best/smallest dozer to pull trucks in/out??

[td25c]

The best winch box I've seen is the trebron (old Iowa boy- yes.........)

Built out of a holmes

That's a nice unit !

We built a red neck version of it . They pull pretty good pound for pound .
https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/threads/skidloader-winch.11643/

 

[TrackShovel]

If you do decide to go the Deere with a winch route; on the Deere's that I've ran (450-850 g/h/j specifically 700J) you can't winch in and travel forward at the same time like you can in the D6's and up, when you winch in your tracks stop. This was very frustrating during rig moves working with truck pushes who think the dummy running the dozer cant do two things at once when it was you being limited by the dozer.

 

[Birken Vogt]

Not 2 hours out in the bush. Plus 2-3 hour haul from the closest rock quarrie. As soon as you get a week of dry weather this mud drys right out. But when it's wet you sink pritty good. The oil company's need these trucks getting in and out. So if they say get the truck in you get it in. No matter how big of a cat you need to drag it.

How much damage and muck is done to the trucks and who pays for that?

 

[Bls repair]

Had a forman tell me to drive a drill rig on a crane carrier through a mud pit.Itold him I would get stuck. He said I’m the boss you do as I tell you,said ok. Backed the rig up about 200 feet and let her rip ,when I stopped the floor of the cab was level with the ground . He told me to get a cable and crawl in the mud and hook it . I told him FU you got me stuck you hook the cable up,got a D8and pulled me out.
Morale of the story is you don’t have to be smart to be the boss.

 

[td25c]

How much damage and muck is done to the trucks and who pays for that?

I'm guessing tax payers flip the bill for it ? .........

 

[redneckracin]

All part of doing business in the gas patch, I'm surprised they don't use mud boats like back in the day! The company I worked for started FDR-ing locations to cut down in our stone use. Man that stuff was great! You would get a skiff of mud on your boots but it was never deep.

 

[Backcountrybackhoe]

How much damage and muck is done to the trucks and who pays for that?

Usually not much damage. Some times alot. I have heard of trucks whole front ends getting ripped out. Frame and engine and all . But the guy in the dozer should know how hard he's pulling too. My understanding is the oil company's pay the truck contractors repair bill in those scenarios

 

[TimT]

I think you could call me an expert on trucks and oil/gas field work. I worked nine years in the Gas Patch in western NY, PA, and Ohio. Water trucks were always emptying brine tanks at producing wells, rig moves, frac and cement jobs, wireline trucks, power tong trucks...etc..etc..
We had over 30 IH dozers from TD-8's to TD-20's. For water truck support, 95% of the time a TD-8 with a winch hauled on a tandem tilt bed would be the main tow tractor. An old 450 JD weighs about 8 tons and with a winch and good track pads will handle almost everything you need. If the loaded truck stops when starting to get in trouble, no problem for that size dozer. If its bad, we would get a TD-15 or another TD-8 to come help out. On rig moves with very heavy loads, we would use at least two 15's or even a 20 or two. Our access roads were always built bare minimum and trucks put through hell at all times. I have a 450C and that machine will relay pull. If you have oilfield bumpers on the trucks, well thats even better, because you can push, pull, spin them around in slick ground with the blade, etc. We only winched them if we could not push them through slick spots.

 

[pp13bnos]

Years ago, my then boss, told me to dump a tanker load of product on this wet field. It was fine until I hit a soft spot, and sunk it down to the front axle, and drivers about 6", before I even knew it. So I fired up my D3 LGP, and the boss man int the truck. I was surprised that it barely even grunted and pulled the empty truck and trailer right out. I don't think I would want to pull a D3 behind a 3/4 ton pickup though, but thats me.

 

[Coastal]

I literally just pulled out the city tandem plow with my deere 450e, he backed into the snow and got buried in a ditch, Winched him out effortlessly.

 

[td25c]

JD 450C dozers with rear winch were very common with loggers in my area .

Skid logs , cut roads & pull trucks out . Dozer with allot of punch for the pound .

 

[epirbalex]

I operate a water well business in FL and was wondering what might be the best and smallest dozer to assist with getting trucks into and out of properties when its wet/muddy. My heaviest truck is roughly 45k lbs loaded. It would need to be something that I could pull with my 3/4 ton pickup. This company has managed fine for 30yrs without one, but my mind wonders when I can't work. Any help or opinions would be greatly appreciated.

Have you thought of fitting a winch onto the truck , demountable so it can be used both ends of the truck . Either electric or hydraulic , some of the big electric are pretty good with remote controls .