I am from the Philippines and I love operating heavy equipments! I have 25 years experience operating heavy equipments. I have been constructing roads in the mountains.
Very good tips. Its great to see quality tutorials on operating because every company I know of is looking for operators. Ive got a few tips and comments to offer. -You covered slot dozing pretty well, I'd like to add that the real main advantage of slot dozing isn't necessarily about being able to carry more material, although it is a benefit, but the real reason is saving the undercarriage, which is the most expensive wear item on a bulldozer. While slot dozing, you are travelling less distance for the same amount of material, which takes less time/undercarriage wear, because the most expensive thing to do with a bulldozer is back up. Harder on undercarriage then going forward and your not moving any material. -Grading is the most difficult thing to learn with a bulldozer and I like your demonstration about how important blade angle relative to undercarriage angle. It is almost impossible to teach someone to grade, because as you said, it takes thousands of hours of seat time, however the most important thing I teach new people is that less is more. Slow, gradual, non-jerky blade adjustments are critical. Find that sweet spot blade angle were the dozer will just continue on in a straight and flat path if you did nothing and make very minor changes based on blade load and underfoot conditions. There should never be a time during grading that your put in more that 20% blade change. This is critical because if you drop or raise the blade and create a hump or valley, you now have to play catch up with the dozer to return to flat and level ie prevent the rollercoaster effect. -Back-dragging is absolutely fine with almost any bulldozer. They are designed for it so much so that in a Komatsu dozer with a Topcon GPS grade control system, there is a special function in them for getting a perfect GPS finish grade while back-dragging.
Wow....this is excellent advice! Thank you for taking the time to offer this up! Totally agree that learning to grade takes time and sometimes less is more when starting. Thanks again and just let us know if there are any other videos you would like to see.
Good points. Except the back-blading... There are instances where it is acceptable but for general use, especially in hard ground, manage your work methodology so you are pushing forwards. For starters, you will be thankful when/if you ever have to remove the flower bolts that secure the cutting edge(s)
That PVC pipe analogy maybe "stupid," but something just massively clicked with me, it was like a face blast of epiphany and now I intimately understand "dozer theory" if you will. That's magic, that's powerful.
Hi, Heavy Metal Learning. Good video. Thank you. My comments: 1. A dozer, probably more so than any other machine, requires that the operator ALWAYS be aware of the balance of the machine, fore and aft, side to side AND diagonally. This requires a somewhat more 'seat-of-the-pants' approach to operating than most other machines - or, as I often like to say, "Let your favorite rump steak tell you what the machine is going to do." 2. Speaking for myself personally, I have always found that my best approach is to work at keeping the blade where I want it to be to do what I want it to do REGARDLESS of what the tractor does by using the information coming from my "favorite rump steak" to tell me what the machine is going to do next so that I can counter it or work with it. 3. Especially in trimming work, unless you have a system controlled machine, your right hand is gonna be fairly busy making corrections to the blade, sometimes as much as 30 or so corrections a minute. Something called 'muscle memory' plays a HYOOOGE part in this - your muscles instinctively knowing what to do to achieve what your eyes and your butt tell you needs to happen. 4. When spreading or trimming, you need to start raising your blade incrementally AS the load on the blade decreases in order to maintain the same depth of COMPACTED layer. Experience and practice are the best ways to gain this understanding - and it IS an understanding. A loaded blade handles smoother than an empty one - means it's easier to trim with some weight of material on the blade 5. A dozer is probably one of the harder machines to be REALLY good at operating. DON'T beat yourself up over your mistakes. Instead, LEARN from them. Ask yourself WHY what happened did happen and figure out ways to counteract it. If you washboard one pass, DON'T try to repair it in the same path. Move over 1/2 a machine width and do another cut, then do the same on the other side. 6. On slopes, most dozers will slide before they will roll. BUTTTT, this brings with it another issue. With the great bulk of the machine's weight being on the downhill track, it is likely to dig into the slope in a slide and slow or stop the slide - which, IF the slope is steep enough, could in and of itself be enough to cause a rollover. KNOW your ground AND your machine. I have had a Cat D9N dozer on a MEASURED 43 degree side slope TWICE and it never once felt like it wanted to lift the high track. Do I want to do it again? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But it could be handy to know that the machine can do it. 7. Awareness of EVERYTHING around you and your position in relation to each item is PARAMOUNT for safe operation. It would help immensely to have eyes in the back of your head and in each ear. Failing that, keep looking all around you, especially when turning or changing direction of travel. Learn to use your peripheral vision to alert you to possible obstacles and/or movement. 8. On travel speed - it is much easier to keep up with blade corrections at slower speeds but most dozers 'ride' smoother when trimming with a bit of speed. Material conditions can influence this too. I have found that the rougher materials trim easier with a bit of speed. Also, getting used to how a material behaves and/or the 'feel' of the site may give you the confidence to travel a bit quicker and thus smooth the 'ride'. Just my 0.02. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Hi,@@MrAnperm. Yer welkum, Sir. These are just some of the things that I learned in my 58 year 'apprenticeship' and I cain't see any point in taking them with me to the grave. Just my 0.02. You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
What you said about slouching in the seat makes me think of how important the seat is, and how little consideration most operators I've met give it. I learned in an old John Deere 650j, and then the first time I ever got in a komatsu, it was a 39px, and I was instantly a little better at carrying a grade because you can adjust the angle of the bottom of the seat in the komatsu, which allowed me to put it to where I could feel the grade the best
I've heard you say the same lamentation about back grading on other videos. I watched a guy level and grade a home site on a hill, and all his final work was backgrading to cover his track marks for the grass to sow in. Seemed like a pretty smart use of his single piece of equipment to me.....
