I have been looking around at used dozers. At work we use p61s, deere 750s. I have not seen any deals on those. All dozers seems to be costly. I was considering setting one up with full machine control for building roads. Not sure I want to step into 150k right up front My initial needs are for Forestry work. Not really sure of how practically and if tying up money on an older machine is worth it. I tried out a d6n on a jobsite and was not too impressed with it's stump removal capability. Medium sized tree stumps stopped it in its tracks. After playing with it I felt my 953 track loader could dig them out just as fast. Maybe I need a 963. Some guys I ran into have a td20 and early 90s model. I am not to familiar with them. Any thoughts or suggestions on td20? Can you even get parts for these tractors or they about obsolete? What dozer do you guys prefer for working in stumped areas. And general property type work. I have seen d7gs in the 35 to 45k range. Older d8s are around 40k D6n m and ts are all over the place from 50 to 120k. One guy said it cost him 30k for a new wiring harness for his d6m kind of scary. Td20 is 55k.
20s undercarriage. D6n
D7G - nobody or the tooling to work on. Older D8s - L, N, Rs are too wornout, Ts are too expensive, H/K are not a possibility unless you can fix them yourself, similar to a 7G, you still have to find parts. TD20 probably only thing you can fix on is the engine. Torque, trans, clutches, finals, I'd be shocked if you can get parts. You are in a tough position. My opinion, you need a economically priced D6T XW, or a D65wx.
That 5000 hours on the gauge is I am sure authentic, only thing is it probably is the 5-10th hour meter gauge that has been installed. How accesssable are parts on all the units you are looking at. Cat probably has sold the most machines followed by Deere. Even some 25 year old Deere stuff is getting harder to buy parts for, not factory backed anymore. 1990 is 35 years old and brands like TD are scarce in many places. Be careful! Simon C
dozer 750k john deere to big for small job to small for big job my friend 2 year ago he has bought 750kxlt j,d he work for contrat one year he put $60,000,00cdn reparation the reson the dozer go go go contract by hours in the wood ???i am bulldozer driver long long time go and jugement???? thanks
All the old 1960's through early 1980's cat big dozers are worn out and likely money pits nowadays. If you can find parts and like mentioned above tooling etc. Every one of them is a huge initial cost gamble, everyone that has them thinks they are not allowed to depreciate, and wants a kings ransom for used junk. Yeah they may last for a bit and many not. I personally don't want to gamble that kind of $, on something that can potentially end up just being scrap after little to no use.
Komatsu D85-18 , if the stumps are too big for an 85 probably too big for a D155 . The D85-21 has sensors in the transmission and I'm told are a problem . What ever you purchase will depend on your customers , not what you want as they will be the ones paying for it . Wealthy customers who don't make their income off the land they own like to indulge .
The dresser TD20G looks to be in pretty good nick. By the look of the condition inside the cab those hours might very well be genuine. The Cat D7G is the first thing to go to if you want good parts backup. Cat were still making them (in other countries) up until maybe ten years ago. Why not a D7H or D6H? Better again and probably about the same cost as a D7G.
If you're planning on doing a lot of stumping you DON'T want a 6 way dozer. Guy that did some clearing for me had a JD 850J WLT with a 6 way blade. Approx. D7G size. He got a good deal on it because the C frame was cracked wide open. He welded it up at least a couple times to get by but I'm afraid he may have just made it worse. He was going to do a better repair when he had time. I think repeated welding would add to metal fatigue. He's not a welder but can burn 7018 OK. Not great but OK. It cracked on my job and he brought his welder to fix it. Myself and the guy working with me are both licensed welders but he preferred to do it himself. I asked him about preheat and he figured all the grinding he did got it hot enough. I doubt it. I also doubt he got 100% penetration. That's just where a crack can start. He also did very wide vertical up weaves. Vertical up is good but for the strongest weld would be better to use narrower weaves and more passes for a finer grain structure. Peening and possibly a little post heat would be good too. Anyway he figured the previous owner used the dozer for stumping. Just something to think about. The dozer was in great shape otherwise but a cracked C frame is a big deal and a big repair.
RC, what would make you want the H model tractor. I have not seen any d7hs for sale locally. One d6h about 350 miles away so not much experience with that model. The d7h looks like it would be a great choice.
I have been researching tractors that have sold in the recent past and have came across several td20s that sold for 27500 to 35000k. The 55k price seems up there. Also was reading that almost all the cylinders needed to be rebuilt on that aged machine
Don't do that TD20. Komatsu bought out Dresser many years ago. Komatsu almost immediately started obsoleting the parts. There is not much of anything you can buy for parts outside of a salvage.
Have worked on some 40 year old Komatsu D155 dozers, not even some special o-rings that can take torque converter heat any more. I would listen to what Vetech63 just said. Simon C
Drive all around where I live and there is all kinds of dead D6 to D8 dozers parked, that were paid $25000 or more , but the big pull the transmission out job meant a new lawn ornament. And if you have never pulled and reinstalled some of these low drive dozers transmissions, expect to spend way more time than you are anticipating. They thought they could buy aftermarket parts at this place I worked, found out nothing available that works. Crooked chinese company. Just saying. Simon C
Definitely not a d6m or n with a six way blade. They are a finish cat. They are really only a d5 in size. I see a lot of people here buying them for farm bush cleanup. They see the d6 and don’t understand that it is not nearly as big as a D6R. They think they got a great deal until they have to rebuild the blade bearings.
Easier to repair. Easier to find one with air conditioned cab.
I found an older john deere 850b. This can hold me over till something better comes along. It is a Hydrostat machine. It is well worn and needs some tlc. I worked it for a solid hour and it seems to have 25% more push than my 953. As far as stacking up brush piles the 953 is going to be more handy. Both will be needed. This machine takes the edge for pushing out dirt and moving heavy piles on out aross the land. I used it on a current land clearing site, they were selling it to get a bigger dozer. It was not big enough. I think they missed out on were it could shine if it had a rake. It has cat rails on it, the pads are about shot. The blade assembly is going to need some work it is close to coming off. Dozer has 11,000 hours on it. The engine runs well, it pushes straight, drives straight and all in all seems like it will be handy to have around to use as a general dozer. It only weighs about 40k. I know it is not super impressive, compared to a big d6 or d7 but I am not paying very much for it and I am thinking it would be best used for raking. I am trading a salvaged f250 truck I have with some boot. So price wise starting out, it will be hard to get cheaper than this on a working tractor that is being delivered to me. If the drive and engine hold up for 200 or 500 hours, I will be ok. Hoses and misc welding and what not is expected. It could come in handy for training less experienced persons on and it will allow me to go over cleared ground faster than than 953 can handle. It ain't going to be doing any stumping. I tested it out on a medium sized oak stump. It did it but it took too long and anything bigger than maybe 12" is going to slow it down to much. The raking role could speed up my clearing work. What do you think about this idea? I will still need 3 machines onsite but this will edge out the 53 for what I want it for. What type of rake would be best. It had something on it at some point in the past but it ripped off the top part back of the blade. I am looking for a rake if anyone has something they dont need. Blade is about 11' 6" wide. I believe I am going to need to drop the blade and try to weld up and or replace the connections. I don't think they have ever greased anything. Do you guys have any sources for the blade joints, not sure of the technical names for the ball and sockets.
