Bulldozer

Choosing a bulldozer for your company carries several important considerations you need to make. Here you will learn more to be able to make that decision.

Bulldozer Overview
In the late 1800s in America, the term "bulldozing" was used to describe the use of force in pushing over or pushing through some obstacle. By the 1930s the term was used to describe a machine that would be used to push over or through obstacles. Generally speaking, a bulldozer is a tracked vehicle with a large metal plate attached to the front. The plate is known as the blade, and it is used to feel the weight layers of soil or two cut through tree stumps or push other obstacles away.

Perhaps the best-known manufacturer bulldozers is Caterpillar, but over the years as engineers needed equipment to complete large-scale operations in earthmoving, other companies like, Komatsu, Fiat Allis, John Deere, International Harvester, and Case, to name a few, developed and manufactured their versions of the large track type earthmoving machines. Over the years bulldozers have become bigger and more powerful and much more sophisticated. Some of the areas of improvement include engines that are more powerful, more dependable drive trains, superior tracks, raised and enclosed cabins, and hydraulic arms that allow for precision in the movement and control of the blade. All of these developments have made bulldozers indispensable in commercial and even military construction.

Power and Weight of Bulldozers
The weight and balance of the bulldozer are among the most important factors that need to be considered in selecting a commercial bulldozer. As a matter of course, more weight and horsepower are necessary for pushing the heavier loads in high levels of production. The weight of the blade on the front of the bulldozer should be offset by either a counter balance weight or an accessory like a ripper or a winch, especially when the dozer will be used for finish work.

Selecting the proper amount of horsepower for the bulldozer is one of the primary considerations in your purchase. If you are going to do high production dozing work, then high horse power is very critical. If you are going to do more finish dozing, the horsepower helps determine the ease of steering the bulldozer. The ratio between weight and horsepower is also important. If you have too much horsepower for the weight of your bulldozer, the track will spin without traction. That diminishes productivity as well as the life of the undercarriage. On the other hand, if the horse power of the engine is not sufficient for the weight of the dozer and its accessories, your vehicle will have a difficult time measuring up to the productivity standards that are necessary.

Bulldozer Transmissions
The transmission of the bulldozer is another important specification. More often in heavy commercial bulldozers the power shift transmissions that are operated by push buttons are preferable to the types that are controlled with levers. Ease of operation makes for less fatigue on the operator. Bulldozers with power shift transmission have three forward and three reverse speeds. Using the third gear for long periods of time can be detrimental to the undercarriage of the bulldozer.

Hydrostatic transmissions give smaller bulldozers more maneuverability and variable speeds. Hydrostatic transmissions, however, are more likely to be contaminated, making them undesirable for heavier dozers. Torque divider transmissions are more expensive and require more space than torque converter transmissions, thus they are seen most often in larger and heavier bulldozers.

Steering a bulldozer is one more element of specification that should be given consideration. The clutch-brake steering systems allow the dozer to turn in pivot when the track on one side is locked and the one on the other side is turned. Differential steering systems are more expensive, but they provide for power turning and counter rotation, allowing turning in tighter spaces.

Fuel efficiency
As with any commercial enterprise all elements of cost need to be considered when choosing which bulldozer is right for your business. That means fuel consumption must be of some consideration, especially at times when the cost of fuel is rapidly increasing. A large commercial bulldozer, such as the Fiat Allis 31 will consume around 20 gallons of diesel per hour. The bulldozer's actual speed can be figured it about 2 mph, so in the classic manner of figuring fuel mileage, you burn about 10 gallons per mile. The real problem in fuel consumption is that if you operate a bulldozer for eight hours in a day, you will require approximately 160 gallons for the shift. If the fuel tank holds 100 gallons, you can see that you have a logistical problem keeping enough fuel to use the machine all day every day. In selecting a commercial bulldozer you plan to use, you will want to come up with a formula for the amount of earth moved or tasks accomplished in the eight hour shift to determine the fuel consumption and the cost of operation of the bulldozer. Another consideration is the cost of getting the fuel to the location where the bulldozer will be working, as well as fuel storage on the site.

Bulldozer blades
The blade of a bulldozer, of course, is installed at the front of the tractor. The function of the heavy metal plate is to push objects, manipulate rough obstacles, and in some cases carry sand, dirt, or debris. There are three typical types of bulldozer blades.

A straight blade, which is usually labeled S blade, is a relatively short metal plate that has a flat surface, with no wings to the side. A typical use for the S blade is fine grading. A universal blade is usually designated as a U Blade. This type of blade is tall in comparison to the S blade. It has a very curved surface and large wings at each side. This design allows the blade to carry materials that have been dozed. The third type of blade combines the features of the other two. An SU blade is shorter than the U Blade, but taller than S blade. It has some curvature and there are smaller wings at each side down a U Blade. This type of blade is most often seen on bulldozers that are going to be pushing piles of large earth or rocks, such at a sand pit or quarry. The choice of blade you want installed on your bulldozer will in large part be determined by the type of commercial enterprise in which you're going to use the bulldozer.

