Watch several commercial operators using dozers and they make leveling land and in the end it looks like a table top. I have a D3B and loose pins but trying to keep it flat is a chore. The land has all kinds of fill in it like, asphalt, creek bottom mud, rocks, you name it, it's in there. I move all the dirt around for hours then back drag and it's still lumpy and has dips. Is it the land, me, old machine, or a combination?
coarse fill is a rather rough material to fine grade, and a small, loose machine doesn't make it easier. That being said 90% or more of a fine grading job is the man in the seat.
Guess I have 10 hours in the seat so after I get 200 times that I might get a bit better?
When in doubt grading moving foreword.... SLOW DOWN. This will give you a better "feel" for what is needed. Grading one direction then grading 90 degrees to that works well for filling dips and low spots too. Take your time and good luck.
It will take at least 200 hours to get good at it. keep running it and you will get better.
I don't know about a D3, but I like to fine grade in 2nd gear and decelerate the engine to slow it down and take a lot of power out of the machine giving it more feel. Good material always helps. What you're grading is going to determine how the finished product looks.
Be patient, learn the machine and put in seat time - that's how you will learn how to operate your machine. You'll adjust over time to how the machine operates regardless of the loose pins and it's age. On a mixed fill site that has large "chunks" in it, I like to start a fill lift deep enough that will accommodate the majority of the larger pieces in the fill. Push the larger pieces over the edge and use the fines to cover. If you run across a piece to large to be covered in your lift, move it out of the way and dig a hole to bury it in, in front of the fill lift if you don't have a deeper edge to push it off. Always keep the fill lift level and covered smooth with the finer material - it will make the job much more enjoyable.
Not trying to be smartaleck but 200 hrs you won't even learn all the quirks. Maybe after a couple thousand you might be on your way to being a "good" operator.
Not trying to be smartaleck but in 200 hrs you won't even learn all the quirks. Maybe after a couple thousand you might be on your way to being a "good" operator. Just keep after it and try to enjoy it. If you're just out there getting pi$$ed off while running around its going to take long, long time to improve. Have fun.
10 X 200 is 2000, right? :cool2 I'm just a smart ass.:tong
Thanks CM. Needed a captain obvious smack. :notworthy
Hi ,it's a lot harder than it looks to drive a small dozer as you are now aware of! If you keep your speed down and keep your blade on full angel it helps to stop you cutting holes , back up and recut if you start to leave a bump ( you will start to feel the bumps after a bit more time in the seat) some times I do a ruff cut in rocky fill then a Trim cut to fill the holes with fines . If you keep a bit of fill on the blade( maybe 1/3 full ) it helps to stop the blade jumping around too. If you can lay the blade back it helps trimming ( I have a adjuster on top ling of blade , d3 c hystat) Good luck and have fun.
Appreciate all the comments even the smart ones The big chunks have been the major issue and if I would have had the dozer when I was adding fill it would have helped. I could have made sure to put all the rock chunks down deeper. My trackloader with street tracks just couldn't get in at the angle I wanted. Also I was hauling fill all day until a couple hours before dark then jump on the trackloader and push it over. Then start all over the next morning. I have learned that going slow is the issue which helps out, if it had more power it would push the chunk out but it just stops the machine. Will keep pushing, thanks
Ok 1st things first time in the seat u need at least 4000 hrs b4 ill b any good at it. But here are some tips. Work the material soft is good, don't overload but a full blade is easier to control than not much dirt at all. If u have average material u an use a method to help push slots a bit low the fines will rill and use the rill to level. Put in pegs and ribbon give ur self something to follow, use a grade checker ,or better still use laser gear this will not controll the blade 4 u but it does show u where u are. Go slow u will feel more. Oh I nearly forgot make something to sit ur tracks on to start with that's a big one. That should help. I c on ur outher post u had the nerve 2 put him up side on ill bet u go a bit scared when she started to slide bit don't wary good to c u gave it a go there is a real nack to batter work took me years to figer it out and I'm still learning. Good luck Regards cam
I'm no operator, but I listen well, someone said about lifting blade, letting fines fall out, push chunks over edge, then back up and work the fines? Makes sense to me,
Well, one of the first things to learn is to get a smooth place to start from. You can't level much if you are driving over a bump before you even get started. When learning, get an edge smooth, then work to the side a little at a time, so you can "trace" the smooth spot with the open side of the blade. When you get the bigger chunks that cause problems, dig a hole deep enough to bury them, and use the cleaner material to cover with. Do not get in a hurry. When you back up for the next pass, stop, lower the blade, then pick it up enough to get all the slack out. This is especially important with a loose machine. If you don't, you are likely to dig a small dip when you first move, setting yourself up for more dips. When trying to fine grade with course material, keep the pushes short. The farther you travel, the more likely you are to push a big piece partway into the ground, then hop over it, leaving a bump. If that happens, stop, reverse a bit, and dig it out right away. When you make a short pass, raise the blade while still moving forward. This will let the finer material drop, and push the larger pieces ahead a little. That is how you create fine material to fill the holes left by the large pieces. It takes a lot of time to learn to push a level pass, so don't give up.