Well I got the dozer to our shop for repairs before taking it to the field. In the process I decided to pick up a 963 to also take to the job. Seems the work and equipment maintenance never ends. The 63 will need a new set of rails and pads. The 63 is a lot more machine than the 53. It has a lot more bucket force. I am curious to see how it does in the bush. I am on my way to south Alabama to pick up a root rake for the dozer. The 850 will most likely just run the rake after everything else is stumped and stacked. My 953 has lost it exhaust manifold gasket so it needs to be taken out of service to rework that. I was averaging about 1/2 acre per day on clearing and stacking with the 953 i am hoping that I can increase my production to an acre or 1.5 per day. I have my doubts. That left the ground in a somewhat rough condition and I bought the dozer so that I can tilt the blade follow the grade and have a larger blade surface area working the dirt back smooth. Probably wont follow up the main grubbing work till the clearing and stacking is done. Maybe next year...
I think you’re on the right path and have learned a lot already. I’d take that 963 and find a reasonably priced heavy standard track dozer with the beefiest straight blade and frame I could find. A d6n or equivalent is not even in the conversation honestly. Very capable machine but not the machine for what you need and it’s going to break sooner than other frame blade setups as everyone has warned. The leverage point on a stump as you know is not great. You have to fight fire with fire in this case. I would stay away from the td as mentioned by others. I had one they’re great machines but you’ll be scouring planet earth looking for parts when you need it the most. Most importantly stay safe
Georgia, you need to get an oil sample from that 850 as soon as humanly possible. If that tractor begins to show any issues with the drive, about the only thing worth a dollar is the engine, the rest is scrap. In all honesty, you are in a difficult position if a 6T or 65E are not in the budget. I know there are quite a few fans of Deere dozers in the world, but unless you can swerve into one that has had the hydros replaced before a catastrophic failure, they are definitely at the bottom of the list. Good luck with this 850.
For an application like this do you guys have opinions on hydro vs powershift dozers?
As far as operability, there really is not much difference. What it boils down to really is are you a Deere guy, or aren't you. Personally, the only hydro machines I would consider owning are Komatsu 39 or 51. I have never understood the desire to handle propulsion on a 20+ ton dozer with hydraulics.
I have never done an oil sample on anything. I have not been in a buying situation that allows it. This particular dozer just blew a main drive hose and lost all the fluid so I am not sure the sample would tell us much. I typically base my decisions on how it runs and works. I look at performance, sound, cold starting ability, blow by and vibrations felt through the chassis. I will show up 30 mins early to make sure i catch the cold start. This dozer is well worn and was not greased in a long time. I look at grease points and take that in consideration but I don't just base my decision on that item. I look at what I can fix or live with and move on. Rust does not turn me off. I am far more interested in looking for dust/dirt oil behind the air cleaner. The greasing can be an operator issue which is a hired hand normally. A lot of times the owner get the oils done on schedule but the greasing is always lacking because of lazy operators. Seen this so many times on rental equipment. Logging crews have 3 or 4 men typically and the dozer is kind of there. This was a logging tractor. A mechanic friend told me they had 2 older 750s on a road project that were run every day for 5 years that the weather allowed. He stated he did normal service on them and that he thought those old deeres would run around a Cat of equivalent size. He said they never had a major repair. Said the operators loved them and that the 750s were 2 of the few machines that they kept past the 3k/5 yr sell off. He said they were still working in the company. So who knows it is always a crap shoot. I might have the hydros fail. I am due up for something major somewhere to let loose. I have put far too many hours on old equipment and not had a failure. So it's coming sooner or later.
Which tractor do you guys think has more push the 850 or the 963? I can tell you this much. The 850 is stronger than you would think looking at it. I was impressed with its ability in the field and that was why I bought the old deere.. I have ran a new 750 so I do have something to compare it to. The 963 21z is a highly sought after track loader. It is strong and has a lot of hydraulic power. It really makes my old 20z 953s seem so much smaller, not knocking the 53s. I am not sure which tractor weighs more. I think they are close in weight. The deere has better pads. We are going to put them nose to nose and see who would wins in this old cat and deere shoving match. 963 pads. 850b pads. It has more bite. It should be a fun experiment.
If Guinness had a record for most use out of a set of track pads, they've found the winner for eternity.
Well here's my first youtube video.. Dozer was on lower idle. 63 was full throttle. Sitting on the 63 it did not even feel like it had a chance. We will try it again with new tracks on the 63 when I get them. The forward and reverse lever is a bit touchy in the dozer sometimes it keeps wanting to crawl forward. The 850b is strong, it moved a nice big pile of dirt and stumps on the job. I wonder what the results would be if the 63 had a full bucket of dirt.
Well all the pads are still there in one piece. Seen a few with half the pads missing or snapped and still being used.
Shimmy you need to watch this video: Track pads are obviously optional in some countries.
I like your inquisitive nature! The 850b should win that fight every time. It was designed to push hard. The 963 can grab a bucket load and move it somewhere else without ripping up the ground too bad. My 953 tracks are getting worn and you get on a decent slope with it and it’ll slide down like it’s on skis. lol
We made the 510 mile round trip down to Sweet Home Alabama. I went after a rake that was on a 850 that lost it's engine about a year ago. Owner used it for the past 25 years clearing fields and making chicken house pads. He had another one that was his parts machine and it also blew the engine. The current machine lost the hydraulic drives and he used the drives out of the parts machine. The parts machine had also blown the engine. He decided not to put a motor back in the 850 because he thought it would not return the cost again due to its age. They bought a newer 750 with cab and air. His blade setup was a bit different than mine. After we agreed on the root rake we agreed for me to go ahead and take the whole blade assembly which we proceeded to remove. I took a torch with me and I had to cut the main blade frame in half to get it to fit on the trailer. It was 10' 6"s wide. If I decide to use the blade setup i will need to weld it back together. This dropped the tractors width down to 8'2"s. The new blade assembly is wider at 12' 3". Mine current blade is 11' 6"s. The new assembly has 2 tilt cylinders and it rotated on a large center shaft. Mine only had 1 cylinder and was locked down with a draft bar that was welded in place so the angle can't be manually changed. No center pivot. While I was down there i stopped off at another large construction company. They had a 850b with a blown motor. They wanted 10k for the parts machine without a front blade. Once he heard i was looking for a parts tractors you could tell his wheels were spinning. Oh the hydros are so hard to find and expensive. So his price was , well u get it.. thankfully i am not up against the wall with it. Something better may come along. I did get to test out their D8H with a ripper which was what actually took me there.. Heck of an old tractor, after talking it over with the owner I am convinced that it is not the right machine to clear woods with lots of stumps. Maybe it could be with a shearing or a K blade, but the over all hassle of driving the beast and getting it to center a stump is probably is not worth it. The clutch levers seemed like it would make for long days on busting stumps. His 40 years of road building experience suggested if not wanting sink holes later by grinding the tops off, then use the largest excavator you can get for the stumps. He thought the D8 would cost too much in fuel to make it make sense. For now my larger dozer hunt is over. More than likely going to find a 30 ton to 40 ton excavator for the stumps.
