Dozer Blade for 299 or something else??

[SNOW JW]

Have our brand new 299 tracked machine so far we love it added weights to the back seems to have allot of push. So would like something to do final grades around houses a D3 is nice but it's hard unloading loading fast without damage to curb black top ect without using tires & being careful.

So my question we do allot of berms with odd shapes sizes contours ect & I push allot of truckloads of road mix top soil & yes I would like to do some cutting as well. So should I get a blade if so what brand?? If not what should I look at?? Done some searching on here & it seems like mixed reviews.

Any help would be great.

 

[Tags]

I had a blade on a 287B years ago, think I used it twice. The problem is if you're used to running a dozer, the operation of the blade is different on the CTL. I think, and I'm sure I could be wrong, you are supposed to run it with the loader arms down on the stops and use the bucket tilt to adjust your grade. Hard to adjust your operating style to that after you are used to running with the bucket to grade with. I have a friend who has a tilt-tach on a 240 Tak, he is not easy on equipment, and he hasn't broken it yet and loves it. Maybe look into something like that and you'll be able to grade and cary material at the same time, just a thought...

 

[Jfarris]

Tilt attach & 4 in 1. Best combo you could ever have. Forget about the Dozer blade.

 

[PDG X]

Have a Cat 96" blade on a 289, as well as a D3. The 289 is much quicker and much more nimble when working around. buildings and obstacles, but you can spin the tracks if you overload the blade, since there is no grouser on the pads. The CTL blade is approx 1/2 the height of the D3, and yes you should blade with the loader arms parked, but you can lift for stacking - which is beneficial. With more of our work coming in smaller jobs, the 289/blade is quickly replacing the D3.
Although the D3 is still beneficial for larger areas and bank material, or if you need to carry lots of material farther.

 

[JBGASH]

I prefer a tooth bucket instead of the blade. Anything dirt wise that a blade will do can easily be done with the bucket on a skidloader. JMO

 

[KSSS]

I prefer a tooth bucket instead of the blade. Anything dirt wise that a blade will do can easily be done with the bucket on a skidloader. JMO

I agree, those dozer blades have a very limited use in my view. If you were backfilling a lot of shallow trench I can see where it might have value, but as a substitute for a D-3 sized dozer, you don't hear a lot of guys having success with that.

 

[pafarmer]

Buy a 4 in 1 bucket ...the best of all worlds in one attachment....We dozer with our 299 XHP but we are running steel tracks with deep grousers ....the 299 XHP CTL can keep up to a D3 with little effort and in most cases out perform it if operated in the tight hands...we run the CAT 4 in 1 buckets on all of our 299XHP and 289 D machines. A dozer blade is a waste of money IMHO....ask just about anyone that has owned one...

 

[dirtmonkey]

I agree with the rest. 4n1 bucket with teeth is the way to go. You'll be surprised. Dozer blade is an out of balance POS. just my opinion of course.
PS , it's been my experience that it's easier to build landscape/decorative berms with a narrower tractor than it is with something in the 8 foot class machine. If you riding the berms it tends to make long slopes. I use my CTL 60 with a 66" bucket for berms. The bucket is basically the same width of the machine , which in my opinion make it easier to slope with. I like my track in the same "groove " as the bucket corner. With bigger buckets, some are wider than the tracks and in my opinion it's harder to transition the bottom of the berm slope to flat ground when the bucket gets there befor the tracks. I'm talking lateral with the slope.
Sorry if this is " rambling ". I've had a TON of coffee :dizzy

 

[dirtmonkey]

Another side note . The last time I ran a CAT with the torsion bar suspension and a dozer blade , I was ready to burn it to the ground. The SPRINGY front end drove me nuts!! I'm sure some have mastered it , but it's not for me !:bash:deadhorse:duh:guns