Who Backdrags?

[Dozerboy]

The owner, who obviously had an appreciation for sarcasm, replied that he had plenty of "two-faced" operators already. LOL

Ouch you know what they say. There is a little bit of truth in sarcasm lol

 

[dozer darc]

lol my father bought a case 450b some years ago he didn't realize the tracks were installed backwards till he got it home when he called the guy to ask him about it he said he only dozes backwards it wasn't to long before it got a new bottom

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . That set up and it's application has me intregued.

As one poster mentioned it could well be for cleaning ditches. That is to say the machine backs up to ditch and rear operator reaches out with devise and using lift and crowd he drags blade through ditch and then the dozer moves forward leaving the mud in a neat pile . . . repeat leaving a windrow along the edge of ditch . . . or maybe they run it out across the paddock.

Can't see why they need the second operator . . . one thing is for sure if that is how it works it wouldn't be too hard on the finals.

Cheers.

 

[dozerman400]

Yes I back drag. What ever it takes to get an area done and move on to the next area.

 

[Nige]

As previously explained, running the track chains under load in reverse is bad for the chains and all the u/c components. But then again if it's not your tractor I suppose most operators wouldn't give a rat's a$$ about that.

All depends on circumstances. In mining it's all about moving large amounts of dirt from A to B in the shortest possible time. IMHO the only reason to backdrag would be that the operator in question didn't have the required "touch" to get it right going forward. Any operater caught backdragging would be shown the door in quick style.

 

[Oxbow]

It obviously depends on the application. I would expect to be shown the door were I back draging with a D11.

Occasionally if I have gouged a bit while laying out material in a fill from haul trucks I will grab a bit on the way back to help fill the low spot, and working around structures, or pond edges, it is necessary to remove material that one can't get behind, but in general, unless tracks cannot be left, I do not back drag as a practice. As someone earlier in the thread mentioned, I do not like the inconsistency of compaction created by back draging, and the tracks can add aesthetics if following contours in large scale landscapes to enhance the shape.

 

[dozerman400]

Hi Nige,
I am one that cares about the owner's tractors and if they make money or not. As someone else mentioned, if you need to get an inside building corner or area to grade and there is no other tractor around, you may need to back drag the material out. Or say your building a pad with scrapers dumping chunky clay, you need to work the dirt a bit to get it smooth enough for the compacter operator does not bounce out of the seat. The expense of the wear on tracks back dragging can be less of the expense of trucks, scrapers, labors and others waiting for you to do all your work in forward gears. Time is money and if back dragging saves time with what your doing I think most owners are ok with that.

I learned with old wore out tractors 40 years ago and if you did not take some care in running the old stuff it would surely fall apart one you.

 

[Scrub Puller]

Yair . . . it all becomes academic B/S . . . one rule doesn't fit all situations.

I would not expect to be shown the door if I was caught back blading with anything . . . it depends on where you are and what you are doing.

Without pi$$ing off the cocky with a two foot deep channel none of the hi-track hotshots on here could cut a two pass fuel tanker track through Gilgai brigalow country without dragging the odd bit back into the low spots to get a full load on the blade . . . or how about from standing mulga to a 260 Cessna pulled at the camp in two hours forty minutes with two D9's, try that without backblading . . . when you can't see a bloody thing for dust.

I have always considered that freakin'n thing hanging off the front as a tool to be used in the most effective manner for the job at hand and stuff convention and any smart-ass that tells me otherwise

Rant over, cheers to all.

** I should explain that Gilgai country is usually heavy black clay and resembles the surface of the roughest confused ocean you are ever going to see, crest to trough can be eight or ten feet and the pitch is variable, just a few feet between holes.

Mulga dust apparently is unique. Farr-Pamic air cleaners were fitted to the first P/S Allis twenty ones. They had a huge surface area and were supposed to be a throw away item changed at each service . . . The Big Brass flew over from the States because they flat out wouldn't believe us that they wouldn't last a day.

 

[ih100]

With you there, Scrub. In my over 35 years around plant, in my experience it's fitters rather than owners who have the most mouth about things like back blading. I say this as one who sits firmly in the middle of the fence 50% operator 50% mechanic. There isn't a fitter of note who wouldn't in their most honest moment admit to using a screwdriver as a chisel, or a slightly oversize spanner, or a set of pipe grips on the hex union...you see where I'm going? You point out to a fitter that they aren't doing it properly and see where the conversation goes. I know because that's my mindset when I'm on the tools. However, If it makes all of you full time spanner & laptop jockeys happy, I will have a serious word with myself next time I catch myself back blading.

 

[Nige]

Worthwhile pointing out at this stage that using a screwdriver as a chisel might require the premature replacement of said screwdriver. Incorrect operation of a machine will also require parts replacement, just that the parts could likely cost 1000 or more times what the screwdriver cost.

 

[ih100]

Worthwhile pointing out at this stage that using a screwdriver as a chisel might require the premature replacement of said screwdriver. Incorrect operation of a machine will also require parts replacement, just that the parts could likely cost 1000 or more times what the screwdriver cost.

Now let's not start taking this too seriously. Besides, the fuss one of my mates makes when you borrow his screwdriver, you'd think it cost as much as a D11.

 

[Nige]

As it used to say on my tool box ....... "The man who lends tools is on his holidays"

And BTW......... you started it ...... :tong :tong

 

[ih100]

As it used to say on my tool box ....... "The man who lends tools is on his holidays"

And BTW......... you started it ...... :tong :tong

Had a couple of sleepless nights. New Cocker Spaniel puppy... My mate and me have an arrangement with our tools - what's mine are ours and what are his are his. He's got magnetic finger syndrome; when he walks past my box, my tools stick to them.

 

[wilko]

This is going off topic, but I'll add that I've had good results with painting my tools some really putrid color. They're easy to identify and nobody really wants them anyway. Good choices for color would have "puke", "snot" or "baby" in the name.

 

[jd450dozer]

couldn't agree more.

I am an owner operator,if your only criteria for judging whether an operator is good or not is backdragging your OUTTA YOUR MIND!! dozerman nailed it , time is money.Sand is also hard on undercarraige, you gonna turn down job because of that? No! had a owner tell me not to run his D8 sideways on slope ever, meanwhile pads below are being held up and streets also while gradechecker, blade and others are waiting for you to finish a slope? news flash dirt moves down hill much faster. Lost production outweighs cost of undercarriage always. If your mechanic doesn't like fighting the threads on cutting edges then tell the dumb ass to shorten the bolt so that they dont stick out past the nut, whalla no bured up threads to fight. I do whatever it takes to get the job done as fast as possible so that the owner makes money and keeps getting jobs then I keep making money and getting jobs also. Bottom line is that its not a simple equation at all. just my 0.02

Hi Nige,
I am one that cares about the owner's tractors and if they make money or not. As someone else mentioned, if you need to get an inside building corner or area to grade and there is no other tractor around, you may need to back drag the material out. Or say your building a pad with scrapers dumping chunky clay, you need to work the dirt a bit to get it smooth enough for the compacter operator does not bounce out of the seat. The expense of the wear on tracks back dragging can be less of the expense of trucks, scrapers, labors and others waiting for you to do all your work in forward gears. Time is money and if back dragging saves time with what your doing I think most owners are ok with that.

I learned with old wore out tractors 40 years ago and if you did not take some care in running the old stuff it would surely fall apart one you.

 

[kevin37b]

You people need therapy . Over 200 posts on who drags ?