Many parts of a dozer can become damaged after long hours of heavy use on various job sites. Apart from regular maintenance, there are some elements to remember to help you keep your bulldozer in top shape and prevent unexpected malfunctions and breakdowns. Here are 10 tips for dozer maintenance:
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1. Perform Regular Service
Performing regular checkups is one of the best dozer maintenance tips. Inspecting your machine every day may feel a bit tedious, but it's necessary to maintain optimal performance and condition for your dozer. Your dozer's servicing needs will depend on how often you use it, how well you maintain it and the conditions you keep it in.
For example, if you often neglect regular cleaning processes, fail to change the oil and other fluids at regular intervals, ignore built-up rust or constantly keep your dozer in harsh or wet conditions, it may take longer to get it serviced.
This issue can put you behind schedule, which is why regular service is so important. In addition to extending the lifespan of your dozer, daily and frequent maintenance will also help with increased operational and engine safety when in use. Always uphold safe practices when inspecting or servicing your machine on your own, and contact your dealer if you're unsure how to proceed.
2. Prevent the Chains From Rusting
Every part of the dozer is integral to operational efficiency, including the bolts and chains. These components generate the smooth movement of your dozer's wheels when performing jobs that require moving debris or clearing land. It's critical that these parts remain free of rust, or it may become difficult for your dozer to move efficiently.
Check the bolts and chains for excessive damage at regular intervals. This can help you keep maintenance and service scheduling in mind so it doesn't interfere with your projects or take up too much time to get replacements from your dealer.
3. Inspect the Undercarriage
As with automobiles, neglecting dozer undercarriage maintenance for long periods can have consequences. The dozer's undercarriage has the most contact with the earth while moving heavy loads, so it will become dirty quickly. When you clean your dozer, inspect and clean the undercarriage because debris can accumulate over time and interfere with necessary components &#; leading to mechanical issues over time.
Some areas of the undercarriage you must check for built-up debris or signs of wear include:
- Idlers
- Links
- Carrier roller
- Roller flanges
- Bottom rollers
- Track alignment
- Trackpads
- Tension spring
- Sprocket teeth
While it's normal for the undercarriage to be dirty on the surface level, it shouldn't have excessive damage or dust.
4. Check Your Engine Oil
The dozer's oil is important for preventing rust accumulation and reducing friction between moving parts. You must check the engine oil daily to confirm that it's clean and free from debris contamination &#; otherwise, you'll need to flush it out or replace it.
Staying on top of these oil checks is important to ensure machine oil levels are always in the safe operating range. You also need to verify that you're using the right type of engine oil. If you're unsure about any of these factors, follow the specifications from the manufacturer.
5. Remember Grease Application
In addition to engine oil, your dozer also needs frequent grease application to assist all moving parts and prevent rust from interfering with its operation. The areas you need to grease depend on the size and type of dozer you have, but the primary areas usually include:
- Pins
- Hinges
- U-joints
- Bearings
- Linkages
Every area of your dozer that requires a grease application will need a different amount, depending on the size of the area. While some spots may only need two or three shots of grease, others may need 20. Always ensure you're using the right type of grease for your equipment. Once you're done greasing all the necessary components, wipe and clean any excess grease before using your dozer.
6. Consult the Owners Manual
When using any type of heavy machinery, it's imperative to frequently refer to your owners manual and instruction guide to double-check your maintenance processes. You can also determine your dozer's maintenance schedule according to the manual, which will provide details about regular servicing needs and how to solve common problems.
When it comes to pushing around dirt, the bulldozer&#;or dozer&#;is your machine.
Besides being a master of the dirt pile, the dozer can grade, slope, push, backfill, and clear land with sheer horsepower and delicate precision. This means it's one of the core pieces of equipment in a contractor's fleet.
The dozer also has roles in other industries, including mining, quarries, waste management, and landscaping.
Engine-powered dozers started making their way onto job sites in the s and saw duty in World War II, even giving an assist during D-Day by clearing beaches and filling bomb craters.
Machine technology has advanced through the years, and today's machines feature a host of features that help operators maximize productivity, monitor machine health, and maintain precise grades.
What are the parts of a bulldozer?
Caterpillar sometimes calls these machines "track-type tractors," which gives you an idea about what they look like:
The tractor is where the drive train and cab are located&#;the center of what powers the machine. This is basically the entire machine as you see it.
The track, also called an undercarriage, provides the traction and stability needed to power through all the jobs on a dozer's to-do list. While most dozer tracks are made of steel, some smaller dozers also use rubber tracks, which are kinder to sensitive areas and asphalt and concrete.
Push arms connect the blade to the track frame, and pitch arms run diagonally between the blade and pitch arms to control blade tilt and push and provide a brace for the push arms.
Finally, there's the blade or the business-end of the dozer. It can be positioned in a variety of ways and comes in several shapes and sizes, all designed to get the most out of whatever job is at hand.
A dozer can also come with a ripper, positioned on the back of the machine. It does just that: it rips through the ground behind it to allow for easier removal by the blade on the dozer's next pass. Rippers come in two basic types: single or multi shank.
What does a dozer do?
While the dozer's basic job is pushing dirt, that's just the beginning of its skillset.
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Depending on its size, dozers can muscle their way through brush, trees, and debris. They can spread materials, fine grade, contour the land, and create slopes and berms. They can even move piles of trash.
Dozers can also be used to provide extra pushing power behind a single-engine scraper.
One of the reasons the dozer is so versatile is the front blade, which can be easily swapped with a variety of blade shapes to address different jobs. Common blade types include S-blade, U-blade, S-U blade, angle blade, and the Power-Angle-Tilt (shortened to PAT) blade.
