Yair . . .
Usually 6's and under are finish tractors dont use them much for ripping.
It may have changed but, over here in my parts of Australia there was no such thing as a "finish dozer" . . . the size of the tractor just determined how long a job took. There have been many millions of yards of dirt pushed by D6 size and down.
In the late 'fifties I pushed out a couple of 5000 yard dams with a D4 and a mouldboard "roadplough" to do the ripping . . . the farmer or his son were on the handles.
With proper dozing techniques you
can move a lot of dirt with a little tractor provided it has a decent set of three tine rippers . . . not saying it is the cheapest or best way but it can be done.
I was explaining dozing techniques to a couple of fellers the other day and I chanced upon an explanation that seemed to click . . .
I told them they should forget they had a hydraulic blade
On bulk pushing any time you see an operator constantly jacking up the front of a little 'dozer trying to get it to cut you are watching B/S.
If the ground is cross-ripped the tractor will bury the blade down to the next floor in half a tractor length with the blade control in the
float position . . . this replicates exactly the conditions of slotting with a cable blade.
Cheers