.
At 336,420 lb / 152600 kg, with blade, counterweight, cab, ROPS, operator and all lubricants and full tank of fuel, the D575 SD is still a way behind the Acco dozer.
D575 SD specs .. http://www.equipmentcentral.com/north_america/new_equipment/machine_data.cfm?prdt_id=523
Not sure that the production figure of forty D575 machines is correct. According to my S/N book, which is 10 years old, there were 23, D575's built between the release date of 1991, and 1996.
They have been in production for 16 years now, and a likely total production number would be more like, well over 100 machines. There are 5, D575's operating just in the State of Western Australia, that I know of, and possibly more. There are several in Australia that have been parted out.
Umberto Acco used all Cat components in his enormous machines .. and he built two huge (different size) graders, a number of rear dumpers, as well as numerous monstrous 4WD tractors, besides the giant dozer.
His workshop was an incredible size, and littered with components like a Cat factory. He made all his money from civil construction, and spent heaps of it, on building large-scale 'toys' ..
Well, they weren't supposed to be toys, originally .. because he built these machines for massive projects in Libya, that Gaddafi had planned.
However, when Gaddafi started on his terrorism line, in the 80's, and the U.N. slapped sanctions on Libya, Acco was left holding the baby, as no-one was allowed to deal with Gaddafi in any commercial manner.
Umberto Acco died a couple of years ago, and his company directors have now 'cleaned up' his workshop (sent everything to scrap), and placed all Umbertos 'dream machines' in a storage shed that is not readily accessible to the public .. and people wishing to inspect the Acco giant machines must obtain Acco Construction Co permission to visit them.
It is not known what will happen to the machines. There is talk of them being put into some kind of 'museum' or public display, but that has not happened yet.
"Small" Acco grader .. http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/2522/accogradersmall1bs1.jpg
Acco rear dumps .. http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/30/accoreardumpskx9.jpg
Acco grader blade visibility - cab view ..
.. http://img262.imageshack.us/img262/5476/accograder6xb6.jpgAcco large 4WD tractor .. http://img412.imageshack.us/img412/7003/accotractor1vi1.jpg
Two pics of the Acco workshop, prior to being 'cleaned up' ..
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Tigerotor77W
Senior Member
I could be wrong... 'course that's never happened before.
(bigger 'n a 797B load of sarcasm there...)Time will tell.
Squizzy246B
Administrator
There are 5, D575's operating just in the State of Western Australia, that I know of, and possibly more. There are several in Australia that have been parted out.
I think, if you check, that four of them are "operating" and one is......resting a bit. But I could be wrong. Capel sands also had one (whatever they are called now) and they had a real good run pushing ilmenite.
I think, if you check, that four of them are "operating" and one is......resting a bit. But I could be wrong. Capel sands also had one (whatever they are called now) and they had a real good run pushing ilmenite.
Deas Plant
Senior Member
Heaviest and NOT the most powerful.
Hi, Ozdozer.
I said the heaviest and SECOND most powerful because I know about this baby which worked for 18 years and was scrapped before 'Bertie' ever started building his toys.
Here are some pics taken from a magazine article from 1963, the year the beast was made. Because of the image size limitations of the site, I have had to do some serious chopping of the original article to get it on here. I hope I have got them all in more or less the right order.
More to come.
Hi, Ozdozer.
I said the heaviest and SECOND most powerful because I know about this baby which worked for 18 years and was scrapped before 'Bertie' ever started building his toys.
Here are some pics taken from a magazine article from 1963, the year the beast was made. Because of the image size limitations of the site, I have had to do some serious chopping of the original article to get it on here. I hope I have got them all in more or less the right order.
More to come.
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Deas Plant
Senior Member
Deas Plant
Senior Member
OzDozer
Senior Member
Squizzy - There are 4 x D575's operating at Acoa (all remote-controlled) .. and 1 at Murrin Murrin. Didn't know about a D575 at Capel (now Iluka Resources). Which one is 'resting a bit' .. ?? .. :beatsme
Lashlander
Senior Member
I love that cab. Western Contracting had a bunch of equipment special made back in their hayday. Times have changed, no handrails or stairs to get in the cab. Excellent post Deas!:thumbsup
OzDozer
Senior Member
Deas - Hmmm .. (OzD scratches head) .. yeah, O.K. .. I guess you COULD call that Western push dozer, a dozer .. but it's not exactly what I had in mind, when it came to comparing big crawler tractors ..
Squizzy246B
Administrator
I assumed that there were 5 at Beenup, not four...anyway, my mate is with GeoBlast, in and out of Alcoa on a regular basis, and he said they had one down for awhile.
We oversaw the load out of the old screening and crusher plant from Murrin Murrin...it was going to South Africa, I was down at Esperance for the final load out. Didn't know they had the big Komatapillar at MM. The 575 down at Capel was one of the first to arrive in the state....it went back to Perth for some modifications and then it went to Eneabba...I think.