Types of bulldozers
Crawler dozers (those on tracks) are the most common machine on jobsites. With the tracks keeping these heavy machines from sinking, crawler dozers work great in the muck and mire and rough terrain of a typical jobsite.
There are also wheeled dozers, which use four heavy-duty tires instead of tracks to quickly maneuver the machine on flat surfaces; they shine in road maintenance and working on sensitive ground.
Dozers come in all sizes, from around 70-horsepower smaller units (also called mini dozers) that excel in landscaping contours and fine grading to the massive 890-horsepower machines used in mining to rip, push, and stockpile materials.
Dozers versus other heavy equipment
Every piece of heavy equipment has a specific role on a jobsite. But sometimes, the functions of a machine can overlap. Let's see how the dozer stacks up to other machines.
Bulldozers vs graders
Since they do a lot of the same work and both use blades, bulldozers can sometimes be compared with graders.
Graders are generally thought to be best at fine grading, although today's precision machine controls also give dozers these capabilities. Dozers are great for pushing large amounts of dirt and working on rough terrain.
One disadvantage that graders have over dozers is their elongated profile which can make them less maneuverable compared to dozers on some jobs. But since graders are on wheels instead of tracks, they also can go down the road at much higher speeds (23 mph vs. around 7 mph) than dozers.
Grader blades (also called moldboards) can be positioned in ways that are just not possible with a dozer, including higher angles left and right to cut high banks and make deeper cuts. Graders also excel at snow removal and road maintenance.
But, graders do require a high level of expertise to control. In fact, an experienced grader operator is considered the top dog of operators (or so we hear).
Bulldozers vs. skidsteers
There's also chatter about using a small dozer&#;usually under 100 horsepower&#;versus a larger skid steer or compact track loader. The talk usually comes down to the pushing and clearing power of the dozer compared with the multitasking ability of the skid steer and compact track loader. The job at hand usually decides the winner.
Who makes dozers?
Several well-known construction brands make dozers, including Caterpillar, Case Construction Equipment, John Deere, Komatsu, and Liebherr.
Here's an overview of what these companies offer:
Cat divides its dozers up into four main groups: small, medium, large, and wheel dozers. Small dozers range from the 80-horsepower Cat D1 to the 104-horsepower Cat D3. The medium line goes from the 130-horsepower Cat D4 to 354-horsepower Cat D8. Large dozers include the 452-horsepower Cat D9, 600-horsepower Cat D10T2 and 850-horsepower Cat D11. The company offers six wheel dozer models, ranging from the 249-horsepower Cat 814 to the 907-horsepower Cat 854K.
Case offers six dozer models, ranging from the 68-horsepower Case 650M to the 214-horsepower Case M.
Deere's eight dozer models start at the 80-horsepower Deere 450K and go up to the 350-horsepower Deere K.
There are five classifications in the Komatsu dozer line-up, including small, mid-size, large, surface-mining, and iMC dozers. The company has 10 small dozer models, ranging from the 89-horsepower Komatsu D37EX-24 on up to the 131-horsepower Komatsu D51PX-24. The company's 16 mid-size dozers start with the 168-horsepower Komatsu D61EXi-24 and go on up to the 237-horsepower Komatsu D71PX-24.
There are 11 models in the large dozer class, ranging from the 264-horsepower Komatsu D85EXi-18 up to the 354-horsepower Komatsu D155PX-8 LGP and D155CX-8 K170 models. The Komatsu D375A-8 (609 horsepower) and Komatsu D475A-8 (890-horsepower) fill out the company's surface-mining dozer class. Komatsu also makes 13 models of iMC (intelligent machine) dozers ranging from the 105-horsepower Komatsu D39EXi-24 to the 354-horsepower Komatsu D155AXi-8.
The company offers eight dozer models in the U.S., ranging from the 132-horsepower Liebherr PR 716 Litronic to the 768-horsepower Liebherr PR 776 Litronic.
Staying safe around dozers
One of the best dozer safety practices is doing a thorough daily walkaround before you get on the machine. Look for leaking hydraulic hoses, damaged steps, or handholds, and make sure the undercarriage is free from debris.
Find the steps and handholds leading up to the cab. The first step is usually located on the track frame or, if it's a small dozer, the track itself serves as a step. Be aware of any slipping hazards such as mud.
Wearing your safety glasses, hard hat, vest, and steel-toed shoes (also called PPE, or personal protective equipment), get into the cab using both hands and one foot (or "three points of contact".
When seated in the cab, adjust your seat so you can comfortably reach all controls, including foot pedals. Be sure you've put on your seat belt; modern machines won't engage until you do so.
Make sure the blade and ripper are resting on the ground. With the machine in neutral, sound the horn to warn anyone around you that you're about to move. Check all mirrors and cameras to make sure everyone is clear of the machine. Start the machine and let the engine and hydraulics warm up.
When operating, if you find yourself in a situation where the dozer rolls, know that the safest place is in the cab, which was built specifically to protect you in such cases. In fact, cabs are roll-over protective structures, or ROPS.
The seat belt becomes your best friend in a rollover. Many operator injuries and even deaths could have been prevented by simply wearing the seat belt.
If you're taking a break from the machine or shutting down for the day, make sure you park the dozer on a smooth, level area. Lower the blade and ripper (if so equipped) to the ground and engage the parking brake and hydraulic lockout. Check your operator's manual for additional shutdown procedures.
From small precision machines to large behemoths pushing through a mine site, dozers give you the power to get the job done.
Explor the Dirt World
The Dirt World is full of exciting machines like dozers. If you're into heavy equipment like we are, check out Aaron Witt's vlog where he travels the world touring jobsites and documenting the cooling machines.
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