Curious if the dozers I'm looking at are the right size for what I'm planning on doing. It's going to be used to work on the ranch clearing small/medium trees and brush and moving dirt for driveways, and pads for houses and shops. I'm thinking that a Cat D4K or Deere 550K would be more than capable of handling that. Also considered D5K or 650K but don't know if the extra money I'd be spending on the bigger machine would be worth it. Don't want to buy a bigger machine than I need. Any advice or input would be greatly appreciated.
D5 or jd 650
What kind of soil ,sandy ,rocky, hard clay, loomy ?
Hard clay & loomy
Agree with Godsdozer
We generally consider the 100 HP 20,000 pound class to be a minimum. The physical size of a D5K/650K/850M isn’t much bigger than a D3K/450K/650M so tight sites aren’t a problem but they have a lot more production in them. Maybe consider a D5 size dozer now and down the road if you think you need something smaller and business is good, try a large frame CTL.
Know that area of OK, hard pan Red Clay, loam on top at times. Bigger is better but just working brushy crap and stream edges move into a loader with a 4/1. Is easier to transport suspended loads of brush than to push it where want it. 455G would be a good choice.
We try to include every piece of iron in our little operation . Send in a larger dozer first to clear & hog as needed . Take care of the " Rough work " so to speak . Then hop on a rubber tire farm tractor with a cold barley soda to finish it out . Both got there place .
I like cold barley sodas too. Refuels me while I refuel the machines at the end of the day.
I tell ya what ! ….. If it don't stop raining and the river rising we may have to call in the US Army National Guard to air drop us in some Hamm's .
Not the first time they've been down the highway. One of them will outrun my other one and my crazy brother followed me on it and pushed me going up hill on the highway. He also took a chunk out of the pavement to avoid a FedEx truck. That's the reason he follows me. The one he drives doesn't have brakes.
Sounds like our place . Dozers are for pushing and clearing . Scrapers are for moving dirt . HeavyEquipmentForums
Looks like a job. My 621's are low hour military units. One came with 300 hours .The other with 1500. Just some hydraulic and air lines plus some belts and cylinders. My guys run those things hard too. 2500 hours later they're still moving good .
I have the D5K, and have been doing the same projects as you will be. I've been very pleased with it.
Can’t go wrong with the D5k with rippers. Ive had D4s and wished i had D5s. Never had a D5 and wished i had a D4. Ive done lots of work from Purcell to Edmond with mine. If you need a truck and trailer to haul it with , i have one for sale.