I have D8K we use for light clearing and levelling- Should we leave the ripper on we never use to extend the machine life, make the old girl work less hard and burn less fuel?
Rippers doesn't affect the aerodynamics but helps to balance the tractor, hence better traction, hence less fuel burnt.
I agree with the balance. The tractor is going to be awful nose-heavy with the ripper removed and with it not being a high-drive model traction will undoubtedly suffer.
I don't think you could actually measure a difference in fuel burn between a machine with a ripper against one without it. Take the ripper off and it will make it so the tracks spin easier and likely take longer to move the same amount of material and wear faster on the undercarriage.
Weights can be bought to fit these dozers to ballance them for good reason
Why would you purchase a counterweight when you own one that is already installed.
Not to mention. the ripper provides very good rear area protection in clearing applications. Very sturdy back bumper that one can use if needed for backing into things.
He was just making the point that rather than run bareback, owners will put weights on the back to improve balance. Since the ripper came with the machine, bonus. They will use it, believe me, lol.
I have not worked a bare 8K, but I would imagine it would just as nose-heavy as the rest without a winch or ripper. You can use a single shank to tear out big roots too.
or modify it to lay poly pipe.
Keep the ripper for balance and for when you need it (you will at some point). The only reason I could think of to take it off is if you were trying to tow some kind of implement off the draw bar or something.
exactly
If you take off the ripper today ,you will need it tomorrow
Our 8k is bare back in face most around here are So I dont think it would hurt it operationally but I would probably leave it on unless someone wanted to buy it a good 4 barrel ripper will still bring a pretty good price
Not to mention that you can use the riper frame to lift the rear of the machine if you get stuck, or need to do maintenance on that end of the dozer.
So, Is there difference in a D8K that came from the factory without a ripper and one that did ? I put a lot of hours on ones that never had a ripper on them and they didn't seem nose heavy. At least in respect to cause it to sink in in soft or wet soil when lifting the blade. I would love to operate one that had a ripper removed, just to see and feel the difference.
I know the four barrels saved my butt on a nine that I had "inconvenienced."
Farmer Lund has a bare back D8h if that's any help.
Is an 8 oval track as front heavy as a high track 8 without a ripper?
The pre high track 8's I ran were definitely more nose heavy. I thought I died and went to heaven when I was assigned to my first brand new D8N. We put a D8k blade to blade with that 8N and the K pushed it backwards like it wasn't even there ! My apologizes to the OP for going off the subject of his thread. I'm done here.