The Ultimate Small Dozer

[RonG]

Too bad I did not see this post when it was started but the answers would be the same.I will concede to the post about the D8H but although the balance of it is just about perfect,you could piroutte on top of a pile of rocks with it and it would be completely comfortable there it is a little larger than Steve was looking for I think)
I would have to pick the smaller John Deeres in the small dozer categories and I have had the opportunities over the years to sample the competition which is probably no surprise to those that follow my posts.I don't think that I have ever wished for more power in any of them as just about any of them will spin the tracks in the right gear.The P/W ratio seems just about right as far as I am concerned.
About the only thing they could have done to "improve" their dozers would be to add a "live" undercarriage as another poster mentioned but that would add to the cost of production in what is probably a very competitive market since the the bean counters and not the operators purchase the machines.Ron G

 

[Tinkerer]

Any LGP dozer will allow you to operate in soft and wet conditions where the narrow pads just won't. I have spent a lot of time in wet ditches and a narrow tracked dozer would have never allowed me to get the production that the wide pads would. In regards to undercarriage wear ; an LGP will have accelerated wear but the amount or severity compared to a narrow padded machine would be determined on what kind of conditions the machine was run in. Material with a lot of large rocks or broken concrete is detrimental to getting a lot of hours on the undercarriage.

 

[OMB]

Owned and ran a Case 450B for years... it was OK. have had a 850C for years, it's OK too but I would like it better if it had very narrow shoes because even with standard shoes it is planted so well it turns hard.

Was a fill-in operator for another contractor that had a old Deere 450C, WOW could that old machine push! He traded it for a brand new 450H, very maneuverable- great for grading around a lot of trees and structures- but a DOG when it came to flat out pushing, very disappointing for work that involves more than 1/2 a blade full. I like Deere machines for their hydraulics- fast, precise and strong.

Ran a D6MXL for about 30 hrs., primarily grading around foundations, OK machine but did NOT like the fingertip steering- had my first arthritis flareup in my left fingers with those controls. Ran a D4 late model with the wider shoes (not LGP) on slopes for a day, it was the most stable dozer I have run by far.

 

[RonG]

I worked for a contractor that had a couple of high track D5s in his fleet,one was an XL with that fingertip steering and the other just the conventional steering that you would expect.I would take that one any day over the fingertip model.They did say that the XL weighed a little more.They were both great dozers.Ron G

 

[PNECAT]

I've had a Deere 350b, Deere 450E Caterpillar D3B and know a caterpillar D5k XL. They all had there pros and cons for sure. Caterpillar and Deere are hard to beat for reliability and resale jmo. I'm very happy with my 100 HP D5k.

 

[lg junior]

It does'nt look like anyone has mentioned the G model John Deeres. Thought JD had a good idea when they used the same transmission in all the G models, 450,550 and 650.
Their winch was also a huge improvement over the old winches. I have owned the older 450 and 550 models, they were ok but I wouldn't go back. It is sad that they no longer
build the G model especially when I've heard some not too flattering things about the H and J models. Not a fan of the direct drive models but I know people who have them
and are quite happy with them.

 

[CARMAN52]

D4H LGP II
3304 Engine w/ Powershift Transmission
Full armour
6-Way Blade
Side & Rear Screens
Limb Risers
12-Hella Ultra Beam Lights
5-Slot Ripper
Brush Blade Attachment
125 HP
Oversized Transmission Cooler
Full Face Respirator for those dusty days fighting fire.

 

[Dozer Jomer]

D5 K2 LGP gps ready is the sweetest small dozer right now for finishing dirt an aggregate and making cuts of less than 4'. Anybody asking for auto level just can't run a dozer well. The LGP tracks keep the machine nibble on its feet without destroying everything it runs over and will help on the wet days. It is fast and not very noisy with a very good line of sight to the blade. It is still solid frame or no floating/pivoting tracks so you can feel and predict what the machine is doing so you make a fine grade. It has enough power to spread 1500-2000 ton of gravel a day and not let you get behind and to keep the tracks turning when making a cut. The only thing I would change on the D5 K2 LGP is make the blade control manual instead of electric over hydraulic. This post may ruffle some feathers here but I'm interested in seeing what others think of what I have said.

 

[CARMAN52]

The Ultimate small dozer....one that runs

D4H LGP II
3304 Engine w/ Powershift Transmission
Full armour
6-Way Blade
Side & Rear Screens
Limb Risers
12-Hella Ultra Beam Lights
5-Slot Ripper
Brush Blade Attachment
125 HP
Oversized Transmission Cooler
Full Face Respirator for those dusty days fighting fire.[The ultimate small dozer is one that doesn't throw a rod]

 

[Dozer Jomer]

I'm new to this forum and I haven't read the back log of posts on this thread so I'm sorry for saying that any H series cat dozer and the word ultimate should not be used in the same paragraph. I have never fought a fire with a dozer so I won't pick on the antique d4h configuration that you mention. Those dozers are obsolete and are that way for a reason. I would assume that the reason you would pick that machine for fighting a fire is that if it gets burned up it is still worth what it was before the fire.... SCRAP price.

