Section for komatsu d20,21 and similar grey market dozers

[RRRancher]

Cav, thanks for the info on the actuators. I didn't know those things were so expensive. They are proud of them. And I would be careful mounting a box blade behind the dozer. I don't know if it can handle the added stress that the dozer can apply to it if it gets hung on something solid. I broke the arm that attaches my three point to the box blade with my tractor just from pushing and pulling repetitively. That was before I had a welding setup so I took it to a welder near here and he welded it back together and added another piece beside it that doubled the thickness of the arms. I think I would rip the box off the arms before it will ever break again.

I used the blade on my dozer to pull a concreted 2-3/8 inch post out of the ground that was about 18 inches deep in hard clay. I've also pulled up T-posts with it that I couldn't even rock loose by hand. It seems to have quite a bit of lifting force. I have to wonder if forks would do much good on the blade for exactly the same reasons as cattracks said. The angle would be quite different from full up to full down, and these dozers already seem a bit front-heavy to me. Too bad it's not an 8-way blade on them. Then you could angle it up or down.

On the rippers, I have thought about building a couple of attachments that somehow attach to the blade and protrude below it about 6 or 8 inches to be used as rippers in the forward direction only. I've not come up with a design yet, as I have been to busy to worry about it now, but I think it can be done fairly easily. They would have to be removed, or somehow raised to do normal blade work, but if you just wanted to rip a bunch at one time, they should do the trick.

 

[DwayneC]

backup rippers

something like this RRRancher?

http://www.vailproducts.com/backup_rippers.htm

 

[RRRancher]

Oh wow. What a great idea. You would have to tie them up somehow to allow you to use the blade for smoothing in reverse. But that is a minor thing. I just have to wonder if the metal pieces that the blade is welded to (see picture) would be strong enough to mount them to. Not sure how much they could take. Will have to think about this when the time comes. Thanks a lot, DwayneC.

 

[cavalier]

I acquired a root-rake . It has 10 - 3/4" x 17" tines . I chained it to the blade with come-alongs , just to try it out ... The soil here is sandy clay , clear of rocks and roots . If I try to push the rake through more than around 4" of depth , it will just spin the rubber tracks . Too much friction , I guess ... I think you could add another cylinder , if you want to tilt the blade . Mine has a link-bar at the top of the blade , that could be swapped for a cylinder . Tapping into the hydraulics and adding another lever could be troublesome , but I've seen images of D20/21's that have it . The other pivot points have rubber bushings , I guess that could allow the tilt changes .

 

[RRRancher]

Ten tines seems like a lot for these little dozers. I was thinking of only having a couple to just bust up some iron ore slabs into something I can get the blade under and break up further with it. You could also bust up clay with them too. It would just take a few more passes. But that's not a problem for me. I've found that patience is almost mandatory with this series dozer, as it just doesn't have the power to plow through stuff quickly.

I'm not sure that you could tilt the blade up or down, Cav. I think if you replaced the rod labeled 1 with a cylinder, it would stress the two couplings labeled 2 in the picture below. And like you said, adding another cylinder and hoses and valves and lever would be a major job. Maybe a cylinder that tilts the forks alone might be doable, but then you still need all the rigging to make it work.



If you have a front end loader on your tractor, there are fork attachments for them that are out there, although I have no idea if they are any good or not. I found a deal some guy made that I want to do on my FEL to pick up limbs and trash without all the dirt. I have pictures somewhere, if I can find them. It was the best design I have seen yet.

It had a V-shaped piece that slips over and under the blade of the loader, then two flat bars attached to that that go under the bucket for support. From those bars there were pieces of chain welded on that went up behind the bucket and were welded onto the end of a threaded rod. There was a plate welded onto the back of the bucket with another piece welded to it that the threaded rod went through, with a nut on each side so the threaded rod could be adjusted to take up the slack in the chain and keep the V-shaped piece pulled tight over the blade so it couldn't be pulled off. The V-shaped piece had several tines welded to it that stick straight out in front of the bucket. They can be slid under trash or limbs to pick them up without the dirt, then dumped where needed. To remove it, you just remove the top nut from each side and slide the threaded bolt out and the V-shaped piece would come off the FEL blade. I really like this design because no holes are needed in the bucket itself, and the pieces welded to the back of the bucket were large enough to not put a lot of stress on the bucket's sheet metal. I would not use it to pick up several hundred pounds at a time, but it looked like it would be very handy to clean up messes, which I have many of on my 50 acre tree farm that was clear cut several years ago.

Wow, I got a bit off the subject of this forum there. Sorry. I'll try to find the pictures and post them though.

 

[RRRancher]

Well, I was a little off on my description. I must have been thinking about something else I've seen and got it mixed up with this. First, it's not really a V-shape, but it does go above and below the blade, and the full length of it, so it doesn't apply all the pressure at one or two points like those clamp on kind. And the tines all go under the bucket for support. And there is no plate on the back of the bucket, although that would probably add more strength to it. And last, there is only one nut on each bolt, although I would probably have another one below the bracket that is set so you know when you have it tightened just enough. Anyway, here are the two pictures. And I promise, no more tractor-related posts in this topic.

 

[cattracks]

something like this RRRancher?

http://www.vailproducts.com/backup_rippers.htm

Wow, what a novel idea. I wonder how much stuff I could hook because I didn't raise the blade high enough when backing up. lol That and...I'd hate for somebody to think I was back dragging to get it smooth.