The blade assembly rode well on the trailer. If you look closely you can see the front cylinders on my machine sit in a different place than both of the other machines. Mine sit further forward and the cylinders seem longer. Not sure why. This blade assembly was snagged for possible bushings, rod ends, hard hydraulic pipe, cutting edges, etc. I am half tempted to cut it up and try and make a ripper out of it. If I don't use the parts it might go to scrap, i took a gamble that i might go back after the rest of it. I have a full tank of oxy/act in it, 2.5 hrs and a 1000.00 cash. I mainly cut it off so that I can haul the whole tractor back and be under 80k and not a wide load if the final drives, hydros and rails could work for me. It is an e model tractor mine is a B model so I don't know what parts will work or not. I can't find any information on an e model. Both of those parts tractors had better pads than mine. The first one had new itr rails and several new rollers. I believe both are standard track length machines, I think mine is the long track version. Not sure how to add length or if the Cat rails on mine could mix with the others to increase the rail length. I could weld up a few of my pads to fill in for the shorter length. Seeing the better grousers just wasting away really sucked when I see my slicks. One man's trash is another man's fortune. I have already spent a lot of time on this 850 and it's not at work yet. It needs a few weeks of work to get it ready for the bush. All in all it was a 400 am kind of day, that turned out well. The root rake was better than I thought with solid tines made with either 3 stacks of 1" plate or 1 1/4. One set of tines needs to be redone. They got ripped off when they were pulling it out of a bottom with an excavator when it was stuck. It is heavy duty and exactly what I was after. Around atlanta they are trying to get 4k out of these things used. I was looking at steel plate, to make my own. Plates is 3 times what it used to cost. Once again rust helps out... with the pricing. New stuff is just so over priced. If this 850B holds together, I think it will do nicely cleaning up behind my other tractors.
Well they got everything together for the 963 for me been waiting on bushings for the idlers. I will probably never get a new track loader I dont have enough steady work to justify buying one. This is about as close as i am going to get to new. About 20k worth of parts, new teeth and bucket wear plates.
A 963 in the UK we fitted tracks too. Do quite a few 963/953 trackgroup replacements.
Nkce machine Nicky. I just noticed the k has an extra idler on it. Wondered why they added another one. Any idea what an undercarriage costs over there?
I’m not sure on the costs of the undercarriage over here,but Cat never give you the most cost efficient hourly running costs in my experience. The 963 belongs to a friend that deals in them,but I run my own track type tractors and never have much luck getting value for money out of my Cat undercarriage components. The key to getting the most life out of your bush is to replace the segments at around 50% of their life. New segments are cheap and easy to fit on your 963.Those machines are pretty hard on bushes probably due to being under load in reverse with a full bucket reversing out of narrow tunnels etc. I’m not that well experienced on traxcavators,but the man that owns them is. It’s rare he fits them with Cat running gear unless he’s selling them on.
A Deere 850-E is a straight 850 (no letter designation) with a straight dozer blade See screenshot below.
That's quite interesting that you don't get the best value with Cat undercarriage. I've heard it pays to use Cat undercarriage, especially on D10's and D11's. Does the Cat undercarriage last longer but costs more or life expectancy is comparable to name brand aftermarket like ITR, Berco, etc? Several people have said Berco quality has gone way down from what it was. I know you've used Trek/DCF in the past as well. I'd be curious if you could do a comparison between different undercarriage brands you've used over the years and the pro's and con's of each brand. Were there any that really impressed you or were really terrible? Also a brand that was good on one machine but poor on another? What would you consider to be the most cost effective? Lots of questions but you're in a good position to give an analysis of different brands since you've ran quite a few track machines over the years. Maybe a mix of different brands components is the way to go, X has better sprocket segments but Y has better rollers, etc,? Could be an interesting discussion.
You’ve pretty much nailed it Dave. It’s a complex conversation,but I haven’t had to purchase undercarriages myself on D10 and D11 tractors. Currently have a D10T tractor in a friends yard and he’s elected to for new Cat idlers and rollers to it.None of us fancy being lab mice for trying an ITR u/c on anything bigger than a D9. As for D9 and below,yes I’ve fitted various brands and Cat has never given me value for money in over 30 years.Cat makes a very good undercarriage for sure,but does it offer me full value on an hourly costing in comparison to non oem undercarriages? I’m afraid not.
Years ago,I favoured Berco tracks for all my D8H/K tractors,but they weren’t that much cheaper than Cat in the early 90’s. I should point out that I wasn’t looking into accurate costing on tracks in those days,so I’m unable to give anything more than gut feeling appraisals. It wasn’t until I purchased my first hidrive D5H LGP that came with a brand new complete ITM undercarriage that I started to sit up and take notice at these cheaper alternatives.That ITM undercarriage worked extremely well and within 200 hours of the subsequent Cat undercarriage I fitted a couple of years later.The Cat tracks returned nearly twice the hourly costs than the ITM undercarriage,but only worked an extra 200 hours. I then fitted a couple of the D8H’s with ITM and they were great. I then went into hi drive D8’s and watched the ITM undercarriage equal Cat in wear,but at half the cost. However,in the UK the ITM brand stopped getting imported into our country and were no longer available.This put me into the hands of ITR,Astrak and the DCF/DCR Korean stuff. Fitted some DCF stuff to an D8K and they were ok.Cheap and available.Did the jobs.Half as good as Cat possibly and 3rd of the price.A good option for old D8K’s that only clock up 5/700 hours a year. Fitted some on a D9T also,but have since sold that tractor,so can’t comment,but they were definitely soft,so probably wouldn’t last long in hard going.Due to the effort and cost in replacing big D9 tracks,I think I’d need to look carefully at sourcing some ITR tracks for another D9 I’m currently considering buying. In summery,you don’t get what you pay for with Cat currently in the UK because they are overpriced,but it is good quality stuff.
Nicky, thanks for that information. I went with an off brand as well. I know an equipment guy that rents 963s nicer tractors than what I have. He uses off brand and stated they were getting around 4000 hours out of a new set. 3500 if lots of sands and 4500 if working in harder clays. They buy and rent used machines some have 18 to 20k hours on them. They look to be well kept. As poor as my under carraige is the company I got it from kept the old rollers, chains, pads whatever that had some life in it left. They would sell it to customers that had say 75 or 80 % gone buy lost a roller or idler or the like. I poked my head in there scrap dumpster and saw what they were tossing. Sprockets knife edge sharp, chains completely worn through the outer bushing and rollers and idlers that were bearing less or locked up. Kind of surprised how much others were wearing everything out. Made some of my junk still look good.
And I bet some of those won out bushes still had good rail height left.
