Thought I would post some videos of my old straight frame Michigan wheel dozer. My youngest daughter Katy filmed it this morning. The little woman wanted some trees removed, and the ground smoothed out so the area would be easier to mow. I had to move some dirt to fill in a low spot.
Neat old rig. I bet there are not many of those still around. Especially in that good operating condition. Jeff
Looks like your having a little to much fun for lawn and garden work lol
Running that old thing is my happy place. If it is warm outside, that dozer can have been sitting for a year, and I basically just touch the start button and it is purring.
Nice. A friend has the big brother to yours. A 375 wheel dozer with a 14 ft blade. It was used to push taconite piles in the ship loading facility on Lake Superior at Taconite Harbor, MN. Yours looks to be in very clean shape.
Nice! I'd love to see some pictures, if possible. I know that Michigan made a 480 model of the old straight frame style, but I would bet that they have all been scrapped by now.
I will take some next time I get to their yard. If it is in the yard? They use it occasionally to push topsoil off in a couple of gravel pits they own. They had issues getting permits to haul it home when the bought it on auction, so the one son said screw it and just drove it home the125 miles. It has the full contingent of working MSHA required lights and in has words, no one bothered the rolling christmas tree and gave him plenty of room. He said it rolled right along.
Now that's funny! And yeah, I can attest to them "rolling right along". Mine is a powershift 4F/4R, and I really don't know how fast it will go in high gear, but it is a lot faster than I would be willing to drive it.
yes a loader in high honk will ruin you if you hit a "feature".
A local guy runs a custom manure application business. He bought a Case 9350 4wd and a 7500 gallon liquid tank spreader from Minnesota. He roaded that home around 700 miles. The quotes for a lowboy to haul 2 loads was around $7500. He didn't like that price and figured fuel and hotel stays would cost him just over $1000. So he drove up in a pickup with tools and a buddy, and drove the tractor and spreader home. He said it was 3 solid days of driving with minimal stops. Locally, the custom manure haulers drive their equipment all over the state to whatever job is next. Road in, spread, head to the next farm, continue. The guy that injects our manure shows up in a 4wd tractor pulling the injector, 2 hose carts, and a pump in tow. A different tractor will show up with a lagoon pump. Then a pickup or 2 pulling the booster pumps, air compressor, etc.
@Clawed Backster That is one sweet dozer. I could really see that being useful around a property, or just fun to run for the odd job here and there.
It is a bit of a climb to set chokers, but that bugger would drag a log or 7.
Yeah, with 290hp and 63,000 pounds, about the only thing that will stop it is mud. That's its kryptonite.
Really cool rig.
Another short video of the removal of a stubborn stump. I had tried to do it with my Ford 555 backhoe, but that was one tough stump, and the backhoe didn't want any part of that action.
the ol girl just picked it apart
Was a Michigan 280 rubber tire dozer in Dease Lake for many years. Local operator approached a mining exploration project that was liquidating some equipment about purchasing an engine for one of his trucks. Engine was already sold but same powerplant was used in the dozer. Mining outfit said whats your engine budget. He said $4000.00 (earlyn80's). They said he could have the dozer. Pushed a lot of snow around Dease for many winters
Yeah, I recently saw a generator for sale for $8,500 obo that had a turbocharged V8 Detroit for an engine. It was a poor picture, and I don't know if it was a 71, or a92, but it had been a standby generator that supposedly only had 96 hours on it. I would think that the engine alone would be worth more than that.
So did the mining company pull it out of the lake to sell to the local guy, or did he put it in the lake while plowing snow?
I found the ad. Looks like they updated the pictures, but the ad doesn't say anything about the low hours any longer. It is an 8V92. That motor would really wake my old Michigan dozer up, and the only thing it would struggle with is traction! Now if I just had a spare $8,500 laying around. https://sacramento.craigslist.org/hvo/d/citrus-heights-300-kw-480v-detroit/7490270337.html
Town of Dease Lake which happens to be near Dease Lake
Ahh, gotcha