Good "how To" videos. I think though that it would be good if you could make an instruction for beginners in a dozer on how to utilize the levelling and vertical blade measuring to teach how to create the perfect horizontal (or sloping) starting point as this for sure is tricky when you are to be grading a larger surface. In a lot of todays machines you have laserguiding systems for these "heightcontrol" topics but if you don´t have that it´s good to know how to create that starting point for you from where you can start working with a 0 degree blade. You did a good job showing that the area between the tracks and your blade is what controls your grading curve and also that this is what is really really tricky. What i usually tend to see from beginners in this kind of machines is that the results usually are bowl-shaped when trying to create a flat surface as it is really easy to miss out on the amount of material you need to carry and instead slightly lowering the blade until the sense of balance tells you that you are going up or down. And as you said, practice, practice and practice + some good teachers that can give you the golden key to the trade. Getting the machine to do what you want i do think is the easy part but the getting your mind around all the required parameters to get a good result is harder and takes alot of training and practice before it turns out as it should. Good Job
Due to the success of our heavy equipment training videos on TH-cam, Extreme Sandbox is proud to announce the launch of Sandbox Academy, a heavy equipment operator training program. If you are interested in becoming a heavy equipment operator, check out Sandbox Academy! 👉extremesandbox.com/sandbox-academy
Another good tip if your on an older machine check your track tension daily so ya don't throw a track I learned the hard way lol but was able to get the track put back on
Awesome refresher courses even for us wanna be experts !!! Solid information !!! Personally I do the different angle thing quite a bit. Seems to work better for me
One more tip. When you are leveling. Make a area the size of your machine that is level all directions. Start each pass from that area increasing the size of the level area. If you mess up. Go back as far as the level area and work out. Turn and change directions OUTSIDE of your level area. Don't worry about the small windrows. Walk those down with your tracks when finished. Best tip he gave was go SLOW when finishing. Nice video.
Great video. That demo with the white pipe & the 4' sight picture just made leveling with a front end loader ALOT easier. Are you, or were you, also a pilot?
One thing I'd like to say iv been operator and asscer for nearly 50 years im come to drive a dozer well u can't its not got a steering while u track,could u teach them how to push a motor scarper,,,or look after a landfill site in wet weather,,,or trim a a batter or make a burm,,
These are beginner tips imo cool video and still good tips but advanced training to me in a dozer would be teaching guys how to go about doing things like big fills and slopes and the techniques of how to to things. Stuff like that
Definitely can work that in to a future video, although there are a lot of videos on our channel that talk about the start of Extreme Sandbox. Ultimately I'm just a big kid that has a passion for heavy equipment, so everything has been learned by trial and error. Definitely not any expert by any means, but I love sharing what we have learned at the sandbox.
One thing I do not hear u saying is, its important to start grading from as level as possible when you start the grading. Most times if your machine isn't level when you start it is much more difficult to create or maintain a level grade.
@@HeavyMetalLearning thanks go 30+ rears experience operating various machines. You guy's doing a great job as operators we are continuously learning non stop. I am still learning after 30+ years. 👍👊✌🙏💯
If you are pushing three times at Dozier link you're pushing it too far to begin with get a dozer at end loader a truck or an excavator in the truck and that Dozer that you are currently running right there is a Phil Dozier mainly
Lots of opportunities right now in the trades. Talk to some of your local contractors in your area to learn more. Positive attitude and a good work ethic take zero skill but will get you ahead quickly in the industry.
