Loading
590 acres purchased, now I got this
Tractors, ATVs, & Attachments
Messages posted to thread:
flyingbrass 26-Mar-16
IdyllwildArcher 26-Mar-16
flyingbrass 26-Mar-16
Charlie Rehor 26-Mar-16
WV Mountaineer 26-Mar-16
bdfrd24v 26-Mar-16
buff 26-Mar-16
buff 26-Mar-16
HANS1 26-Mar-16
stealthycat 26-Mar-16
Topgun 30-06 26-Mar-16
WapitiBob 26-Mar-16
t-roy 26-Mar-16
Two Feathers 26-Mar-16
WapitiBob 26-Mar-16
buff 26-Mar-16
Alexis Desjardins 26-Mar-16
flyingbrass 27-Mar-16
willliamtell 27-Mar-16
BULELK1 27-Mar-16
XMan 27-Mar-16
BTM 27-Mar-16
Ambush 27-Mar-16
drycreek 27-Mar-16
deerman406 27-Mar-16
Salagi 27-Mar-16
ahunter55 27-Mar-16
Ziek 27-Mar-16
cnelk 27-Mar-16
flyingbrass 27-Mar-16
flyingbrass 27-Mar-16
Mr.C 28-Mar-16
Fuzzy 28-Mar-16


Date:26-Mar-16

flyingbrass's embedded Photo

590 acres purchased, now I got this. Any advise before I get started? I got 1/3 pine and 1/3 hardwoods mostly white oak, and 1/3 is growing back hardwoods from cutting in 1989. I got a good road system but I'm going to make things better for sure. I got my soil samples back so lime and fertilizer will be applied soon. Some food plots are already there. Any advise would be great. Actually a bear proof feeder for deer would be great or even some advise on feeding rice bran.

Date:26-Mar-16

Looks like you need some WD40

Grats on your land. 590 ought to have a deer or two.

Date:26-Mar-16

its been setting outside, poor people got poor ways but it seems to be fine mechanically and I got it for a steal.

Date:26-Mar-16

Don't do too much at once. Get a feel for what's already happening then make your plans. You are a very lucky man indeed! Best always! C

Date:26-Mar-16

I live in dozer cental. Only twice in 40 years have I witnessed a dozer stored in a garage or under a roof of some sort. FWIW, I'd venture to say that since they owned a CAT dozer, they weren't poor.

It takes about 4 to 5 days for the tracks to start rusting when setting.

Depends on how much you use it and the terrain you intend to use it in but, that under carriage has some serious hours on it. The pads are nearly worn slick too. It has some more work in it but, if you put it to serious day in and day out work, it won't be long before you are replacing it. You had better got it for a steal at that point.

Cat's are great machines. Good luck and God Bless

Date:26-Mar-16

Congrats on the machine. I'm sure it will suit you well. As you said it looks good mechanically. We don't worry about shiny paint around here.

Have fun and do a little at a time. Enjoy it

By: buff
Date:26-Mar-16

Read the book or get one, don't run the tracks too tight, loose is better than tight, those in the pick are maybe a hair tight if any thing, might be spec hard to say, I own 4 of them, go by the book, every step when adjusting steering clutches and such, one more thing when pushing in deep muck. Your blade is holding you up as much as the tracks are, if you stop and raise the blade you might go straight down

By: buff
Date:26-Mar-16

If the pins and bushings are good on the tracks you can weld on some metal for the growsers, if you need the traction, million tricks you can do to save on maintainance, as long as you do maintanance

By: HANS1
Date:26-Mar-16

Very cool machine will make a world of difference having it there all the time. As others have noticed the pads are very smooth almost like they were originally on a track loader or possibly a small excavator. There may be a geographic reason to run them that way. If the machine is good in other aspects may be money ahead to replace the entire U/C. I would think sprockets, rails or chains and pads could be had for some where in the 6000 range aftermarket or possibly cat classic. If your use is going to be 100 hours or less a year it may be fine as it is.

Date:26-Mar-16

hope its not in a CWD zone :(

Date:26-Mar-16

Whatever you do, leave the white oaks up!

Date:26-Mar-16

Congrats on the purchase. You got advice on the undercarriage already but check the seals on the rollers as the grease may have been washed out over time.

