Any advice for a newbie on how to get smooth, regular surfaces when running a short frame dozer like a D20 Komatsu? I'm having a hard time achieving anything like a uniform surface when making final passes. Thanks all.
R Leo, Here's my 2 cents for what it's worth. Maybe try to angle your blade a bit when finishing. In my mind I'm always trying to move dirt from one side to the other, like a motor grader. If you can achieve one good pass or have an area that would be a good flat staring point if you will, use it. In using this flat part maybe only put half of your blade on the area needed to be finished and the other half riding on the flat or existing grade. For me, I tend to watch the toe or leading edge and somewhat allow the other side to do it's own work. What you can do good in 2nd gear you probably can do better in 1st. One last thought might be is not to worry about "working the stick". A lot of good finish dozer hands I have seen are always making minor correction with the dozer blade meaning the dozer blade control is always in motion. Hope this helps and if I can confuse you anymore just let me know.. Good Luck Joe
Go slow and stay calm. Don't get yourself worked up. If you hit a bump and the blade jumps, back up and start over. One bump will lead to more.
opcorn
Good advice above,not sure about the popcorn one If i'm moving quite a bit of dirt the rougher i like it as not for riding over but to have extra loose dirt to work with,before i go to finish.The extra dirt is good to fill in small low spots(holes) and gives you some loose dirt to work with and not having all hard dirt to try and cut all the time. If hard dirt dozing i like to just use more half the blade more to start with.Leaving rough also gives you windrows to split and lets the blade fill up and your carrying dirt more them trying to cut all the time. Now grass, weed,(not the kind you smoke either) and sod is another ball game.Need to get rid of that as soon as possible buried ,or you really have fun leveling it up.Then there is mud thats another story. As far as speed goes,speed usually comes with time and experience.First master the machine(not letting the machine run you,but you run the machine) then the speed will come and soon it will be natural and your wonder how bad and now how good things looks. Don't worry after long hours and days of backing over those rough dippy-dooooo's you start learning faster.The back will tell you when your getting better. Short coupled dozer are a pain,i like the long and more roller framed machines like my xl dozer,more track on the ground and the longer makes for better balance.A quick hydraulics doesn't help to start with,but when you master then machin it is a plus!!!!!!!! Good luck and happy speed bumping ,at least for a while. :usa
The others have made some good points. Here is what i was taught when it comes fo fine grading. 1, you always need dirt to grade. Its easy to lose dirt, its hard to find dirt when you dont have any. Its common in these parts to make a pass, then backdrag on your way back to where you start. Continue back draggin past where you start out. Lift your blade over the little bit you drag back. Grab that dirt and make your next pass. I usually try to have my blade angled, and only grade with half the blade. 2, You need a smooth area to start. Make sure things where you start out are fairly level. That way your not fighting to get to grade. Plus the smoother everything is, the better the ride for you. A lot of people do not agree with back dragging, they say it wears out the dozer faster. I dont know about your projects, but a lot of the ones im on need to be smooth. You dont want grouser tracks in topsoil. You dont want grouser tracks left in clay subgrades for a parking area and the smooth drum will not erase those. In sand you almost need to back drag things just to feather everything out. As said, that back dragging leaves you with a little material to start. You wont be searching for dirt, plus that extra little weight on the blade seems to take the bounce out of the machine
You are so right Rino. Startet dozing on a Cat D4D and had the same problem. Could have made some bucks on speed bumps back then,beacuse they came every place you didnt want them to come. Maybe i should write a book? Would probably be to much:cussing My best advice is to be patcient and take your time to learn it and you will do some day:thumbsup
not sure what type of surface material you are playing with,and i don't have any dozer time,but when i was running my skidsteer business and there was a tricky surface to level up(especially sandy slopes with no compaction) i would tow a shipping pallet on 2 chains behind me(the bottom slats acted as several mini blades and the excess sand rode up between them ready to drop into hollows in the grade) you could try this concept but on a bigger scale perhaps?
My father never told me the tricks to good finish dozing, if my work didnt cut it he pulled me off and showed me how to do it. The advice above is right on, but nothing makes you better faster than practicing good habits. Should only take about 2-3 years to become better and faster. Kiddin! Good luck.
A couple more things. Make yourself a place to start from that is smooth. If you are sitting on a bump, you will make another one. Do not get in a hurry to start moving forward. Seyt your blade down, then pull it up slightly BEFORE moving forward, just enough to take out any slack. (new machines obviously have less of a problem here). One of the most common mistakes I see is setting the blade down, then moving forward, it drops some more, making the first dip. If it does this, best to pull up, drag the crumbs back into the hole, and start again
Do you put your track on the wind row when backing up? Just for final finishing. It gets rid of those pesky little ridges! Regards, Joel
nothin funny about grading