Attachments
Bulldozer manufacturers offer of an assortment of attachments for their basic bulldozers in order to adapt the machine to the particular commercial venture the user has for the vehicle. The most frequently found attachments at the rear of bulldozer would either be a ripper or a winch. Bulldozers used in logging sometimes are provided with grapples at the back.

Ripper are most frequently found on large bulldozers, such as the type they are used in quarrying or strip mining. The function of the ripper is to break the surface rock into small pieces that will be easier to handle and allow for the grading to take place with the blade at the front of the bulldozer. There are several type of rippers, such as the multi-shank or the single shank. The choice of which type ripper to install will be dictated by the type of enterprise in which the dozer will be involved.

Another accessory to consider for your bulldozer is a canopy. The camp is attached at the top of the dozer and is intended to be a protective structure to help avoid injury in the case of a rollover or perhaps something falling on the bulldozer. To determine whether or not to add a canopy to your bulldozer you would weigh the cost of the canopy to the cost of injury to your bulldozer operator. Canopies and seatbelts have saved many lives.

Manufacturers
Choosing a bulldozer for your commercial enterprise means that you'll need to see various manufacturers of bulldozers to determine which bulldozer company provides you the best quality, most versatility for your vehicle, and of course the best price. Traditionally the first name that comes to mind when you are thinking of a commercial bulldozer is Caterpillar. They have a long history in a wide line of bulldozers from which to choose. They have a good reputation for durability, power, and quality.

But they are not the only manufacturer of commercial bulldozers. Those machines that have been competitive to Caterpillar and had to provide equipment that perhaps is a little cheaper, or a little more powerful than the comparable Caterpillar model. Among American based manufacturers, Fiat Allis is disappearing from the bulldozer market, but John Deere is another dependable name in heavy equipment. Allis Chalmers has a good reputation and the good history with their bulldozers. Also manufacturing bulldozers in America are Case and International Harvester

A Japanese manufacturer of bulldozers, Komatsu is becoming a very important company in the in the commercial bulldozer market. Komatsu is comparable to Caterpillar and power and quality and very competitive in price. Komatsu has a wide range of bulldozers from which to choose. They manufacture the world's largest bulldozer, which has an engine that produces over 1000 hp. They also make smaller bulldozers with rubber tracks that are just right for landscaping, even in small yards. The rubber tracks allow them to work on paved surfaces without destroying the pavement. The strikes are not as durable, and they do not provide as much traction as the typical and tracks. But they are versatile and the ability to work on paved surfaces, making them attractive for some commercial enterprises.

Bulldozer Tracks
The tracks on a bulldozer are very practical. They spread the weight of the vehicle out so that the dozer can go places where ordinary wheeled tractors cannot go. The tracks give excellent traction as well as mobility in difficult terrain. Widening the tracks can also help distribute the way the bulldozer over a wider area that is diminishing the pressure on the ground. This allows for less sinking in soft ground. The design of the track is intended to give both traction and allow the bulldozer to use its own weight in the function of dozing obstacles that are in the ground.

For smaller sized bulldozers it is possible to have rubber tracks instead of the iron ones that are standard on most larger dozers. The rover tracks are made from integrated steel cord and a metal core with rubber components. To keep the rubber tracks from slipping off the undercarriage they are stabilized as the inner iron core attaches to the sprocket. One of the major reasons to consider rubber tracks on smaller commercial bulldozers is that they can work on paved surfaces and cross driveways and sidewalks without destroying the pavement. This is very desirable for those dozers that are used in landscaping projects.

A side benefit from these rubber tracks is that when the crawler is an action there are low vibrations and with us a reduced noise level. The benefit of that is that there is less driver fatigue from a day on a dozer, which promotes safety.

Operator Comforts
There are other lesser factors that that may play a part in the decision you make regarding your acquisition of a commercial bulldozer. There are options that address the comfort of the operator. The dozer may be equipped with an enclosed cab that allows for the air conditioning. Monitoring systems for the controls and the mechanisms are available. An engine controller can help manage the flow of fuel and air to the engine, providing the peak efficiency from the vehicle.

Sight lines from the operator’s seat to both the front and rear work areas are something to consider in choosing a bulldozer. Such design features as a tapered hood, a fuel tank that is notched and a single-shank ripper can all contribute to the ability of the dozer operator to see clearly what is happening as he works. The placement of the controls in the cab can make a difference for the operator. If they are properly positioned an operator could be able to control the bulldozer with one hand. There is a lot to consider in selecting a commercial bulldozer.


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