 

[cattracks]

Ten tines seems like a lot for these little dozers. I was thinking of only having a couple to just bust up some iron ore slabs into something I can get the blade under and break up further with it. You could also bust up clay with them too. It would just take a few more passes. But that's not a problem for me. I've found that patience is almost mandatory with this series dozer, as it just doesn't have the power to plow through stuff quickly.

I'm not sure that you could tilt the blade up or down, Cav. I think if you replaced the rod labeled 1 with a cylinder, it would stress the two couplings labeled 2 in the picture below. And like you said, adding another cylinder and hoses and valves and lever would be a major job. Maybe a cylinder that tilts the forks alone might be doable, but then you still need all the rigging to make it work.

View attachment 120203

If you have a front end loader on your tractor, there are fork attachments for them that are out there, although I have no idea if they are any good or not. I found a deal some guy made that I want to do on my FEL to pick up limbs and trash without all the dirt. I have pictures somewhere, if I can find them. It was the best design I have seen yet.

It had a V-shaped piece that slips over and under the blade of the loader, then two flat bars attached to that that go under the bucket for support. From those bars there were pieces of chain welded on that went up behind the bucket and were welded onto the end of a threaded rod. There was a plate welded onto the back of the bucket with another piece welded to it that the threaded rod went through, with a nut on each side so the threaded rod could be adjusted to take up the slack in the chain and keep the V-shaped piece pulled tight over the blade so it couldn't be pulled off. The V-shaped piece had several tines welded to it that stick straight out in front of the bucket. They can be slid under trash or limbs to pick them up without the dirt, then dumped where needed. To remove it, you just remove the top nut from each side and slide the threaded bolt out and the V-shaped piece would come off the FEL blade. I really like this design because no holes are needed in the bucket itself, and the pieces welded to the back of the bucket were large enough to not put a lot of stress on the bucket's sheet metal. I would not use it to pick up several hundred pounds at a time, but it looked like it would be very handy to clean up messes, which I have many of on my 50 acre tree farm that was clear cut several years ago.

Wow, I got a bit off the subject of this forum there. Sorry. I'll try to find the pictures and post them though.

I wish I had your rails and pads!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RR, do you have any guides (inner and outer)to keep the rails in line with the roller and sprocket? Not really needed unless you're on a side hill, cutting a ditch or cleaning up a side slope.

 

[DwayneC]

Finally got some work done in the yard, fell some trees and dug up the roots, next is the mound the dozer is sitting on, take down the 5 large poplar trees and move all the material to elsewhere in the yard... sure wish i had a root rake and a ripper!

 

[cavalier]

Nice dozer .

 

[DwayneC]

thanks, its a D21p-5 that i just put new 12" pads on a few weeks ago, best part about it is the 4" chrome stack i put on!

 

[cattracks]

View attachment 120326

thanks, its a D21p-5 that i just put new 12" pads on a few weeks ago, best part about it is the 4" chrome stack i put on!

May I ask...? The cost of rails and pads or, did you just replace the pads?

I worry a bit about those hoses on the outside of the push-tubes...

 

[DwayneC]

yeah the hoses, i need to fix that...

i paid just over 900 for the pads then another 250 i think for the bolts and nuts, i got them for cost when i was working for a komatsu dealer...

 

[cattracks]

I posted a pic of a brush rake that I built last year. Take a look and give me your 2 cents!!!

 

[cattracks]

And that's BC prices? Sounds like a smokin deal to me!! Well done. I was quoted a 4,000+ for rails and pads out of a company in Spokane (just a bit south of you). I'm still trying to find a set of Reman or even used with pins turned for mine.

especially in the brush it wouldn't take much to jill-poke one of those lines.

Like the cage dude and yes Sir...love the stack!!!!

 

[RRRancher]

Nice looking dozer, DwayneC. I like the cab cover, and the chrome stack for sure. And I agree about the hose sticking out there. Get a little too close to a limb or something and next thing you know, you'll be spraying oil all over the place. Know how I know?

Cattracks, I'm not sure exactly what you're asking about. I'm not very educated on the tracks on these things. Mine were all replaced before it left Japan and I haven't had to do anything other than adjust the slack a couple of times. Here are some better pictures of them that may answer your question.

 

[cattracks]

You dawg... You have the shorter ones front and rear...Just out from your sprocket and same, same out from the roller. Sweet. My book shows that type and the full-length ones. I couldn't find any here so, yep, I built mine. Problem, problem, I don't think I was supposed to use them with rubber tracks and started popping drive links off those weathered tracks like bubble wrap. )*(&^^%*^. I wanted REAL steel tracks anyway but, the timing wasn't good.
If you get on a side hill i.e. cutting a ditch or a back slope, they have a tendency to **** out and roll off the sprocket or roller. It's a bitch getting rubber tracks back on!!! Ask me how I know???

Could you...would you, measure up from the inside of the pad (on the ground) to the bottom of your alignment brackets? Sorry, I don't know the technical term for that part!!!

Good looking Cat for sure!!!

 

[RRRancher]

Is the measurement you are wanting?

 

[cattracks]

Yes Sir,
After thinking about it it's not as critical as I first thought because my cross links are embedded into the track itself however, I'd love to now as, I'm seeking (and will procure) a set of real rails and shoes.
Thanks for your time Mrrrrrancher.

I don't have a hole threaded in the back of the rail like yours...I wonder if that was an extra, Hmmm Thanks again Sir!!!

 

[RRRancher]

Glad to help any way I can, cattracks. I will be out there tomorrow and, if I have the time, and can remember, I will take some better pictures of the tracks and post them for you. These were taken from several feet away from the dozer and the zooming effect from the cropping made them a bit fuzzy. I'll get some good close-ups.