By: t-roy
Date:26-Mar-16

Congrats on the land! Nothing like owning your own dirt!

If you've never run a dozer before, take it slow starting out. You can get in trouble pretty easily.

Date:26-Mar-16

Anyone know what doozers cost to rent?

Date:26-Mar-16

I rented a doozie one time, priceless..

By: buff
Date:26-Mar-16

Rent typically is pretty cheap 250-350/day for that size (D3), but they Usually get you pretty good for pickup and delivery if you can't do it yourself

Date:26-Mar-16

Congrats on the land good for u, I don't know much about caterpillars but take her easy and she may get the job done. Good luck

Date:27-Mar-16

Thanks for the replies so far

Date:27-Mar-16

If you aren't a dozer mechanic you will be soon.Try to find somebody who messes with them as a hobby and pal up to him. Pay close attention to any red fluid leaks.

Date:27-Mar-16

Good for you

'Have dozer, will travel' haha

Good luck, Robb

By: XMan
Date:27-Mar-16

Flyingbrass,

Congrats on your purchase! Here are a few suggestions:

-Make a plan and do it right the first time. I rushed and rushed on each plot or setup and the outcome was less than stellar so I ended up wasting money.

-Find experts and get advice, see if your state has a Forestry person to come do an assessment, some states offer it for free.

-Don't be afraid to log the property if your trees are too mature and not allowing browse and thickets to grow. You need bedding areas and the deer need those thick nasty sanctuary areas. Plus you can make a few bucks and pay for other improvements.

-If you don't have good water sources, build a few ponds on the property, make sure you line them with a good pond liners so the water doesn't drain out and evaporate quickly.

-I am just figuring this out myself but figure out ways to create tax writeoffs. I am hiring a CPA to assist with this but it seems there are tons of loopholes for landowners.

Last bit of advice. Enjoy it and don't let anyone sour your experience and joy of your property. I learned quickly that jealous friends would try to tell me everything wrong with my place instead of just enjoying the hunt and time afield together. Distance yourself from those "friends" or put them in their place quick... Also I quit being the guide and realized I then was having more fun. I put up a map with the best wind locations for each AM & PM stands and told the guys, here is where I am going, pick your own stands and enjoy.

Good luck this year.

XMan

By: BTM
Date:27-Mar-16

Buddy up to a Cat mechanic who likes to bowhunt (and doesn't have access to good hunting property). :)

By: Ambush
Date:27-Mar-16

That's not an "old' Cat by Cat standards. And the angle blade is a big [expensive] option. Change your hydraulic filters and check the tank for rust, water and metal. Change the hydraulic oil if there is any sign of degradation.

I'd suggest that the tracks are not worn but rather flat tracks as used on excavators. They may work fine for you depending on the work you're doing, but if you want to push dirt or stumps, you will likely need to change them out. Pushing out a pond with no traction could be a slow process.

Try to find a set of tracks that are worn about the same as your drivers/idlers. You don't want to mix old and new.

Get a large capacity, quality, easy to use grease gun, keep a good supply of grease and the gun on the machine and USE IT MORE THAN YOU THINK YOU SHOULD!!

Have fun and learn. Remember, it's only dirt and you can put it back.

Date:27-Mar-16

The only advice I will give on your place is this: You can knock trees down, but you can't stand them up, so have a plan before you start. And, clearing timber is inherently dangerous. You can't watch all sides at all times, but you damn sure better try to. I have had more than one limb/trunk try to get in the cab with me. Even had a few do it and I had brush screens and hood sweeps. Your tractor has neither, so be careful. Never back up without looking, the sapling you just knocked over may be waiting to spear you in the back. Ask me how I know !

The grousers are worn out on your pads, but there is still a good bit of room to adjust your tracks, so your pin and bushing wear is probably pretty good. Can't tell too much about your sprocket wear from the pic. Your rollers should be sealed, so unless you notice some leakage, you should be fine. When you check fluid levels, don't forget the final drives ( located behind the machine near the sprockets you will find a plug on each side ), and they check just like any rear end or manuel tranny on a truck. If you see gear grease ( 90 weight ) after pulling the plug, they are full. If they are leaking, you will find the gear grease on the inside of the track just under the housing. There is a grease fitting on each side near the center of the machine right behind where your blade ram is stationary pinned. VERY important to put twenty or so shots of grease in this zerk every time you run for 8/10 hours. This greases the trunions on the inside of your frame. If you didn't get an owner's manuel, go to the nearest Cat house and get one for YOUR machine. Read and comply, and the advice above about a good HEAVY mech is good. The Cat dealer is not the one, unless you have deep pockets. Find a good independent mechanic, he will cost you less for most repairs. Engines and transmissions might have to go to the dealer, but you probably won't have these problems unless you already have them.