*Listen to the machine. And operate it with your ass. Haha. Good video.👍 Shame your blade can't pitch or roll. Adjusting the pitch between the load/carry/spread makes a huge difference. And rolling the blade not only is used for steering the machine but the material under each track can often have a different degree of compaction as you track over it and being able to roll the blade to keep the machine level is an important skill. (And a valuable one for transferring to other work tasks, such as establishing a cut up/down the side of an incline where the dozer is not aligned with the angle of the slope. Such as climbing a stockpile from a stacker or establishing an access along the side of a hill.) Solid advice though. 👍 Except for one important detail. Slot spacing. This can vary from task to task but generally, if you bulk pushing material for stockpilling or surface extraction related activities there is a definite work methodology to follow. And it is wise to practice this aspect from the beginning.In this presentation, your slot spacing is too far apart and only vaguely explained. (I know this is pitched at a beginner level but a little more info explaining that the spacing is only for demonstration purposes would help the viewer acknowledge more detailed and task specific information/methodology is required here.) For most Bulk Push related work tasks, the idea is to move over once the slot has reached blade depth and space it so once the second slot is complete, the 'windrow' separating the two slots has a triangular profile. This makes the next step much easier. *Cleaning up the windrows. You position the dozer at one of the outter most windrows and work your way from one side of the work area to the other. The idea is to load the blade with the windrow material and push that blade of material into the proceeding slot. You work your way further down the window with each blade and once the entire windrow has been removed, move to the next windrow and repeat. To do this, position the dozer at the beginning of the windrow, angled slightly towards the proceeding slot and with the windrow positioned roughly 1/3 from one side of the blade closest to the proceeding windrow. If you gauge these two factors correctly, by the time your blade is loaded, the dozer blade should be nearly completely in the proceeding slot and you should have very minimal, if any, spillage out of the blade on the preceding side. It takes a little while to master and I even see many moderately experienced operators get this part slightly/completely wrong, so keep practicing and trying. There is also the slot pushing components relating to different methodology's for spilling/stacking the material and various sequencing for removing the material but that is beginning to go beyond the realms of 'beginner' level slot pushing... If you want to learn to operate a track dozer and you can get yourself in a slot pushing job, do it, there is no better place to learn and hone the fundamentals and critical skill required to operate a track dozer proficiently.
sorry but anyone who cant use common sense to figure this out should not be in a dozer. just get a lot of seat time and listen to the better operators and don't cry when you have to labor.
As a finish dozer operator that was one of the better tips, tricks, and how to vids I've run across. I like to see what things people are teaching to the new gen operator. Sometimes they don't quite got it right, but then again I ain't got it all my damn self lol but you did a pretty good job at explaining things and bringing attention to things I think necessary for rooks to hear and think about while learning. Be patient, you gotta connect your butt to your brain to your hand and that takes a lot of seat time!
I am going to school right now learning how to operate heavy equipment. I have watched most of your videos and they have been a great help to me. Thank you alot for the time and effort you and your team put into making these videos.
Here in England, black blading isn't good practice it will get you chucked off of some sites. Especially road jobs. I'm not an expert, only just over 4 years in the seat myself. Back blading is seen as something you do if you can't get a level going forward. And, it can get you in trouble. Over here you have to dig a slot like that to get your ticket before you can drive a blade on site. So video's like this will help those who want to look up how to drive before they take their test. Good work I say, I didn't have time to look up how to do it, I was thrown in the deep end lol, still best way to learn sometimes I think in the winter, raining with 400 lorries waiting to tip. I used to drive around on site thinking I wouldn't mind going on a blade, 5 years in the game and finally ended up on one. Much better than diggers or tractors I think because at least on a blade you're always busy. I hate sitting still!
Thanks for the comment! Yeah, that is part of the "taboo" of back-dragging which I personally don't feel is necessary. I absolutely believe there are times that it is completely appropriate to back-drag but again it seems to have this reputation on a jobsite.
RustySkull Productions ..back blading is a sign of inexperience. It drives me crazy. Dont get me wrong, back blading has its place but a good operator rarely needs to do it.
I would love to train people willing to learn . A passion for heavy equipment helps . Understanding hydraulics too . I have 25 years on every thing heavy and am a pro . Like the video !
Thanks for the information. I know it takes time and energy to produce videos of this caliber. The big payoff for me is that you have saved me countless hours of learning via trial and error. I just bought an old dozer and need to move A LOT of dirt away and then back to compact the soil in layers so the entire area is compacted. The piece on slot technique alone was huge benefit to me. I appreciate it. Thanks again.
Great Vid. It literally took me hours to figure out what you thought in minutes. I like the idea of "dont get frustrated" and "it takes reps". Through this video I learned the most important thing about getting g things flat is to carry material and use a little bit of angle. Thanks for the info. Where is the school and when do you teach? I.moght make it over if it's close enough...again, thanks...😎
Thanks for the comment! We have sandbox locations in MN and TX, but not necessarily a formal school. But you can come out and get some stick time on any of our equipment. Check out our website for more info.
