Video of dozers walking backwards down a steep hill - question

Is there an advantage for these dozers travelling backwards down this steep pipeline hill?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX50uBgArmY

queen of spades said:

Is there an advantage for these dozers travelling backwards down this steep pipeline hill?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HX50uBgArmY

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NONE that I can think of.

They are tying off

It could be that they are so off balance (nose heavy) it is easier to go off backwards.

roddyo said:

They are tying off

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Can you explain what tying off means?

Yo-yoing or winching each other up and down the slope.

Might just be more comfortable setting back in the seat.

Seems like a good idea. If a dozer loses control backing off the hill, dropping the blade will be like an anchor to slow and stop the dozer. If the blade were in front and dug in the dozer might flip but would certainly turn to whichever side the blade caught on and probably roll the dozer. If the hill were REALLY steep, the heavy front blade could stand the dozer on it's toes, especially with heavy braking.

Bob

queen of spades said:

Can you explain what tying off means?

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There's going to be someone tied off at the end of those machines working. On the middle dozer you can see the bracket in the middle of the blade where the cable hooks. That's what the clanging around is toward the end of the video. Three dozers bail off a hill, two hooked up with one nested in a minute and thirty five seconds. Welcome to pipelining

It really does not look that steep,If it was I would not be backing down,If you put the blade down and pushed down in any way hard you would push yourself over backwards. The operator just looks to be working on a narrow path and there is not a good way to turn around.

think about it.. if you are backing down a steep grade the tracks think they are being pulled forward since you are riding the brakes all the way down. pretty simple I think, if the tracks are a little too loose this is a good way to keep from walking out of them which would be easy if you tried to go forward and still ride the brakes which will put the snake under the rollers.

oldirt said:

think about it.. if you are backing down a steep grade the tracks think they are being pulled forward since you are riding the brakes all the way down. pretty simple I think, if the tracks are a little too loose this is a good way to keep from walking out of them which would be easy if you tried to go forward and still ride the brakes which will put the snake under the rollers.

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I do not see one advantage here at all. I'd rather have blade up front.

I remember back in the early 80s up in eastern kentucky on strip job we had a d85 komatsu up on the side of a mountain clearing trees and the old boy got the dozer up asstraddle of a big oak and him and tree went all the way to the bottem where they were building the washer plant looked like a hell of a ride but when he got to the bottem he finally got off the tree and back up he went didnt even take time to shake his pants out.

I have seen a photo a few years ago of 5 or 6 D8's "tied" together and they were all tied to a 330 or 345 that was digging on a slope, so it is quite possible that they are backing down to another machine to act as the "anchors".

Regarding the different ideas reflected here about one dozer on a slope & should it be blade up or blade down...for me, having done this probably too many times on steeper slopes than I should have, I would never want that blade up the hill....
Why so:
Dozer's have this notorious habit of responding quite differently to the 'steering control' depending on the friction under the track.
If the track is up on a menial little knob, it will facilitate a turn pronto (right now). If there is load on the tracks, the steering is ultra quick although the soil dampens it when doing a normal push.
Point being, if you are going up a hill and the blade is not loaded, word to the wise, be cautious with the steering/clutching as that machine will pendulum and that heavy blade end will be pointed down the hill oh so quick, or, if the track "catches" it will probably flip you.
So much better to go down the hill with the heavy end down.
And note so much more the situation with no rippers.
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Verify all the above by talking to a fire break operator who goes down slopes that cant be seen how steep they are, always done blade first.
*
I tend to copy what they have taught me.
I hope for my sake that I am correct!

JimBruce42 said:

I have seen a photo a few years ago of 5 or 6 D8's "tied" together and they were all tied to a 330 or 345 that was digging on a slope, so it is quite possible that they are backing down to another machine to act as the "anchors".

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Exactly....

Here's a pretty good example https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?15027-How-would-you-get-it-up-there

I think the video makes it look steeper than it actually is. Those guys on the dozers probably have me up and down that hill a few times. There in no way i would go over the side of a slope that i havent been down before backwards

You have to live and work in the hills to understand it, around here it's just another day in the park. One thing no one mentioned was that it is easier to stay in the seat backing down....

When I have a choice or it's an extremely steep slope--always will opt for blade facing downhill with my seat belt strapped.

There going that way so they can see better. It's to avoid the dust.