is backdragging really bad for your dozer?

[BradyHill1]

I posted a video of me grading a pad and I like to drag over them when I get done to make it smooth and look good in my opinion...but on to what this is about, everyone says that backdragging is so bad on the machine, "it's worse than running in 3rd gear all the time" I have not heard one thing that it actually hurts to backdrag other than the fact that the old timers used to give one another hell if they ever were "sharpening the blade"

 

[CM1995]

Take a look at this thread -

https://www.heavyequipmentforums.com/showthread.php?8099-Who-Backdrags&highlight=dragging

The topic of back-dragging was throughly discussed, argued, tore-apart, etc..

 

[vapor300]

I always thought if you have to back drag to make it look good you shoudnt be on it. But thats just my opinion

 

[hvy 1ton]

I always thought if you have to back drag to make it look good you shoudnt be on it. But thats just my opinion

How do you get rid of grouser marks? Grouser marks fill up with water when it rains and can make a real mess of a final grade.

 

[vapor300]

Ive never seen anyone complain about the grouser marks left on finish grade my a D6, and if it is something that has to be slicked off we would have a motorgrader do it. But if you didnt have one there you would have to back drag, but if you are back draggin and you dont have to, dont be surprised if alot of ppl laugh at you.

I like to show off my work when i cut grade on a dozer, and i feel that back draggin is cheating, anyone can but a blade in float and drive backwards and make it look good.

 

[BradyHill1]

Ive never seen anyone complain about the grouser marks left on finish grade my a D6, and if it is something that has to be slicked off we would have a motorgrader do it. But if you didnt have one there you would have to back drag, but if you are back draggin and you dont have to, dont be surprised if alot of ppl laugh at you.

I like to show off my work when i cut grade on a dozer, and i feel that back draggin is cheating, anyone can but a blade in float and drive backwards and make it look good.

if you grade with a laser and float your blade, you've messed up before you get started

 

[580bruce]

Whe I backblade,my blade is not in float too often.If you dont backblade when you finnish around a house,you wont finnish many houses.

 

[Komatsu 150]

Whe I backblade,my blade is not in float too often.If you dont backblade when you finnish around a house,you wont finnish many houses.

I have to agree. The whole float thing is talked up to much. Even experienced operators who claim to use float actually don't use it much if you watch them work. After all in float - well it floats! When you're finish grading your trying to make it better, not just follow the ground and make it look pretty.

 

[digger242j]

Anybody want to take a shot at the original question, which was, is it any harder on the machine?

 

[stinkycat]

With the old cable controls you were always in float, the angle set on the blade is what made the bite.

 

[jrtraderny]

Anybody want to take a shot at the original question, which was, is it any harder on the machine?

At slow speeds it's not.
But high speed reverse is terrible on track and sprocket wear.
Not to mention what you could back into.

jr

 

[vapor300]

We dont use lazers, we use Topcon GPS

 

[JeremiahSr]

the worse machines to use that way is the john deere dozers. 450,550,650,700etc....H's and J's. the pivot ball is shimmed to the pivot ball socket on the blade. when back dragging you are constantly pulling on these bolts. with a little wear, or alot, the pivot ball bangs around in there and loosens the bolts, usually breaks them. i've seen this a whole lot! i call it job security. Haha.

 

[WV earth mover]

i never worried about it and have never had any problems because of it although i have seen 2 komatsu dozers break the ball socket off both times they were backblading

 

[vapor300]

So its safe to say that if its a 6 way blade, dont back drag!

 

[WV earth mover]

after 8 years of it on the same dozer with no problems ill keep doing it but i can only speak for cat dozers

 

[BradyHill1]

i'd say that u/c wear is lower on a high track in reverse than a conventional since the rails are working off the sprocket and against an idler in either direction, maybe a conventional would wear quicker since it "wads" the the slack in the rails under the machine

 

[Dozerboy]

the worse machines to use that way is the john deere dozers. 450,550,650,700etc....H's and J's. the pivot ball is shimmed to the pivot ball socket on the blade. when back dragging you are constantly pulling on these bolts. with a little wear, or alot, the pivot ball bangs around in there and loosens the bolts, usually breaks them. i've seen this a whole lot! i call it job security. Haha.

Good information didn't know that

Just to add to that a little Jeremiah shop isn't far from me. Back dragging is VERY common here and is widely done more then any other region I have worked in. To the point of being absurd.

 

[GCC]

I've yet to have a problem with back blading on a D3C. The only thing is can be a pain to remove the bolts to flip the cutting edge but you can all ways buy different hardware and as far as the wear on the bottom back side its not that bad but I guess it depends on what your blading right.

 

[BradyHill1]

I've yet to have a problem with back blading on a D3C. The only thing is can be a pain to remove the bolts to flip the cutting edge but you can all ways buy different hardware and as far as the wear on the bottom back side its not that bad but I guess it depends on what your blading right.

good point, slag or rock would put more wear on the backside of the blade than dirt would:Banghead