Help Me Decide on New Dozer

[Simon C]

A 375 is a huge machine, not that I've ever ran one. But I did just Google it, and would love it if someone dropped one off for me to use every summer. I don't even want to guess at the price, my heart isn't that good to begin with.

I really do want a winch, and arch, on it though.

The top layer all has to be removed for a field to be viable here, after logging it. The duff, or whatever you want to call it, with all the roots, needles, etc if not removed, will just try and reforest itself, and the soils PH level is also bad for growing. Look at a lawn, under a spruce or pine tree, notice the lack of grass. That is largely from the needles that fall, changing the soils PH level.

Guessing you must be in Ontario somewhere, or maybe Quebec. Pine trees do kill all the soil for grass.
Simon C

 

[Simon C]

New Komatsu D155AX-8WH weighs 94220 lbs which is 15000Lbs less than D10T but wont sink as much either is my guess.
Lots of decisions to make.
Simon C

 

[Martin70]

A D475 is 20 HP more than D11T or something like that. A D375 is a monster dozer as the D355 which they had two of at a place I worked at was quite large compared to D155.
All I know is that in big stumps a D9 or more is a huge gain per day of work done in comparison to a D8 size machine. If you are doing 12000 acres it might pay to be big, but that would depend on how soft of areas you will be in. Then it depends on how rocky, and what size excavator will work behind throwing stumps into piles to burn. You will know what you are up against.
Simon C

This particular job, is logging 59% of 12800 acres, or 7552 acres, but its not all in 1 contious area. Most logging jobs I do, are different than this one. This is my own land, and where I build my last home, and retire to. I have my own lake, and hill, upon which the house will be built, giving me 360⁰ views. Best part, still not a neighbor in sight! My ranch, is my retirement job, from logging. cattle, horses, hay fields, the quiet life. My own grass airstrip, so my plane is a 2 minute quad ride from my door.

 

[Martin70]

An excavator and a smaller dozer might be a good option. An excavator wouldn't need undercarriage that often and could get rid of excess dirt a lot easier. Once the stumps are loose a dozer with a brush rake could pile them. It would be easier on each machine. I'd look at lower hour used machines that still had warranty too. Could save thousands and still have a capable machine(s). From some of the threads on new machines it might be good to find a machine that has had all the bugs worked out already. Recall a Cat grader thread where there were constant problems on a brand new machine. Some that they couldn't figure out.

Good, used, low hour machines, don't exist in my area. If they do, the seller basically wants new price, and who knows how often it was greased, fluids changed, abused, etc. I've had nightmare used machines, which is why in the last 10 years, i have only bought 1 used.
As for an excavator, already have 1, bought new in 2024, a Hyundai HX300, its a 70,000 lb crawler. Hyundai only builds baby sized dozers though, they sound good, if all someone needs is a tiny dozer. My 300 will be home to help some, when not at other jobs, say half the time.

 

[Martin70]

It seems to me that you have had plenty of experience in running dozers and can answer your own question.
You’re buying new if I read things correctly which means a Cat D9 is the way forward.
You can keep it for 20 years if you like and you’ll always get parts for it and strong resale.I’m over in the UK so can’t comment on parts availability for your Komatsu or JD options,but I can guess that they’ll be worth very little after 20 years regardless of how much money you’ve put back into them.
However,if you’re financially comfortable with buying new and selling them on after 5 years,then take your pick sir.
Cat for me though.

My guess is that this dozer will be around for a decade, then sold. When I retire, will be keeping a smaller dozer for around the ranch. No 20,000 hour dozer is worth much for resale, they are only going to someone who is barely going to use it. Bunchers, dozers, processors, excavators, logging trucks, low beds, farm tractors, etc are all virtually worthless past 15k hours.

 

[Martin70]

They all break its parts and support that is the key .
Im not a fan of big hystat dozers . Haven't heard anyone saying how great a high drive Liebherr hystat is .
Deere makes good dozers
Komatsu makes good dozers
Cat makes dozers with support .

We have a quarry up in northern California in volcanic rock and he runs an
FD 31
Poclian 400
dresser 560
Kobelco crusher from the early 80s

Granted it's a seasonal operation but with care and maintenance and knowledge you can run anything you want .

For me it would be cat . I know I can get parts
I know I can get a tech
I know I can get support .
I know I can sell it

The most important is the dude running it . If they like it they will take care of it YO !!!!

Unfortunately my local Finning, aka the cat dealer, isn't very good. The Case/Tigercat, and Hyundai, are the two best dealers in my area, none of which make anything but small dozers. If they made 85,000 lb, 360 hp class dozers, I would have just bought one.

 

[Martin70]

Guessing you must be in Ontario somewhere, or maybe Quebec. Pine trees do kill all the soil for grass.
Simon C

Central BC Canada, geographically, almost dead center.
Slightly south of center, but barely a few miles east of center. In a mix of poplar, birch, fir, but mostly spruce (about 78.5% ), and pine.