Dang my knees hurt today, but it is looking a lot better. Dug some of the fresh red clay out and put it over where all my dips are. Tried pushing real slow and back dragging also real slow. Tried keeping the blade up a bit and letting the small stuff fall out , and well I'll keep chugging. It does look better but not great. Plan on using my chain link fence and log weights and drag it behind the RTV over the area to smooth out. Broke out the rotary laser level and I'm only a few inches off, so guess I can't complain much. Cam, what do you mean by something to sett your tracks on?
alldodge, what he means is that you have to have a good place to start. when you move dirt with a dozer your tracks create your grade. If your driving over a bump, your blade will follow it creating a second bump and so on... Likewise if your tracking along on a smooth surface, you will make a smooth surface. Its not completely that simple, but that's the basics.
Like other's have mentioned, you need to start off right to end right. Meaning, grade a starting point then begin grading from there. If your starting point is off grade or full of rocks your start will make everything else a PITA. I concur with other's too, start slow, if you start to washboard STOP then backdrag and start over. Some will argue "a blade is meant to cut forward" to that I say BS, as much skill is used to backdrag properly as is to blade forward. Try leaving grouser marks while grading a golf course and see where that gets you. Preloading the blade with fill is always a good idea, it will help stabilize the wobble from loose pins, if you pay attention you will start to get a feel for how that blade can be controlled compensating for the pins. Good luck! :thumbsup
Yea mate as jdofmemi and stump jumper said a good place to start I fully agree with most of what outher people have said on here and I see a lot of what I wrote has been mentioned again and some of it in better detail lots of good info here hope ur having a win. Personally I hate back blading it very rare to c me do it try and I recommend u avoid it as much as possible until u get a bit more experience. Just my 2 cence.
How's the batter work coming along ? Have u busted out the spirit level and tape yet. Also I feel the need to thank outher people for there info they have posted I c some people are better at explaining thing than me and put in the thing that I forget. Thank you all .
Shimmy1> I started running a dozer a couple years ago while renting them, own my own now but when I hit 500 actual hours in the seat I could run one better than just about anybody around here and for 50 miles, and I'm only 26 years old... Its one thing I take alot of pride in... I'v had more than a couple career dozer operators of 30+ years step off the dozer to let me finish grade it for em. Still got alot to learn as far as turning wrench's on em tho, but learning... To some its natural.. O.P. > Just like everyone else has said, put in the seat time, take pride in your work and keep at it, it will come to U in time... You'll have some ground thats like trying to grade a creek bed(done it ) and then you'll have some you could roll a marble across... Good luck...
Have gotten much better but as all ya'll say, I'm going to need a lot more seat time. Guy down the road said he likes using a dozer (has a case 450), it's the way he relaxes, and has been doing it for some time. He says he will stop by and use my dozer and smooth it out some for me, think I'll get some more pointers watching. I broke out the rotary level and I'm within a few inches on where the barn will be going in so I'm good there. I'm still grading some of the other areas but getting closer to where I want it. Started back drawing in float mode more it looks a lot better.
I can say tho I did ALOT of Shoving and grading around my own place an at the farm on my own time and dime the first year.. I think that helped me the most..
They may think you need the practise...
Lol, ih100 ... You may just be right ... This was my last project...
Not bad, keep working at it.
But I never said anyone around here and for 50 miles could run a dozer for **** Just because I could be at the top of the toedem pole doesnt say anything about how tall that toedem pole is And you got to love the old timmers that say '' I ran a dozer for 40 years and was the best around, let me on that thing '' Then they get on the dozer I'm running at the time and burry the blade 2 feet deep trying to scalp a cut off the top and ruin my grade.. lmao
Fixed that for ya'... OCR...
Why thank you OCR, much obliged...
Awesome advice here, I was taught if it can be done, we can do it. No excuses, if it was easy anyone could do it.