80,000LB+ Dozer that has low Ground Prsher

[Mark Peck]

Any one know of a 80,000LB+ Dozer that would have low Ground Prsher.
I am a farmer and am looking to purchas a large older dozer to pull a tile plow and clean diches. The ground more often than not is saturated in places when instaling fieald dranage tile. and you need a minum of 10,000 LBS per foot of tile depth. I know a Bron 585 would meat this crytera but it does not have a blade and I dont have $400,000 for a used one!(prefariblay at or under $50,000 for the dozer and at or under $75,000 for a dozer plow combo)

 

[CM1995]

Welcome to the Forums MP!

What you are looking for is a needle in a hay stack. Cat made D8 high tracks (80K machine) in LGP but finding one in operable condition for $50,000 is going to be difficult.

Best of Luck!

 

[Mark Peck]

Thanks I see what you mean most are farley new and expencive! any orher brands or modles to look at? sugections?

 

[mowingman]

I would look for an old Cat D8L in good shape. I saw some listed on machinery trader that might fit your budget. Probably lots more out there, if you search around.
Jeff

 

[mowingman]

I would look for an old Cat D8L in good shape. I saw some listed on machinery trader that might fit your budget. Probably lots more out there, if you search around. I think I saw 3 up in Mi., which is kind of in your area.
Jeff

 

[Mark Peck]

I see at auction they are usley under 50000 so thats good! Know I just need to find one that is LGP.

 

[skata]

Your spelling is amusing. Lol. No offense.

 

[nicky 68a]

I’ve looked at D8T true lgp dozers and they soon run at £350k Sterling,so too dear for your operation.
For me,the idea of using a massive D8L with wide pads that are selling for around 50/70k US dollars is cause for serious back pressure in my head.Any D8L would likely be of early 1980’s vintage and pushing 40 years old.They will have been beaten to death and could soon cost you another 50k in a breakdown the very day you buy it.Tracks are super expensive for a big tractor like that.
I would think very carefully before buying an old D8L that’s fit enough to float in saturated fields such as yours.
Sorry for the negative response.
Here’s a wild idea though what about buying a tidy manual gearbox D8H or D8K then fitting it with wide pads?.There are some lovely looking D8K and D8H ag spec D8’s on Machinery trader.Some have 26”pads allthough you can fit a max of 30” pads on one if you dare.
They weigh around 25 ton compared to a 40t D8L and those manual gearboxes seem to have the ability to drag a d8 through very soft ground.They are also drastically more fuel economical than a D8L engine.
Just my thoughts

 

[Mark Peck]

Thanks for all the responces!
A more modern one fore 50,000 would be junk!
However I think 25 ton might be a little light.. when we have hierd it custom done a 40ton muchean many times needs a tow. any opion on a D9K or D9H? truble with final drives? widest pad you can place on them? is there a place to purchas off set pads? and a way to modief the blade so it still works

 

[Mark Peck]

No matter how i studied I have allways been a poor speller but usley gets the mesage across

 

[catman13]

why not look for actual tile plow

 

[Tinkerer]

How many feet of tile do you need to install ?
Maybe an excavator is a better option.

 

[crane operator]

However I think 25 ton might be a little light.. when we have hierd it custom done a 40ton muchean many times needs a tow.

If its really swampy, that you need lower ground pressure, I would prefer two smaller machines rather than one machine twice as heavy. You sink a 80,000lb dozer out in some soft ground you are going to have a mess getting it back out.

There are a couple different guys who post here who run tile. Farmerlund was setting up a D8 or so with a plow and I think Shimmy1 has some pictures from the last time they were tiling. They are both up in the dakota's. Randy88 also tiles in Iowa.

You may get some better advice on farm tile plowing on a site like https://talk.newagtalk.com/category-view.asp. There are a lot more guys there who are pulling tile.

Here's a few links on conversations about tile plow pulling:

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/dozer-pulled-drainage-tile-plow-suggestions.74898/

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/d6t-vs-d8t-tie-plow.55727/

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/the-next-strange-project-is.83555/

 

[Mark Peck]

If its really swampy, that you need lower ground pressure, I would prefer two smaller machines rather than one machine twice as heavy. You sink a 80,000lb dozer out in some soft ground you are going to have a mess getting it back out.

There are a couple different guys who post here who run tile. Farmerlund was setting up a D8 or so with a plow and I think Shimmy1 has some pictures from the last time they were tiling. They are both up in the dakota's. Randy88 also tiles in Iowa.

You may get some better advice on farm tile plowing on a site like https://talk.newagtalk.com/category-view.asp. There are a lot more guys there who are pulling tile.

Here's a few links on conversations about tile plow pulling:

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/dozer-pulled-drainage-tile-plow-suggestions.74898/

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/d6t-vs-d8t-tie-plow.55727/

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/the-next-strange-project-is.83555/

 

[Mark Peck]

Thanks for the advice and links

 

[Mark Peck]

How many feet of tile do you need to install ?
Maybe an excavator is a better option.[/QU
450000 ft of my own and i would not mind duing it custom that would be to much to dig in

 

[Rihpper]

There is a farmer here in CA that had a d8L SA for sale, it had the direct drive trans that I heard had been recently rebuilt by Holt. It had no blade or ripper, they pulled a pull type ripper with it. It had very wide shoes maybe 36”? I’m not sure it it’s still for sale but if your interested I could try to find out.