I can "drive" as dozer, and not damage it, I'm not a professional by any means, and I have to drive very slowly to hold a grade. However, once I got the hang of the de-accell pedal, I am working the machine at approx. 3/4 throttle, always de-accell before reversing. As you all know, it's very quick to do, and simply wait for a second for the powershift to "clunk" before letting up on the pedal, and resuming full throttle. Was watching a D6 hi-drive on the casino job a few years ago, and the operator was at (what sounded like) full throttle, slamming the reverser forward/back so hard, I could see them in the cab, bounce up, and hit the seat belt. Every time...... I can't abuse a machine that way, nor my own body (that has to hurt after a full day of that) It's not like using the de-accell pedal takes any more time. Minding the clutch (on a truck) as well as the throttle is another pet peave. I can hear & see drivers everyday slipping while sitting at a traffic light, etc. Do fleet managers find certain employees cost allot more in maintenance ? How do you handle them ?
that guy would get a quiet talking with, and one more chance. One time I was riding with another employee in the Isuzu NPR and witnessed him holding his position at a traffic light by SLIPPING THE CLUTCH! I was gobsmacked. I had just started there and really did not know what to do. Luckily that guy left the job not too long after, and he did not do much driving. EDIT I do remember replacing that clutch myself later
I had an NPR too, the linkage for the shifter (the floor mounted style) was pretty loose, I pretty good at double clutching, and floating them in. I didn't shove and grind. I have never held on a hill by slipping the clutch with any vehicle.
Half these guys out there have the IQ of a houseplant ....
I’ve heard a foreman tell another guy “If you were any dumber I’d have to water you twice a day”.
Some of the online auction sites have short videos of the machines running. While watching some of the dozers I am literally amazed on the number of them that open up the throttle and throw it in forward and reverse and not even a hint of hitting the decelerator. That is a huge turn off for me.
My personal favourite is "If brains were dynamite you wouldn't have enough to blow the wax out of your ears."
If brains were gasoline you wouldn't have enough to power a **** ant's go kart 2 laps around a cheerio
To be fair Cat have said for decades that full throttle speed and directional changes are fine with their powershift transmissions. Also I thought I read somewhere that the extra fuel burned when decelerating and accelerating will end up costing more then a transmission rebuild. Of course Cat sell spare parts.
But slamming my body up against the shoulder belt over & over is a wee bit too much eh ?
i have seen some good operators hardly bump the decelerator and change directions and it is a smooth as silk, no machine/ operator/ or track jerking
I use the "decel" pedal on our two hystat dozers...
I can't comprehend the damage that happens with a skidsteer on 2 local dairy farms. Imagine the hit one takes to break a 6x6 pole, not once, weekly, ***? That dude gets the repair cost deducted from his paycheck....no idea how he has any money to send back to mexico. Ed
I always liked any machine I ran from heavy equipment to machine tools and what ever else. Though when I was doing the job, that is what I was concentrating on, and like someone else said the manual and sales literature was just fine with full governed speed forward and reverse, which I have done with occasional decel on one particular machine for years on end, never had a problem with anything related to that on the machine. It highly impresses me how much beating a large dozer final will take, with rocks and stumps, and that is trying to avoid such things as much as possible, the old back doesn't take that so well.