Thanks so much for that Nicky! I found Berco more expensive than Cat when I was looking too. I've heard you have to talk to specific sales people rather than the parts people to get the best pricing from Cat. Several DCF dealers here as well as a DCF warehouse. The JD dealer even sold DCF as their aftermarket brand. Pricing was kind of all over the place depending on each dealer. I guess I could have bought different components from different dealers to get the best price on each of the components. I went with the dealer that offered the best overall price and saved a little money because I picked it up from the DCF warehouse myself. I went with SALT chains because they were only about $300 more per side which I thought was a no brainer. I also paid about $300 to have the new pads bolted on with the track press. I think I saved at least $2600 over going with Cat or Berco but that was comparing to dry chains. The SALT were 6-$800 more per side. I didn't ask what Cat or the Berco dealer charged for bolting the pads on or the cost of the hardware. I'm guessing it probably would have been double of DCF/Trek. The long time Berco dealer dropped them a few years after because they got too expensive. They went to getting their own private branded undercarriage and said they were getting equal or better life than Berco at a lower cost. They didn't offer it when I was looking. Another dealer that sold Berco had ridiculously high prices on rails so I didn't even bother going to talk to them about other components. The other thing I'm wondering is if larger machines benefit more from using the more expensive/better undercarriage? D10 and D11 users tend to stay with Cat undercarriage but on D6 and smaller machines is there less difference between the Cat undercarriage and other brands? I'm thinking smaller machines aren't nearly as hard on the undercarriage and can't work in the same conditions but maybe it comes down to just the weight of the machine? I figure I saved roughly $3000 going with DCF and if I would have went with Cat wouldn't warrant the extra cost but maybe?? I don't put a lot of hours on my 931B so will never really know. On a D6 or smaller what undercarriage gives the best bang for the buck or maybe a couple brands work out the same? One costs a little more but gets a little more life so it's worth the extra money? Somebody rich out there needs to do a side by side comparison like Project Farm does on a lot of things.
To dig stumps fast u need an excavator.... Used dozes, CAT's high drive... any... lots of parts and modular concept easy to fix. Anything Hydrostat Run from them, track loaders are good if one need to carry anything in trucks, but is better to consider a backhoe loader. A dozer without a ripper worth nothing... dozers are fine to push , dont dig well in hard soil or stumps... riping get u there 3 times faster. Regards
It really depends on the types of jobs you want to do. I agree with CM a track loader is very versatile and can do a lot different jobs. Hydrostat 953 and larger are hard to beat for someone wanting one machine for a variety of tasks. You can put rippers on them too as well as 4 in 1 buckets, grapples and root rakes.
Got the loader up in the air. On 10 x 14" blocks. 28" or so in height
Georgia you have welding chops, I suggest you build yourself a stump splitter. You do not need a full on winch install, just enough to lift it up out of the way and take the load. I see them out west here from time to time. A 7 or that 850 will part a stump in one poke. Once they are in two it is easy to root the rest out.
That's sounds like a good idea. More than likely the 850 is going to be pushing a rake, with the 963 doing most of the piling , a 160 excavator popping harder stumps and a tl150 carrying and stacking the bigger saveable logs. Hopefully that we get me to an acre or so of production per day. Really would like an off road dump truck also.
Making a little progress on the 963. The under carraige has been a bit of a battle. Lots of bolts worn off that would not take a socket, broken bolts. Luckily welding an old nut onto the stud has gotten most to come out. Most of that is to be expected. Probably the hardest part so far was removing one of the old idlers. It was frozen to the track bearing housing brackets. Between using a skid steer to apply leverage and a 100 16lb sledge hammer blows and torching out the centers it finally came apart. Remounting it on the opposite side was just also a lot.of fun. The idler fork apparently spread apart about 3/8s of an inch or the new housing was slighty different. After prying it into place then lineing up the housing lower frame bolts was so enjoyable in the hot sun alone makes for a lovely fun time.
Are those teeth the aftermarket ones TEC sells? I've been buying all my teeth from TEC for 1/2 the cost of Cat OEM. So far they seem to wear as good as OEM for 1/2 the price. Running them on our 325, 953, 305's and 279's. The 305's and 279's share the same shank so it makes it easy.
I got these from wilson finley in austell. I checked with heavy quip too and Wilson had a better price. The newer 963s use a bigger tooth. This 963 is using the 953 tooth. Not even sure what i paid for them. I do know the corner shanks were 115.00 ea. The track wear strips were way less than what cat wanted - 145.00 ea. These were 80.00 ea , 2 holes are wrong and need to be drilled and tapped for the older 63. Have not got to it yet. Back out of town working on another large grading job today. It is a hot than well you know.
Finished 2 more pours or about 100,000 sq ft. Just crossed 2,500,000 sq ft on this job. 21 pours done. 14 more to go. Approximately 25 30 ton trucks topping these off
Off road truck is very helpful on stump and hedgerow projects!
Dam what a load!
I finished up installing the new undercarriage. After all the worn and broken bolts came out it went back on pretty good. The track wear guides were missing a few hole so I needed to drill and 8 holes total. The wear guide bars were fairly soft steel so it was actually easy to do. If you are wondering how much a chain and rollers have in wear here is a photo of the spacing between the bottom of a roller and the top of the chain pin boss. Approximately 1.5 to 1.75 inches of height on a new track group. I have never had a new under carraige so I was surprised to see how much most of my other stuff is worn. That front guide was broken so I had nothing to bolt the back of the wear strip to. The new undercarriage really makes the machine feel like it is a different tractor.
Looks good! That '63 is going to be like a different tractor with those new shoes on.
Just thought I would ask if you know about the rear and forward set of the front idler mountings as i don't recall it being spoken of???
Yes. Thank you. I did not mention it. The idlers are set in the rear position. I bought a kbj brand under carraige. The track adjusters were extended this much to get everything tight.
Did the rails come with the pads bolted on or did you put them on? It doesn't appear that the paint was sanded off on the pads. Not sure about the links. Also wondering if the bolts were torqued using the torque turn method? I only mention this because I had to replace 90%+ pads because over half had come loose because they weren't torqued properly. Everybody said once they come loose they'll never tighten properly.
The rails already had the pads put on. I did not take one off to check it. I don't know the answer to your question. I have a friend that gets them to work on all his equipment and he has people running his machines all day long doing production work. He has 6 963s 21z models. Several large outfits use these guys i got the parts from to do all there under carraige work and they have it seems to be an endless line of machines they are working on. They turn pins and bushings and have big swing arm torque wrench that they use on a track frame machine. Standard labor for installing a new bottom is about $2500.00. I am not sure what they charge to fix all the little issues such as broken bolts and what not. Or doing the work I did to the bucket. It took about 4 hours to redo the bucket the old heal plates had been welded on. I was worried about the rust on the track extender chrome rod. They told me that in 20 plus years he has only replaced one on the 963, he said don't worry about it. I did not really have the time to do this work, I filled it in during rain days, Sunday mornings and what have you. I also had a retired mechanic come over and he helped out for about 20 hours. The parts were to heavy for him and I ended up doing most of the work because I could tell it was just too much. He got to hot, I was worried he left early and did not come back the next few days and I ended up doing the idlers alone. We welded a piece of c channel to a floor jack to bolt and unbolt the rollers and rock guards. Worked great. Another issue I had was I did not have my own gear ready to move the tractor so I would have had to pay to haul it. I have not found a trailer yet for my triaxle truck and my dump truck did not have the correct wiring for the tri axle trailer I bought. The trailer I bought just got 12 new tires today and I finished installing the new wiring yesterday. I a have a barn demo and a 80 x 80 pad that needs to be graded. Basically 1 days work and then cylinders need to be rebuilt and it needed to head to the large land clearing job i have going. The list of things to be done never seems to get smaller.
Here is my truck and new trailer. I have not got to test this out yet, I am worried about having the metal floor. I am wondering if it should cut it out and install some oak boards.
Forgot the pics. I'd expect the pads were torqued properly if they were installed on a track press. Most track presses have an electric or hydraulic torque wrench. They torque to a certain amount and then mark the bolts to turn an extra 1/3rd to 1/2 a turn more depending on the specific bolts.