 

[Martin70]

New Komatsu D155AX-8WH weighs 94220 lbs which is 15000Lbs less than D10T but wont sink as much either is my guess.
Lots of decisions to make.
Simon C

I wasn't even considering a D10, nor do I want to think about hauling one, or God forbid getting it stuck.

My guess is that a stuck D10, just remains there for 500 years, until rust returns it to the earth.

 

[Martin70]

Caterpillar D9T is 105000-110000 LBS. Quite a big spread in weight from a D375, even an old D9G or H could rip out stumps well. Always have to remember that the dozer is only pushing 1 stump at a time , as they are not lined up in front of blade. D9T would definitely have more people looking for it if and when you decide to sell, but not sure what prices are these days other than more than a million plus.
Simon C

I didn't price a D9, partly due to the nightmare of moving it.

A D8, remove the blade, drive onto low bed, get permits, and haul it. Come back, get the blade, and done.

 

[epirbalex]

I wasn't even considering a D10, nor do I want to think about hauling one, or God forbid getting it stuck.

My guess is that a stuck D10, just remains there for 500 years, until rust returns it to the earth.

A quick cauculation on hire and transport of a dozer big enough to remove a D155 had me purchase another . You have enough work for two .

 

[chidog]

Komatsu D 375 is around 155000 to 160000 lbs. No wonder stumps just fly out with it. Would not be very hard to grab an extra 6 inches of top soil with it if an operator was not careful.
Simon C

We had to super clean all our debris after all the burning was stopped. No rocks in stumps etc, to chip it all for fuel, for a paper plant I think. With the 375 and straight blade I could get it as clean as with a rake. And yes that is the key word careful, yet fast as well. We didn't always clear with the big dozer only if the 8 was down for some reason.
A winch will not balance it very good. And unless you have lots of recovery work a winch is just a decoration on the back. I yarded lots of wood with a D65 with a ripper. I'd want a ripper and if I needed a winch it could be some hydraulic deal mounted to a ripper shank, easy on and off the tractor.
We never removed the blades for the D8's or the 375's for transport.

 

[Welder Dave]

Interesting you bought a Hyundai excavator. Are you planning to keep it a long time too? I'm guessing it was quite a bit less than the big names but it also won't have near the resale value? How well does Hyundai support older machines? I read some good reviews on Hyundai loaders but would be worried about parts support for older machines.

As far as getting stuck and getting out I think it would depend on the ground conditions for the machine used to pull it out. If stuck in a large soft area I think it would be difficult to get any dozer over 40 tons out. Maybe certain dozers have LGP or wider pad options better suited for questionable terrain?

 

[Martin70]

We had to super clean all our debris after all the burning was stopped. No rocks in stumps etc, to chip it all for fuel, for a paper plant I think. With the 375 and straight blade I could get it as clean as with a rake. And yes that is the key word careful, yet fast as well. We didn't always clear with the big dozer only if the 8 was down for some reason.
A winch will not balance it very good. And unless you have lots of recovery work a winch is just a decoration on the back. I yarded lots of wood with a D65 with a ripper. I'd want a ripper and if I needed a winch it could be some hydraulic deal mounted to a ripper shank, easy on and off the tractor.
We never removed the blades for the D8's or the 375's for transport.

I definitely want a winch, and arch, not just a winch.

Here, I cannot legally move a D8, without removing the blade, so I do. I lowbed a lot of equipment for people, but leave the huge pieces for others. Yesterday I hauled a dozer, and skidder, into the bush for a guy. Today I will move his buncher, and next week when his processor is done being repaired, haul that out as well. Also, next week I have to drive way south, and pick up a used skidder for him, and haul it to the bush as well. While I am not currently logging myself, my lowbed, and logging trucks, are busy all winter, hauling for others.

 

[Martin70]

Interesting you bought a Hyundai excavator. Are you planning to keep it a long time too? I'm guessing it was quite a bit less than the big names but it also won't have near the resale value? How well does Hyundai support older machines? I read some good reviews on Hyundai loaders but would be worried about parts support for older machines.

As far as getting stuck and getting out I think it would depend on the ground conditions for the machine used to pull it out. If stuck in a large soft area I think it would be difficult to get any dozer over 40 tons out. Maybe certain dozers have LGP or wider pad options better suited for questionable terrain?

The Hyundai dealer here is excellent, and I never had trouble getting parts, or service, on my Hyundai equipment, past, or present. While a used cat hoe, may sell for more than an equivalent Hyundai hoe, it better sell for more, because it cost more to. Also cat parts cost more during ownership, and if I were to compare the service between my local Finning vs Woodland Equipment, it isn't even close. Woodland aka the Hyundai dealer, is about 900 times better than Finning aka the cat dealer. In my opinion, the Hyundai is also better, and more reliable. Getting parts for a 10 year old Hyundai has never been an issue, and typically quicker to. My uncle, who has a massive logging company, not a small operation like me, has a mixed fleet, and swears that his Hyundai machines are more reliable than his JD and Cat are. My hauling equipment for people, and talking to them about their own experiences, is why I started buying Hyundai myself. Many people kept telling me about their great experience with them. Tigercat is also popular here, seems to be well liked. My two bunchers are Tigercat, and they've been pretty good. I currently have 4 Hyundai 300s, 2 with buckets, and 2 have log loader heads, been good machines.

