I need a machine to dig a 1 to 1.5 acre tank 10 to 12 foot deep and also to clean up and fill in 3 more tanks on my 100 acres here in texas. I know one machine doesn't so everything well, but was wondering if you can dig tanks with loaders and perhaps rent a small finishing dozer to manacure it. I have been looking ofr three months and can find nothing but junk dozers in my budget (around 12-15). I did however find a good clean allis wheel loader with a 4.5 yd bucket I was considering buying but dont' want to screw up and buy the wrong machine. I've been told all different oponions from you can't dig a tank with a wheel loader to wheel loaders are the best for digging tanks. Please help--- Thanks
You can dig almost anything with a wheel loader as long as the site is set up for it, and the ground conditions arent to bad. If you have to load out any excess material, or stockpile it away from the hole, you sure cant do that with a dozer. Also if you buy an old dozer that may need an undercarriage, thats a hefty bill to pay. As long as there's enough room to build a nice ramp to get in and out of the hole, i'd say the loader is the way to go. Up here on long island we use wheel loaders to dig foundations and sumps all the time. Even track loaders are used mainly for clearing these days around here. GOOD LUCK
Is rocky soil bad for a wheel loader? I've also got an old rock fence, you know back when they used to build fences out of stone on farms, to clear up as well. That little d3 dozer didnt' seem to do very well on it but i was hioping a heavy wheel loader woudl like the fr-20. Any thoughts on that?
You want to watch your wheel spin in rocky soil, you risk cutting a tire. The type of rock you have will play a part in tire life too, the sharp jagged rocks will certainly cause more damage than the polished rocks we have in my area from the glaciers.
A loader will work as long as the ground isn't to soft. I would get one with or have teeth put on it appose to a smooth cutting edge they will work a lot better. Don't spin a tire like Steve said that will make it take longer, but tires are expensive. Filling the old tanks is going to be harder then with a dozer your going to try and get them to dry out a bit before you start filling it in. I loader will be a lot better if you have to move the dirt much outside the area your working in.
Can I add teeth to the lade that's on there if it just has a cutting edge? And if I do add them are they removable if I want to go back to the cutting edge?
some manufacturers make a bolt on cutting/teeth set up i belive. that you can take on and off. correct me if im wrong
Must I go to a dealer of the loader or is it an aftermarket thing?
You should be able to get teeth and shank adapters from an aftermarket cutting edge dealer. Here the biggest one is Cutting Edge Supply, not sure what you will fing locally. If you have trouble locating a source, you may be able to call a local contractor and ask advice on where they buy cutting edges and such
When you guys say "tanks", what exactly are you reffering to? I'm thinking some kind of drainage pond, like we would call a sump or silt pond up in New York. Just trying to completely understand what you are doing. Do you already have a D3?
No ihave no dozer , but i was renting a d3 and a john deere 350. Tank like for irrigation or stock tank we call them here in texas. Like a giant water pond. We say pond if it's rather small and tank if it's a larger body of water. The tank I'm wanting to dig would cover 1.5 to 2.0 acres and be 10 to 12 feet deep.
Thanks for the info. What do you do with the excess material? Up here most of the stone guys who load out the stone walls like using track loaders, but it sounds like thats only a small part of your project. I think if you really were thinking about a dozer, a track loader might be an option because at least you can load and push with it. But the wheel loader will still be cheaper to operate and faster to move material around the site, if the conditions are right.
what about one of these compared to a tracked loader?
I dont think a compactor like that would be effective in this situation, this is a pretty big job. Deffinatley need the right equipment, with some size.
963 or a D6
I have been having no luck finding a clean d6 in my area or 750 miles or under from me. I will hceck about the 963's, thanks.
wheel loaders can do more of everything
Welcome to Heavy Equipment Forums Mtxz453! :drinkup
I'm looking for a dozer slao but ot clear some Texas land and possibly enlarge a tank or two. Anybody have any good leads on a med. size, good condition dozer in Texas for a reasonable price?
...not so when the terrain dictates the use of a tracked machine
Not in Texas.