Site would not upload them. Been hit and miss.
You could put used conveyor belts on the checker plate. I'd paint it with rust converter or box liner before bolting the conveyor belting on. Was the truck parked under a bunch of tree's? My Topkick water truck has some of that discoloration but not as bad.
Not sure on trailer history. The rust is ust a light surface rust. We have a couple of trailers 45 years old and they have a rust color but no pitting or flaking. They have never been painted. Other trailers I have seen have major pitting and flaking, not sure what causes some steels to do that. I do have used conveyor belt i havent considered it. I have seen it get slippery when wet. I might consider it.
I’d do something. Those steel decks look good but whooeee when wet. I slid a Cat 120 off one time, when I was turning around and the trailer was on a slight angle and I turned to the wrong side. Didn’t help it was pouring out.
So what do guys suggest on the trailer deck. Cut the plate out or lay conveyor belt on the steel deck. Bolt boards to it?
I’d vote either bolting conveyor belt onto the steel decking; or bolting a couple strips of 2x wood planking (gives the machine something to bite into)- basically don’t use trailer as is. Especially knowing that Georgia clay alone is some slick/slimy stuff!
It's always easier to spend someone elses money. That being said, I vote for taking the steel off and put some apitong boards on it. Conveyor belt would prob be fine most of the time but it's that 1 time it doesn't work that will bite you in the ***.
I don't see a problem with that deck as much as others do. Once you roll across the corner onto the flat the drama is mostly over. I'd bolt conveyor on it. The climb up to the flat is the dramatic part. If it were a tilt like that, it would be a bad day most every day. I climb a tilt with steel and some cleats welded onto it. It is a bit puckery.
I vote conveyor belt. Don't need to make the trailer any taller IMO.
Try it out a few times, you will know after that!
Very satisfying to see the new u/c. Top job completed. 10/10.
Put it threw its paces. 7 hour trial by fire never shut it down. Was excited to see how it would handle compared to the 953. The few trees and old building were about a 25 min issue. Grade was out by about 5'. This old cat still has what it takes, it will roll the tracks and cram the bucket full of dirt fast. It was not tippy. 100 x 100 pad site. I attempted to keep the low side with minimal fill. 12 to 15"s. Mainly cutting down and bringing outside the slab area up for tractors and trucks to be able to move around the building. Building is going to be 64' wide x 40' long. We typically leave 7' to 15' slightly sloped outside of the building to carry water away and hopefully keep drainage away from the structure.
So how much more productive is it than the 953?
There is a difference to me. I have been operating 953s for more than 15 years now. I own 2 of them. The 963 has more power and traction. Super hard clay would just pile into the bucket. Trees and stumps come out so much easier. I was thinking maybe 50% more ability. Certainly 25%. I don't know that i had enough seat time but I did get up one large pine stump that had been cut off. Only clipped one side of the stumps roots then lifted it out. I set the laser up and checked the pad it was within 2", pretty happy considering I was moving fast. The bucket does not really have a flat top, so basically it was all in feel of the machines response, you can't see a dam thing in front of the bucket. I did not get a chance to load the truck but was wondering if 3 scoops would do it. Is it Miller that runs one at a pit loading trucks? What do you think? It is harder to get on and off. It was harder on my body at the end of the day. Started at 445am back home at 700 pm on my off day. It is harder to pull with my n14. I pulled a few big hills dropped to 23 mph and was about to shift into low side. I was afraid I would miss the down shift on the split and stop in the road. I killed the truck at one red light twice it would not move easing the clutch out. The whole truck would flex getting it going. I have owned this truck 12 years, trailer is new to me. I rebuilt all the trucks brakes myself, So pretty familiar with the truck. Brakes sucked ass. I was on wet roads.. I did my adjustment before I left and no stopping power on the down hills. Once at the site I readjusted everything and it was good coming back in. Maybe rust had to burn off I don't know. I just eased along, not pushing any real speeds. I checked all axles on arrival and the drums and tires were hot so they were working. Once I hit speed the truck just moved along. It rode smooth and felt good. Stopped straight. Starting out was "the problem".
I'm guessing the return-to-dig bucket leveler isn't working or is disconnected? From what I've read I think a 963 is maybe the best all around Cat track loader for medium to large jobs. Nimble like a 953 but not overly big like a 973. Kind of a 953 on steroids.
Looks good. I'd love to have some equipment like that, transporting it is the problem around here. With some grades exceeding 20%, most of the guys with a 963 are hauling them with a semi. 953 is a good load for a stout tandem in these parts, even so there are a few steep stop signs you try to avoid. Had a chance to buy a 977L a while back for a good price, but at 48,000lbs transporting it would be a major issue. It was stout though, I got to run it on a land clearing job and it would take out a 30" pine stump in two passes.
Great machine and even better pics- luv that Georgia red clay!! Thanks for posting, definitely enjoy seeing that machine…there’s one down the road from me; not sure my neighbor is willing to sell it, but nice to know what it can do!!
Kind of a funny, i bought my first 953 with no way to move it. Got my first job down the road by driving it threw the woods to a neighbors house. I have everything I need to move this 963 but still could not. Trailer needed tires and the dump truck needed a 7 way added to the back for this trailer. No time to even get tires so I paid to bring it back to the shop. I paid to have my 953 brought to me also so many years ago. My 953 is too small for the current clearing job, I needed something that can put out more, so I decided to get a 963. As jobs keep piling up I want the tools that will save me the most time. I am booked up the rest of the year with work. I am not able to keep up anymore. Even with a little help here and there work has become a gaint gorilla on my back and I can't get it off. I am in the process of completing 4 contracts, and I have stopped taking any new work. I have stopped answering the phone and looking at new work. I am working towards a clean state with no work, I need to disappear for 2 or 4 months to recoup. I am working threw the holiday including Sunday to try and get some jobs out of the way. I am sure you guys have felt the same way. I often wonder what is the point of working for months on end just to go get another machine so a different machine can sit. Maybe it is better to just have one really good tractor and truck and not chase everything. But the chasing everything has led to so much work that now I can't breath. Anyway.. I am in the process of building clearing guards for the 963 they are turning out sweet. I just rebuilt both lift cylinders and dropped all the pans to inspect and clean the belly. This tractor is a 90s models and the seals were completely gone when I pulled the cylinders apart. If you buy older equipment get ready you will need to work on it. I have put 100 hours into this in early mornings, Sundays, after work etc. PIA. The 963 is better designed than the 953. More room and hoses and what not seem to have better access. $600 for the seals. I don't really know how it was not spraying fluid out the ends the internal seals were just disintegrated...
Here are some photos of my clearing screens. Still in the process of doing it. I just used some steel i had laying around 1/2 rebar. Everything welded. Seems strong enough i believe it will keep a tree top from falling into the front of the machine. Or slapping me in the face. Now I am making doors and side screens and then finally some (rear sweeps) pieces to make limbs slide over the air cleaner and rear exhaust. I put up in another thread about getting popped 3 different times on the 953 on this clearing job. It hurt bad enough that I decided clearing without protection just is not worth it. I am lucky my head did not get crushed by a 6" oak limb. Never again.