 

[BC Placer gold]

Our 2004 Hyundai 210-7 has been super reliable in the 10 seasons we have owned it. It came from Finning in Kamloops (ex city of Kamloops machine) as a trade in; full new undercarriage and Tier 2 Cummins 5.9l. Works well for us as machine has to sit each winter out in the bush; not sure how a def system would fare over the long run in this scenario ....

Just two repairs so far: Electronic Heater/ac box (went aftermarket), and alternator. Noticed Woodland in Vernon has closed up (nearest to home for us). So will use Woodland in Prince George if parts needed (Just 1.5h north of our worksite)....

 

[Mquinista]

hum... quite strange that question of yours...
Cleaning land is much faster with excavators, and a dozers as a team... in a climate like yours anithing above 20 tons is liable to bog.
Lets consider u buy a D6R used and decently maintained and a Komatsu PC220, just cause i consider a 220 beter than a CAT325, KMT is much faster and as strong as the CAT´s , this 2 size machines will make a team able to clear a considerable area a day. If u have more money to feed into it make 2 teams, with a heavier PC300 and a D8R. like this the project will never ran into maintnance related problems and this machines are big enought without beeing to big for bogging and or repairs.
Smaller are more eficient untill the smal becomes too small.

 

[Martin70]

Our 2004 Hyundai 210-7 has been super reliable in the 10 seasons we have owned it. It came from Finning in Kamloops (ex city of Kamloops machine) as a trade in; full new undercarriage and Tier 2 Cummins 5.9l. Works well for us as machine has to sit each winter out in the bush; not sure how a def system would fare over the long run in this scenario ....

Just two repairs so far: Electronic Heater/ac box (went aftermarket), and alternator. Noticed Woodland in Vernon has closed up (nearest to home for us). So will use Woodland in Prince George if parts needed (Just 1.5h north of our worksite)....

Awesome, and that's a 22 year old machine.
Woodland in PG, is only 45 minutes from my house.
When I move, I'll actually be closer, probably 35 minutes away. You said south, 90 minutes, so Quesnel area.
Beautiful country there, so sad to see the town struggle though, all those mill closers really hurt it. If you ever have spare time, go walk in hoodoo park, in west Quesnel. Very cool valley to see. If you know ahead of time, when you are coming to PG sometime, let me know, I'll buy you a beer.

 

[Martin70]

hum... quite strange that question of yours...
Cleaning land is much faster with excavators, and a dozers as a team... in a climate like yours anithing above 20 tons is liable to bog.
Lets consider u buy a D6R used and decently maintained and a Komatsu PC220, just cause i consider a 220 beter than a CAT325, KMT is much faster and as strong as the CAT´s , this 2 size machines will make a team able to clear a considerable area a day. If u have more money to feed into it make 2 teams, with a heavier PC300 and a D8R. like this the project will never ran into maintnance related problems and this machines are big enought without beeing to big for bogging and or repairs.
Smaller are more eficient untill the smal becomes too small.

I'm curious, why my climate, will bog down, anything over 20 tons? My bunchers, processors, loaders, hoes, etc are way more than 20 tons. I Definitely don't want used, and especially that old used. The R series was discontinued long ago. I need to take the top layer off as well, it simply won't grow crops, after many thousands of years, of all the dead trees, needles, etc making the soil acidic. I'm not replacing the trees, with seedlings here, I'm developing farm land. I've done many fields for people, and myself, just not this large. 80 acres, 160 acres, even 400 acres, its not bad with say a D6, or 2050 case, even the leased last summer TC920 did okay on small jobs I had, which is why I leased it for 6 months. It could push stumps, and clear 5, 10, 20 acre jobs fine, build roads and driveways, etc. But if I need to do about 950 acres a year, to meet my 8 year goal, I will need a larger dozer. When not at other jobs, my other 2 dozers will help as well. I'm leaning towards a Komatsu D155, going to price one out, not even going to get the low ground pressure one, with wider pads, as most of the ground it will be on isn't that soft. For the occasional low, soft area, if I'm concerned about it, can do it with a smaller dozer. Honestly more concerned about the buncher in the soft spots. Get it stuck, and let the games begin.

 

[nicky 68a]

So,you’re considering a 155 after thinking about it?.
I’m a fan of the the older 155’s going back 30 years,but any newer ones after the dash 2 155’s were fazed out in the late 1990’s never found popularity in the UK for some reason.

There are a few about I believe,but I’ve never seen one.
As for D8’s,I’ve owned 12 of the things at last count and allways did reasonably well on them financially.
Finnings is our only dealer here and their backup support is worlds apart from what it was 20 years ago,with Komatsu dealership support being even worse.

 

[Welder Dave]

It might be a good idea to check on the cost of replacement major components and see if exchange are available. Like I mentioned before, it was a game changer for the county I was in. Could save a lot of downtime too.