 

[Dozer Jomer]

For the record, I have spent around 500 hours on a D4h and it screwed up my opinion of caterpillar equipment for a decade because it was such a pig. Furthermore if I were to fight a fire with a machine it would hands down no questions asked be a 963b or newer series crawler loader.

 

[CARMAN52]

Dozer Jomer, can't say I disagree.

For the record, I have spent around 500 hours on a D4h and it screwed up my opinion of caterpillar equipment for a decade because it was such a pig. Furthermore if I were to fight a fire with a machine it would hands down no questions asked be a 963b or newer series crawler loader.[/QUOTE

2014 proving to be the worst wild fire year in a century for Washington state. My home was saved by my D4H while 40+ firefighters and 14 trucks stood by and could not. I cut line for 6 hrs. in conditions so bad I couldn't see the blade the whole time. The fire advanced to within 40 feet of my home and finally I was left with no choice but to blade straight through the fire to stop it. The ultimate small dozer is the one that comes through. While it did it's job that dump of an engine, a 3204 to which many Cat techs agree, they have their problems. Next for the D4H is the tranny, common to go between 6-7K hrs. I'll salvage what I can in a broken block sell it and look for a Cat D6D or Komatsu D65.

 

[Dozer Jomer]

I spent around 5500 hours on a 650G in the late 90's early 2000's and was quite fond of those machines. What I am not fond of is how my knees feel from pushing the foot steer pedles and bracing myself from the very harsh shifting direct drive transmission . The H series John Deere's were very nice however blade articulation was not as good as on the G series but was made up for by the addition of counterrotating tracks. A few more horsepower and a sharper angling blade on the 650 H would be very hard to be by any dozer

 

[rockbottom]

dresser td7h is a great little machine

 

[HDSlowride]

Completely new here. I looked for a thread where we introduce ourselves but didn't see one. It will take me some time to look around and get familiar with the site.

I am a former precision machinist who went back to school and have worked as a manufacturing engineer (General Dynamics) in the aerospace/defense industry for over 30 years. I am on my last week at my job and am going to retire next Thursday on the 31st. So I wanted something to do in retirement, because I like being outside and in the woods is better. I bought a 2004 model John Deere 450H LT to have for a hobby. My son just bought 20 acres of neglected, wooded land to homestead on so I should get plenty of practice working on that place. I have been doing some cleanup and small tree clearing with my JD farm tractor with front end bucket but ran out of horsepower and traction. I will be doing some limited transport of the dozer between my farm and his place, about 31 miles one way. I bought a Big Tex GD25-28+5MR that I will modify with some rough cut oak boards placed on the ramps for traction and will pull it with my F350 dually powerstroke.

So, I am here to listen, read and learn because I am ignorant to dozer work. Familiar with tractors but not tracks. Bear with me as I hope to ask the occasional newbie question and learn from those with experience. Thanks

 

[RonG]

I spent around 5500 hours on a 650G in the late 90's early 2000's and was quite fond of those machines. What I am not fond of is how my knees feel from pushing the foot steer pedles and bracing myself from the very harsh shifting direct drive transmission . The H series John Deere's were very nice however blade articulation was not as good as on the G series but was made up for by the addition of counterrotating tracks. A few more horsepower and a sharper angling blade on the 650 H would be very hard to be by any dozer

I have a lot of hours (years) on 650Gs,we had two of them and they were not the same either but neither one was foot steer but they were fantastic little dozers and superb for fine grading for road base as well as spreading top soil etc.I would buy one new today,in fact I liked them better than the "H" models.
They were surprising in fact for the brute power they had for bulk pushing,they could really hook up and seemed to have a good P/W ratio but all John Deeres hook up well if the growsers are not worn down too much.Ron G

 

[DIG IT]

I would also have to go with a Dresser TD7H, We have had one for over 20 years, and work the snot out of it daily. I will miss it when it dies.

 

[timdozer]

The Ultimate samell dozer would have......

The one thing I don't like the most on any dozer is, no were to put your lunch bag! It slips down behined the seat and then you can't put it out, then it gets chushed if the seat is worn! How hard is it for Cat, Komatsu and the others to make a flat spot with a net along the font?

 

[gray94vacuum]

PTO and three point hitch.
https://www.exptools4u.com

 

[Mack4255]

I would love to see a dozer made of that has a lot less computers and wires that on them now. I know it's all nice and fancy when it's new. When they get a few years old I think you suppose to just get rid of it and buy new again. That's hard to do for us small business .