Here are a few pictures of the some of the mess I am working with. It is hard to put it into a picture. The amount of damage and debris is a lot. I am basically just trying to open some 50' wide firebreaks so it can be burned. I need to clear several miles worth and try to push up whatever I can. Stumps everywhere.
Looks like easy clearing to me. I'd like to be back in it again, with my own machine though.
Where is your machine? This area is mostly dry and flat. Other areas are sloped with 10 or 15 trees stacked ontop of one another. Some trees are 40" in diameter. 100 year old trees. Some are just snapped off and some have root balls sticking up 10'. I have pushed the road previously in one of the above photos logs line each side of the road. Not 100 feet from this picture my TL150 went to the belly stuck working on this road. Not sure how the 63 will do. I have been stopping and cutting out good logs to take to my saw mill. I am now about to stop and only go after the white oak. Bugs are already in the pine logs and 4 different big oaks did not produce good boards... a lot of work for so so wood. The biggest and best trees are the cypress down jn the swamps. I don't think i will get to recover much of it. Can't even walk threw it and it is deep black mud with up rooted trees everywhere. Nature will have to take care of it.
Looks like a mess, good luck, watch the poison ivy and the ticks.
Got some work done on the hinges. As I am waiting on a building inspection.
I was not able to get a good finish. The 1/2 bar was 30"s long so I worked it from each side so 15" bar. It was flexing a lot and I had to dial the middle in probably 1500 more than the ends. The ends did fine but i had to wittle away at center over and over. My skills are not so great.... anyone got more experience at machineing.
Yep and the rattle snakes and bees
Does your lathe have a center rest or a follower rest? Looks like the cutter could use sharpening or adjustment also.
Looks like you are using a cutoff tool instead of a turning tool? Been awhile since I've done much machining though.
Yes I was using a cut off tool. It had a new edge, but the bar was still flexing. Worked great close to the Chuck and the tail stock. I have seen others on YouTube use it that way. Is that an issue?
A single point cutter works much better in my experience (which is very little).
If you could come up with a single point turning cutter things would be smoother. I completely understand using what you have though. I came up on this thread today and enjoyed the read. The 850B seemed to fall off though. How is it running?
I have a few single point cutters. I used the parting tool because it was setup and ready. Now I am curious if the single point will do better. The 850 got parked and it is going to be a winter project maybe spring. I have too many stumps for it and the 63 should work them up faster.
I got started on this thread because of the TD20 in the title. C&C Equipment in Indiana has one for sale and the rebuild videos they did on it were really interesting...if you like Equipment videos. Lol
I quite often watch C&C videos. They seem a good outfit.
Yeah for long parts like that you need a follow rest, the flexing can cause that finish, as well as the tool. What sort of tool? And rpm? And problem with a lathe sometimes doing a proper rpm is a dangerous deal. With a follow rest and decent carbide tool and proper feed you would get a better finish. I'd do that half bar deal as well, that was a smart move. You do have the tool point on center? Just reread and .... Do not use a parting tool as the cutter, it is too much pressure on the surface, you need something with maybe a .02 to .03 radius on the tip, with mild steel part, then high speed cutter is fine. The tip radius will help give a better finish, and take very light cuts. Get the feel for it. Also number 1 rule, always keep the cutting tool as short as possible and as close to the holder as well. The key thing in machining is the set up and machine need to be as solid as can be. Make sure the carriage, cross slide etc has no gib play. And spindle as well. If you don't have a follow rest, only stick maybe 4 inches at a time out of the chuck still using the center, once you get the 15 inches flip and go on the other side. Then could save for a final longer finish cut or just leave it ? Yes do 4 inches then move it out 4 more inches etc, and is easy to blend the cut that way too. Use a felt pen to mark and lightly touch it to blend with previous cut.
Sounds like some good advice. I will give it another shot, how you suggested and see what it does.
Any new photos of the new technique and how it looks now?
Not yet. We have been full steam ahead with concrete work had to work on the holiday and today and then back out of town for grading tomorrow. Every project gets put on hold it seems, jobs have been stacked up and weather has not been so nice the last 45 days here. These lower pictures are the same site I posted early in this tread of the 63 clearing. Clearing was done 45 days ago. That is how long it has been since we had a clear weather window to build this pad. Customer is a lady that raises and sells pigs, they have about 300 of them... All concrete forms I use I make on a woodmizer. I go through trailer loads of lumber...
From what I understand, they bounce around these smaller government auctions and buy up equipment and send it back to their shop to repair it and resell it. They have a nice building, and he seems like he knows John Deere stuff. I saw one video he did making some custom-made rock guards for a dozer or loader. I don't know anyone around me like that. All these big outfits around here take their stuff to Yancey or have them come out. They spend major money on their equipment. All the large commercial building firms, I work for don't even own a machine everything they use is a rental. I never realized how much equipment is rented until the last few years.
When rented equipment breaks down it's generally fixed or replaced quickly. It's also 100% tax deductible and doesn't show up on the books. There's something to be said for that.
What kind of trees are you making your forms out of? SYP? You air dry the lumber or just use it green? I've been working on getting my sawmill yard cleaned up and better organized so I can stack, sticker and air dry a variety of lumber so it's ready to use. Most of the stuff I mill is rough framing lumber and siding for barns, fence board, etc comes right off the mill and is used sometimes same day. Having some dry/stable lumber would be nice though. I've been noticing that too. On some of the big commercial projects there will be 2-3 different contractors/subs and they are all using rental equipment, often from different rental outfits. Not uncommon to see trucks from United, Sunbelt, and some of the local rental houses all unloading at the same time. Makes me wonder if I should just rent some of the larger/less used equipment instead of trying to own it, IDK...
On a lot of the bigger commercial jobs we’re on the vase majority of the work is sub’d out. A good many of the subs in turn sub the labor out so the 1st tier sub is supplying material, supervision and equipment which is almost always rented. Also alot of the subs in the commercial sector travel from job to job so rental is the best choice.
That good ole Georgia red dirt, I remember that the most when I visited that state.
I have dried about 6 gaint stacks for interior planks. Nice 15" wide x 1" thick popular boards. So many curled and did not dry straight. Really pisses me off. So much gets wasted. As far as concrete goes. I like using fresh green lumber. Straight from the saw deck to trailer deck to job. No handling it multiple times. I have basically been cutting it just when I need it, that is all I really have time for. When the logs start to sit to long, I bust it down square straight to dimension and dump the outside cuts straight to the burn pile, it is wasteful . For instance on # 3 and 4 cuts it is either 11 or 16 wide so it is dropping 2 x 6s right away, minimal turns, straight to the square meat. If the log had a lot of taper I will get 2 x 4s out of the outside cuts if the wood is still good. Green logs cut straighter I think on pine anyway. The reason some of that wood looks blonde is because it is Leland cypress. i got a trailer load for free from a buddy. They are paying to dump everything here now. 2 log yards just closed up near us. But the wood is very soft and bust easily when using it for stakes. The best form wood I use is normally yellow pine. It is a little better than popular. It is strong and works good for stakes. Twice I have seen workers almost get hurt off of bad stake wood so I am more picky about that than the actual form boards. My guys swing 16lb sledge hammers like it is nothing all day long if needed. They like that Leland it was easy to rip with skill saws, I will be happy when it is gone... I normally get in a lumber crunch when I have 3 or so big slabs going at once and the jobs sit waiting on pour time. I do save and reuse form boards. If the jobs are over 1 hour away I leave them because it takes too much time to go get em up.
