Michigan wheel dozer

[Clawed Backster]

I have an old straight-frame (rear steer) Michigan 280 wheel dozer that I use around my place. If I can figure out how, I will post a link to a YouTube video of it later.
I know they made a 180, 280, 380, & a 480 version. I wonder if there are any of the 480's still around, or if they were all scrapped? If anyone on here has any pictures of one I would love to see them.

 

[Clawed Backster]

Couple of pictures of the old girl.

 

[Clawed Backster]

And a video, if I can do this right.
YouTube - Cleaning up a skid road with my wheel dozer.

 

[Dozerboy]

A place I worked for out in Socal had one I don't remember if it was a 380 or 480. I ran one of the 2 380Bs (articulating) they had.

 

[surfer-joe]

There used to be a 380 sitting off the I-90 right of way just east of Buffalo, Wyoming for years and years. But it was gone when I was thorough there last summer.

Best places to find these old beasts are coal fired power plant graveyards. Also steel mills, anywhere big stockpiles of coal or other materials had to be shaped up and compacted.

I've run the 280 articulated and the 380 articulated, never got a chance to operate a 480.

 

[580bruce]

That is so cool!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Clawed Backster]

I have a couple more video's of it on YouTube. You can just search for ClawedBackster to find them.

 

[RonG]

That Detroit sounds healthy.I love that sound!!!.....for a while).Ron G

 

[RocksnRoses]

That Detroit sounds healthy.I love that sound!!!.....for a while).Ron G

I agree Ron, I have downloaded it to my GM file so that when they are all gone, I will be able to remember what they did sound like. The extra noise is nothing that a good set of earmuffs won't fix. Clawed's machine sounds really nice coming up through the trees.

Rn'R.

 

[bigblueox]

love all that clatter!

 

[dist3]

Like the pictures of the Old Girl, Don't know if the young girl should be riding on it tho!

 

[Clawed Backster]

Thanks for all the kind words guys. I have a lot of fun on the old machine, but I suppose it would be a different story if I had to run it everyday to make a living.
So far, I haven't been able to afford enough diesel to get tired of the music she makes.
It is very difficult to do accurate finish work with it, but I think that is part of the enjoyment. No sense of accomplishment in doing something that is easy.

 

[steamshovelman]

We have old ugly 262 Cummins 280

We have an ugly 1950's 280 that still comes to life on demand despite decades of abuse and numerous uncorrected mechanical defects. It was instrumental in loading out an Erie B steam shovel some years back. Afraid to drive it even lately because of frame cracking that has it hanging together by a thread now. The turbo has never turbo'ed, the tires may be beyond regrooving, a head gasket leaks and the horn don't blow and a blade pitch line blew and was plugged or squirts I forgot and oil leaks everywhere and... LOL Went blade to blade with a 3T series D7 because no one would believe me it was like apples and oranges... I said at least to give 'em a sportin' chance I'd let them get under and lift up on me and get going full throttle in low pushing me backwards...and everyone was hooting and hollering ...I stepped on the throttle and it stopped the old 7 dead instantly and ran the engine backwards before the operator could throw the clutch out and blew oil out the air cleaner all over the deck! <biggrin> Then they got the idea of what I meant when I said apples and oranges (15 ton vs 25+ ton) One weird problem we have encountered is for some reason field mice seem to make a home in the starter nose. The first few starts are okay until it packs enough of their nest into the bendix end until the pinion won't engage, necessitating starter removal and cleaning it out. Also rodents have chewed rubber off all over the poor machine! Ah, nothing like the old "blue sky machinery shed" we have to keep most of our toys in. Larry

 

[Clawed Backster]

Recently bought an old Galion grader to go with the Michigan. Now I can smooth out the messes I make with the dozer.

 

[ibc]

I hope you had earplugs in! Great Video.

 

[quackattak]

another one

Something we have laying around the dairy

 

[bigrus]

The forerunner to the modern day 'skidsteer' loader.

 

[truklodyte]

rear aixle steers .

 

[Clawed Backster]

Hey Quackattak, that is a really nice looking dozer you have there. Thanks for posting the pictures.
I see that you also are in Oregon. What part?
As a coincidence, I saw a Michigan 380 of similar vintage headed north on I-5 just this morning. I am pretty sure it was the same one I tried to buy at an auction a couple of years ago.

 

[quackattak]

I am over by hermiston, the dozer is a 280c. We were using it to break up some hard ground for our reynolds scraper. Just bought a D6C with a ripper to try out this year. The Michigan runs good just don't have much use for it.