John White
Well-Known Member
About 15 years ago (Now 83) I had two properties that needed dozer work. I had two different dozer people out to do some dozer work for me. Waste of money. Could do about as much with my tractor and a box blade with a riper. I decided I wanted to play in the dirt and play with the Tonka toys. I had a F350 truck and 12 gvw tailer and I didn't want to change equiement to haul one and thought the mini was the way to go. First one was a Massy Furgerson 200. Had a nice cab and had sat in a field for about 7 years so the mice had pretty well taken it over it. It wouldn't run. Had a fellow push it up on my trailer with a Case BH. Got it all cleaned up, painted, rewired, used it quite a bit. next thing I knew I was getting callls to come out and do small ddozer jobs (fence rows, trailer pads, repairing roads, etc.) Used it for a year or two, and it was needing major work soon. No parts available, Little cab was nice in cold weather, had a heater) Some fellow came along that had money that was burning a hole in his pocket, out of my life and into his. By this time I was about ready to semi retire and close my auto repair business for 30 years. Still wanted to stay small. Bought a Case 350. Not as efficent as the MF 200. Painted it up good, repaired cyl. leaks and sold it. Ran on to a old Allice HD4, low hours, Excellent shape,Used it for a few years, hard to get parts for it too. That was during the housing boom in 2000 or so. Did alot of back fill and conturing yards. Found it was more efficient to do just the rough stuff with the dozer and the finish work with my little NH 1900 with box blade and York rake. Some where in there some septic pumping and installing co. wanted me to do work for them as it was cheaper for me to do it than pay his own men plus he could move them on to another job and I would close up and alot of times picked up extra work because it was a new house and needed gutter drains, yard clened up and smoothed. I had also bought a small JD skid steer and JD 50 track hoe. Co. I was doing dozer for septic, sold business, and housing went bust. I sold the HD4 and that was when they were inporting all those little Komatsu and Mitsubushi dozers. I foun a little BD2H with a 8 way blade ( yes 8 way) did alot of work with it. Finally my wrists and fingers got to bothering me alot from pulling on the levers, and getting older. Fellow who I was doing septic work said build up a septic pumper. Not near as hard on the old body and more money. Still have the little Mitsu and my son had learned to use it on his farm. Any of you ever run the little Konatsu? I hear some of them have a joy stick. Wonder how that would be on the hands and wrists. Sold my septic co after 15 years two years ago. Was getting too hard for me to do it all by myself at 81. Went to a homeless shelter for men and offered to pay some $40 a hour to help me. IL could still drive and maintain the truck but was just too hard dragging the hoses. Couldn't find any one to work. So that's why I sold it. The little dozers have their place. Alot of the small jobs the felllows with the big machiners are not interested. Hope I didn't bore you with my experence with small dozers.
