953C with a 6 way blade

That looks like a factory cat D4 blade, I know that Balderson makes some of their blades and that a company called IMAC makes a few blade kits like this.I think this would be super handy with a quicktach Ive run a blade on an AC loader and one on a 250c IHC, they were both just straights.
Theres also another company somewhere on the net that make a tilt bucket I rember they had a pic of a 544 JD wheel loader starting a V ditch with one.
My brothers Gray market D3C hasthese type pads, Cant bet em in wet areas or sandy places, not good on a 2 to 1 slope either. And good thing to if you mis any sapplings clearing youll get to see them with they pass you they have a bigger opening when they go over the idlers or sprockets.

6 way blade

I put a six way blade on a 977L years ago to put in Farm Terraces, when I was doing that type of work. I could push dirt up the back side and then go around on the up hill side and shape the top side. You could have done the same with a dozer, but the loader you did not have to climb the terrace as far and could dump the dirt that was sticking to the blade. Traded the loader and I wanted to keep the blade but the guy wanted it.
Been keeping the lookout for another six way blade to put on my 953.

One of these unique machines are being auctioned at - http://www.machinerytrader.com/Onli...6395155&GUID=A460242CA55645268A350C5A70C4000C.

I think it would be better with a coupler then you could put a rake on it for clearing. I saw a couple older machines like this for sale in Indy, but they both had couplers on them and they weren't 6-way's. It would seem to me that the machine would be too heavy in muddy areas. I would like one like this but mainly for switching a bucket to a rake.

I think they are used to clear swamps and other wet areas but they can be used for anything

Interstate usually has some odd stuff they're trying to sell. Every few years they'll get something that sits for not quite a year and they'll do away with the custom mods (unless somebody comes in with a good idea or what they think is one) and make it as normal as possible. That one in the machinery trader ad had been on there since Jan... bet it gets a new bucket about august or september.

Constructo.. where in sw iowa are you? I am in fremont county.. I would say that qualifies as sw as well!

I know a guy in Glenwood that grafted a blade off an old 17A on to his 953C last winter and really likes it. I don't know how long the hydro is going to last since the load is so much higher now. He even can roll the blade back far enough to load a truck with it.

Thats an interesting loader. I have see them with the swamp tracks but never a blade, only buckets or root rakes.

I just looked at the auction link for it and saw the SN. A quick search and it was sold in Higashimukaiyama Japan. and its Principle Work was Dams/Levees/Canals/& Othr Waterway Const. and it was ordered from Cat with the swamp tracks, third valve but it had a bucket not the blade.

Looks like CAT was short one bucket and one set of tracks and had to clear the assembly line.:beatsme

I remember reading this topic ago, but recently I found a pic of a 963 with a static blade mounted to it,which adds to this conversation. The company was using it for a parking garage job.

Not my picture, I found it on flickr

A truck loader with a blade would be handy for doing the back cut for installing shoring like they are, but a little overkill.

I am from northern new jersey and only :beatsme:beatsme:Bangheadthe highly knowledgable contractors are using track loaders any more which I think is a shame because if you ever introduce a crawler loader with a quick coupler, well just think of the possibilities. It is possible to eliminate a wheel loader except for the road part of utility jobs with a side dump and fork configuration that is universal around here for wheel loaders, and mount a q/c 6 way blade and you woulndnt need a dozer 95% of the time. After all,it is so unfortunate that these great rigs arent utilized more and properly

:beatsmeSomebody somewhere gotta know.:Banghead:drinkup Bob aka ZZ

dynahoescott,

the company I work for has a couple of 963's floating around in MD with quick couplers on them. I also am surprised it hasn't become a more common site. A lot of our 963's use the drap over forks, which is great for the versitlity that they provide, but when you are lifting an object, such as a manhole, it puts the weight considerably further away from the machine than boom mounted/quickcouplered forks would. Course this is off topic quite a bit, opps.:ban

ointheadHello jim bruce, excellent reply. I see your from pennsylvania and when I go out by my sisters house in shamokin PA. there are times when you couldnt throw a rock without hitting a 955 or 977 floating around out there I have even seen a 983 once or twice. I very rarely get off a hoe but I can see so many places where a crawler loader would be the optimum choice for the situation. and that is coming from a long time hoeman.ointhead

When I worked in Oxford MS outof highschool dad had me running a paddle wheel scraper on a building lot there. One the weekly trip to work I noticed an old Fiat Allis track loader pushing dirt and roots off a bank. I thought it had a 4 in 1 bucket but it was a factory made blade for it. I stopped an talked to the owners he said they had bought it from the factory like that. They had all AC equipmentand even had some blades l ike that on theirwheel loaders and the older AC machines. Theyhad an HD20 track loader with a blade and one of thewheel loaderseven had a tilt function. By that time they had some regulardozer to but when they were busy he broke out the trackloader an blade. He said it was easier to use than with the 4 in1 because the apron wasnt in the way or there to get damaged. That was 11 years ago I hope to get down that way and look for them again. One contractor here has an old 175 IHC loader and the other day I noticed that he had a new 953 Cat wit h a 4in1. I get alot of strange looks here at home from operators when I tell them how versatile a trackloader is. I built a hook on fork set for an old D66E Komatsu I used to run for a company. Par of my job on rainy days was to unload pipeoff trucks and other goods when we got rained out. That wheeled tool carrier couldnt get around in wet weather. I got a bonus for the forks because of the time I saved and the safetyfactoer of not slipping in the mud.

never seen tracks like that but i worked for a firm who ran 2 953's and one used a blade on it several times, cheaper than hiring a d6 i guess..but a 953 could not push a greasey man outta bed

Beg to differ, plantman. Granted I've not operated one with a blade, but I've never seen a 953 baulk at pushing straight through the middle of 20 tons of Type One. Never attempted to push a fat man out of bed with one, but maybe the fat man in the driving seat helped traction.

i found a few pics of this 943 on another forum (cant remember where)

plantman.uk said:

never seen tracks like that but i worked for a firm who ran 2 953's and one used a blade on it several times, cheaper than hiring a d6 i guess..but a 953 could not push a greasey man outta bed

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A 953 will push right with a D6 Cat with no problem. For there size they will do a lot. There must have been something wrong with your 953.