I got the door frames mocked up, the hinges weighing about 25 lbs plus the frames. Almost to heavy to pick up. It's going to be a real PIA to remount after paint and bars added. Almost everything is sloped or angled, figuring out how to mount it up is a bit of guesswork
Why not use weld on hinges with grease fitting and have it so the doors can be easily removed if desired. Two section doors is another option. You can swing the upper section back when you don't need the protection.
That is exactly how the cage on the 850 dozer was made. I did think about it. I did not see why a 2 piece door would be needed. I have not used a screen setup before maybe the vis will be an issue? The only reason I could come up with taking it off is if it gets damaged. What I am making is about 30 to 40% stronger than the factory dozer cage, it is damaged. Looks like a battering ram hit the side doors. I could weld some bolts to the rops and bolt it. Then again maybe welding it is better. Cut it off if it needs removed. As far as grease on the hinges don't really need them to swing very easy want them tight and not move until I am ready to shut them. That way I don't have to worry about them slamming on me. I am not 100% sure what i am going to wish I did or didn't do. I do know that I would love a way to carry a chainsaw with me.
Maybe a chain saw holder like they make for quads could be attached somewhere in the cab?
Making some progress. Guards made it back from sandblasting and paint. $400.00 So far in this project I am right at about $1500.00 in the build. 40 lbs of 7018 welding rods and about 10 gallons of diesel in the Miller. I decided to get a complete new seat, I checked at Cat they are $1900.00 . I did a bit of digging and found a suspension seat off of ebay for $200.00 delivered. Most only ebay are around $500.00. I don't really see how they mailed me this 75 lb seat for that price. I basically looked at the weight and bought the Heaviest comparable at the cheapest price i could find. I don't want to give it a recommendation yet but for the price it looks really well made. I am waiting for the hotwork to be done to set it in place. Both lift cylinders are rebuilt. All fluids and filters changed. Both fuel filters were bad dirty, as was the hydrostat. All nose cone bolts were fixed. No less than 200 lbs of mud and slop was packed around the hydraulic tank. Exhaust rebuilt, radiators cleaned. Belly pans removed and 400 lbs of dirt removed from there.
The man that did the sandblasting, was interested in my cage. He told me his nephew was working a skidder and a pine came up threw a lower opening and impaled him straight threw his gut. Another machine was clamped onto the pine and pulled it back out of him, he was layed up in the hospital for a month and he still has issues with his belly. I am happy with how the cage turned out. The instrument cluster shield was a bit in the way of the back guard so it was cut a little short and i have not figured out the door locks or pins yet. Was thinking about making a simple t handle that drops through 2 pieces of pipe. I also want some dead stops in the door to keep them from being pushed inward. Typically when I am clearing I can keep most stuff of the machine. I think I had a bad run or was working too fast in the 53 and got tagged. Trust me if you are into heavy clearing just get cage around you. I have always been afraid of tops snapping out and falling straight down on the tractor, especially with dead trees. It really does not take much to get hurt a 2" limb can pop you hard. I was cleaning up an area of storm damage and many trees were up rooted in an area, basically layed on top of one another. One tree was about all the 53 could push with the root ball weight wise. As I was moving a whole tree it hung up and the machine slid side ways into another downed tree I was near. The tracks got into the top and an oak limb got under tension and hit the rops, it got me in the head and crushed the muffler and the air pre cleaner. Never really saw how it happened. My 53s have sat idle since not even willing to risk it again. I originally was going to build this cage for the 53 then I found this 63.
As I have been going through the 63, the hydraulic tank was covered in oil and dirt. When i pressure washed it clean, I noticed one of the hydraulic filter covers was cracked and about to break completely off, the crack went all the way threw to the oring. I was able to tig weld it and machine the o ring groove again. I had to use 300 amps on this to get it to melt correctly. The corner literally started to sag and I almost caused the part to be bent and ruined. I had to keep it hot and straighten it with a hammer on a flat piece of steel hoping it would not crack again and come apart. That part is $400.00 from cat and out of stock across the country with no back order. I checked ebay with no luck. I could not Chuck it in a 3 jaw. Luckily i had a 4 jaw for the old sheldon i have. Every boring bar or cutting tool i had was too wide or did not cut deep enough in the narrow width. I was just able to clean it up with a cut off tool. I wonder what the proper tool would be to make a groove like this. It seems to be holding pressure. It's hard to believe the aluminum cracked the way it did.
Nice job. I just had to tig weld an ear on a 2024 Vette oil pan that someone dropped on the floor, at my brothers shop. Forgot to take pics but the replacement would have been 1700 bucks and was 3 weeks out. They owe me a truck detailing.
I bought a nice used water cooled tig setup about 10 years ago. I once thought it would be cool to build a baja race truck, that is the only welding they take for the truck cages. I have only used it a few times. First I taught myself how to weld aluminum fence ties together. Then I welded up a cracked diesel transfer tank. Took 5 different times filling it up with water to find pin hole leaks, dirty aluminum can be hard. I was looking at my repair above and that last pin hole looks ugly. But it seemed to have a a solid puddle under it. When the part started sagging I decided it was good enough.... Thank God I was wearing heavy welding gloves the entire part must have hit 1000 degrees. I first tried 160 amps it would only puddle on each side of the crack not across the gap, I probably spent too much time working the area at that setting. Once I cranked it up to 300 amps, it started puddling up nicely. It took a lot of heat with 3 different attempts.
Preheat would have probably helped. It's not uncommon to have to weld cast aluminum two or more times to burn the impurities out. Usually you weld one side to hold everything together and then work on the other side. Weld it and then grind the weld out if it's black. Rinse and repeat as needed. Then you can go back to the first side welded and redo it if necessary. A coarse carbide burr in a die grinder is the best tool to use to clean the aluminum. Grinding wheels can introduce contaminates to the aluminum. A carbide burr leaves it as clean as possible. I once had to repair a cast aluminum part from a Brunswick bowling alley pin setter/ball return. It was obsolete and replacements were not available. Had to weld and grind it out 4 or 5 times to get rid of all the impurities. No black in the finished weld. It was pretty much a one time deal so took the time to give it the best chance of success. After welding had to grind it smooth on one side.
Finally, I got to put it to work clearing. Having a cage is the way to go. Brush and limbs just slide right by. It is a great piece of mind. This privet and whatever else is growing is thick. Sometimes it completely tries to swallow the whole machine. I think I managed to get about 2 acres today pushed into 3 separate burn piles. The 963 did get bogged down a few times when the piles got large. The root mats that were piling up were thick and full of dirt. So large stumps will stop it fast. Not easy to get them out. Must cut deep all the way around and then push and lift. Not fun and a big time suck. Medium sized ones just come up. I left the big ones for now.
I have not always had the luck to have a cage when clearing, and the few times I had an issue the cage would have done nothing. I have had vine maples do a few fun things, and have had some good practice with rebar, 2 key things when dealing with all that sort of stuff, protect yourself from it and the machine. Eyes on the job at all times. I have had chunks of wood kicked up out of nowhere and fly at me. I like clearing the best. Really miss it.