Good luck, have fun, and be careful.

Date:27-Mar-16

Leave the pines for thermal cover and any thick area near them or create thickets near them. Great bedding area and then leave it alone and never hunt it, try to avoid it at all costs. Make that area your sanctuary and you will do well. Shawn

By: Salagi
Date:27-Mar-16

I'm going to throw in my 2 cents worth here too. As others have said, have a plan. Think long term as well as short. Once a tree is pushed down, it will be years before it is replaced - if ever. It might be worth getting an expert in there to help plan. I think Arkansas Forestry commission will send a forester at no charge to help you plan. Some of them are pretty good, (then there's others I could name;) ).

When I was a kid of 13 or 14 some 40 years ago, I spent part of one summer cutting toe steel for Dad to weld on the tracks of his dozer. They were just about ready to replace when he sold that machine 2 years ago. He decided at 87 years of age he didn't need to tear it apart and rebuild the undercarriage. He still fusses (at 89) about having sold it and wishes he had another (I do too, I need to borrow it again). Anyway, welding new toe steel on isn't necessarily an impossible task.

Finally, if you need help hunting that... :)

Date:27-Mar-16

I never knew a "poor man" that bought 500+ acres in todays market. Congratulations & enjoy, enjoy..

By: Ziek
Date:27-Mar-16

Ziek's embedded Photo

Ya'll be careful. When it's muddy or slick, something that heavy can have a mind of it's own on any slope. This is how we found our neighbor's one day. As always, he was working alone when it slid off his "road".

By: cnelk
Date:27-Mar-16

cnelk's embedded Photo

Back in the 70s I grew up on one of these on our farm - International TD20. (Not my pic but same machine)

I cleared so much land with it each winter, probably 50 acres every winter. Then the following winter I would push it all into windrows and let it dry out. The cable dozer would skim along the frozen ground and not push any dirt. And then burn the windrows in the spring.

We would start farming the areas between the windrows as soon as we picked all the rock.

I remember I got it stuck once. Took two weeks to get it out. Finally chained rail road ties to the tracks and they acted as cleats. It sucked.

Yes. Buy a couple of grease guns and a few cases of grease and go to town. Just don't get those tracks too tight.

Date:27-Mar-16

flyingbrass's embedded Photo

Date:27-Mar-16

flyingbrass's embedded Photo

I've gotten so many good comments I thought I'd post a couple more pics. I wish I had put Dozer in the thread title. Lots of great advise. I paid $11,000. My son's girlfriend's grandfather passed away. I didn't know him but I'd say based on his place we could have been best friends. He also made whetstones so I got one of those also. They are a great family. One of the members of the family works construction and lives down the road from me and told me to give him a call anytime I need help with something.

By: Mr.C
Date:28-Mar-16

gotta love real Tonka toys when it gets really cold park in on RxR ties or some big timbers off the dirt it will freeze to the ground and you`ll break stuff trying to get it moving...and like above grease is your friend,and have clean zerks ,clean hydraulic fluid is critical,bad fuid is discolored and milky,good fluid is clear with few bubbles

Like Brake fluid hydraulic fluid is Hydrodynamic so it absorbs water ( gets milky and brownish ) best of luck MikeC

By: Fuzzy
Date:28-Mar-16

Grease all fittings before each use.

Change filters often (air, oil, fuel, and hydraulic).

Stay off steep slopes when ground is frozen.

Buy clean fuel and keep it clean.

Don't run out of fuel.


Bowsite.com DeerBuilder on FacebookYouTube Channel Contact DeerBuilder
Registration
Facebook Page
YouTube Channel
Advertise
Bowsite.com
Copyright © 2012 Bowsite.com. No duplication without prior consent.