Think anyone that has done any clearing has had logs or stuff shoot at them. One time I was running a bush hog in Tennessee and my daughter was shooting a 22lr of the deck and I got hit in the back of the head and I thought she had shot me. Lol Turn out, one of the chain guards must have got caught just right and beamed me in the back of the head. Took 5 staples to close it up.
A couple years ago I was taking out some trees for a customer. I had save a good sized cottonwood (@ 5 ft in diameter) for last because it was close to the property line and I wanted it to fall a certain direction. I had dug completely around this tree with a 200 Komatsu and went to push it over and the tree didn't budge an inch. So I track around to the opposite side and dig some more out from around and under the root ball. After doing that for @ 5-10 mins I thought I would give it another try. As I was tracking back around I noticed the shadows of the tree were moving on a completely calm day. I look over and the tree fell in the exact spot that I had just came from not 30 seconds earlier!!! When it comes to clearing you can throw out the rule book because stuff happens that defy the laws of physics!!
I've had a branch grab the dozers gear shift and put in high!!
I probably don't follow the rule book very closely or maybe i am just an accident waiting to happen. I have developed a technique of loosing trees around the base and putting the back of the bucket around the tree and pulling it backwards,and spinning the machine as you do and using the side of the loader arm to make the tree fall away from you at an angle. It allows me to get trees that you can't push on. Probably not very safe but that's how I do it. Just breaking for lunch. Being clearing since daylight, hydrostat temp was creeping up there, I got into about 30 stumps that had to go. I can put the bucket over the stump lift out some dirt from the far side then push them into the opening. Worked pretty well and is fast at getting out slighty bigger stumps. I did get into one that required me hogging dirt from every side 5' deep and it was still holding on. Dam these stumps.
Stumps ? Here if it took longer than 1 minute to get out a 2.5 foot diameter stump time was being wasted.
Not sure if putting a heavy side load on the loader arms/bucket is a good idea. The arms are designed mostly for pushing straight ahead or corner loading the bucket. A 963 could put a lot of side load on the arms and potentially twist the arms on big tree's.
It's more of a pulling straight back then when the tree starts to fall giving it a some side pressure. The bucket will flex out a little if you really put the torque on it. This machine is burning more than a full tank a day. More thirsty than a 53. I put in 60 gallons today and had some in before I added and still ran it out of fuel. Managed to clear almost 2000' in two days. I forgot how sore you get running these things all day long. I did not think this old brute would hold up, considering i paid just over scrap value for it. It runs really smooth and strong, one side is tracking slightly faster than the other.
Turns out, i was not out of fuel my new filters were stopped up with algea. The prefilter was completely full i guess some got past the prefilter which I cleaned again, because under heavy load it will miss a bit still.
That can be some nasty stuff. I currently have a fuel tank off of a recently purchased D6H at the radiator shop getting it cleaned up. I was able to get alot of it out of the water drain on the tank but the way the tank is shaped I wasn't able to get all of it with a pressure washer. The guy at the radiator shop seemed confident he could get it cleaned up.
I am hoping that burning the fuel up will get rid of it. Another full day of clearing aside from the 1.5 hours it took me to clean the pre filter up and replace the other one. That is some of the prettiest soil I have ever seen. So rich and looks like anything could grow in it. I did not bother to get a picture but this tractor can pick up a 40" oak tree with the root ball still on it and carry it. My 953 would not even come close. Part of what I am working in is a yellow pine Forrest that was clear cut. The big tree's that are down are along the lines. I have perfected stump removal. I can get the big pine stumps in less than one minute. They are 2 years old now so not fresh but still a bit of a challenge. The best way to do it is push the brush off it. Then side cut one side as deep as you can say around 4' deep, normally what ever it can get out in a big fast scoop . Then move the tractor around just a little so that you can grab the side of the stump say 90* or so more around and roll and lift the stump at the same times towards the cut. The tractor will stop and groan and after a good 8 or 10 secs of thinking your going to blow a hose the stump will give up and come right out. Does not work on 36" or 40" stumps or double stumps better to clip it all the way around. I am pretty sure you excavator lovers could not hold the line with me and this 63. I have moved a lot of material and cleared one hell of an area. I saved a few small trees above and made and double fire break just getting into a lot of large trees that are blown down. It no problem actually very fast the limbs just crush and break and whole trees go right to the burn piles. I can get 2 or 4 smaller trees at once. I love this 63. So far this $200.00 dollar ebay seat is holding up. I would not buy it if you weigh more than 200 or so lbs. The metal parts are half as thick as the cat seat. OK for me i am not that big. The arms rests were about another $200.00 I cut the base off the other old seat and welded this one to it so the bolt lined right up.
I not sure if you saw my comment but I have honed in on the exact way to knock them out.
Did you get the armrests from Finney? There are some excavator operators that are very good at stump removal and clearing brush. I think it's a little premature to think you could get large stumps out faster than they could. I've taken some fairly big stumps out with my 931B but I took the whole tree by pushing higher up on the tree for more leverage. I doubt a D3 dozer would do anything with them.
Ebay for the arm rest. Pardon Our Interruption... Every clearing contractor around here has at least one 963 on the jobsite. An excavator can get A bigger stump faster but it can't move the downed trees and ground cover 200' away as fast. An excavator is cheaper to use because of under carraige wear, but for sheer speed and moving ability it is not possible for an excavator to move the material to the burn piles as fast. I can take 30,000 lb bites of roots, trees and ground cluter and push them 150 or 200 feet away in 8' wide chunks. I normally track over to where the pile is going to be and work from it backwards back to the line being cleared so that I don't have to push piles that are about to heavy to move into more debris. Excavators don't have that pushing ability. Now if you could get a bigger machine like a D7 or D8 with the 12' or 14' blade then you are cleaning more footage each pass. The problem i have is the stumps can grab the bucket and stop you cold. So you need to keep the bucket up just a little above them. I have often wondered about the math of how clearing works with hp, weight, blade contact area in regards to speed. When I get back into the big hard wood stumps then it would be excavator time. But right now this 963 has found its sweet spot. I am taking it to the limit of its abilities each and every shove. Very risky for the hoses because sooner or later the weaker ones will start to pop. I am waiting for day light to go again, as usual i am alone working. I am going to put in another full day if the machine holds up. I am about 1 mile in at this point. Getting to the tractor with fuel is work just by itself. I always try to keep a road clear to me because I don't like working on a machine sitting in briars.
Looks awesome and stay safe. By yourself and a mile out, is not a good combination.
Well I do have my Smith and Wesson and a 5 gallon bucket of water.
How big of a clearing job are you on? Do you have a dozer on the job or just loader?
No dozer. Just loader first area contract is for 20 acres. Then a second track for 20 acres. I blew the hydrostatic drives lower cooling hose yesterday. Stopped progress. It appears that getting to the hose end is going to be an issue not much space between the radiator and the engine. Had to leave the site did not have proper tools. Cleaned the prefilter again.
That looks like the same nasty stuff I was dealing with. I would assume a 963 has a sump at the bottom of the fuel tank to drain the water. If so you might want to try and drain as much of that crap out as you can. Hopefully someone on here that knows alot more about that stuff than I do will chime in. The fuel tank on the D6H that I am working on was easy to get at and take off. The fuel tank on a 963 is probably not as easy to remove so you might want to try some chemicals to remove that stuff first. Just my $.02