I have run a lot of dozers and nobody ever showed me how, and I never went to school for it. I started out on a cable rigged D6 on our ranch when I was a kid and went from there, but you’ve got a lot of great tips and ideas in this video. If I could say one thing it’s to slow down, slow the hell down, you’re not impressing anyone and you’re just tearing up the undercarriage of the dozer. Most of the time I ever had trouble making grade was cuz I was in too much of a hurry, and then I’d get frustrated and pissed off, great idea you had to get out of the machine and look at the ground. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and look at things from a different perspective, one thing I’ve learned about dozer work is that it’s a patient man’s game, you need to do the job three times in your head before you ever fire off! And what I said about slowing the hell down applies especially now today because these machines y’all run have so much power and you run a disconnect between you and the machine what with the air conditioning and the stereo and the damn gps and the radios and the phones and their wives calling, good lord I don’t know how these young guys ever get a damn thing done! I’m retired now so I don’t have to worry about that anymore! I can sit here in my easy chair sucking down cold beer and second guessing all you young cats out there! 😂 but I surely do miss the work, I was part of a great many projects and I ran a few dirt crews in my time, the camaraderie is what I miss the most, and you will too. Be safe out there boys, not all of us made it to retirement, it’s dangerous work, and tomorrow is promised to no one. ☝️🇺🇸💪👊👍🫡
Always go two ways over your area, grade it length wise and width wise, takes out a lot of humps and gets it truly square. Same thing with the roller, if you roll two ways you get better compaction
On the subject of back dragging it’s not thats it’s taboo it’s that it wears the heads of the bolts that bolt the cutting edge to the blade then you got to cut them out, also if you keep dragging the top layer you wind up with a very fine very dry material at rhe edges of your pad that you won’t be able to compact even when wet. Yes every operator back drags the good do it a whole lot less just my opinion
Back blading might also be taboo for maintenance reasons. Unless it's a high track (like some caterpillars) the majority of track bushing wear is from backing up and back blading will accelerate it. However if it helps the speed and quality of the job then it's probably worth doing
Could you please do GPS training. from within the Cab working, Re what's that line for Gradients, Design etc. How the Dozer works on Auto and Manual using GPS. Thanks
Hi Sir Realy your VEDIOS is vvvv information good but if we come to New ZEALAND on visit VISA after we can take Traing in New Zealand after can be possible we will get job in New ZEALAND ?
I have no experience, and will never have, just I like tractors. I watched your video and it seems you are very good at it. I have a simple questions, people will probably laugh at me...but how do you know your machine is level to the ground?? And also, how do you know your blade is right on level with the track? Do the controls have an indicator? or a level mark? Thanks
I run Dozer for 25-30 years and you never know tonight I've had younger guys do things watch them do things I never drink of that's just how it is man but the old dog is usually the guy you want to watch cuz he knows what he's doing his choice to make tricks you don't even know what you're seeing
I got a quick question. Can we come out to learn at any age? And can we choose like which equipment we want to learn? Or is it more as a practice site more than for new people to learn?
Slot dozing first time ever heard that phrase It's called windrow hadwin drove to the outside the blades as high as your bread so that you would carry it will be the distance that you wish to carry it otherwise you don't do nothing but chased around all day 10-4
Sometimes you have a smooth plane graded, but it is sloped down or up and it is hard to tell. Going to the far end or to the side and turning around to push some from another direction can help you see that, especially when you are tired, lol.
When coming over the convex at the top of the cut it can be a lot smoother if the operator runs one track up on the side berm. It is slightly less convex and slightly softer than the virgin material. Slow is smooth, smooth is efficient, efficient is fast. Clean yer frickin tracks!
Great videos on the blade, i have watched both now, im a 360 op at the min and this is something that interests me greatly and looking in to doing my ticket over hear in the UK. What the chances of getting a video with some tips/tricks in batter work with a dozer ? Or even just how to create one correctly Best regards Max
Thanks for the comment Max. What do you mean "tips/tricks in batter work"? We'll see if we can help you out but not sure what exactly you are looking for.
Yeah, not sure how that would translate over here but such as creating banks, etc. We'll have to see if we can cover some more of those technical portions of bulldozer operations in our next dozer video. Thanks for the comment!
My husband put me on the dozer barked the controls and said go. I get the controls, but he will not guide me in how to move the earth. I'm on a hill with maybe 500 X 250 foot flat land then it starts to drop slightly. We have little earth to wok with so I find myself moving very small amounts or digging in to deep on one side. Would it be better to work front to back on the narrow side working the earth off the edge rather than long way cutting unto the hills edge. I think I would be good at this with a little guidance. I'm starting on top of a hill, not flat land. Thank you.
Lots goes in to planning before even starting earthwork. Ultimately would need to know the overall objective you are trying to achieve. Obviously any time hills/slopes are involved you want to use the advantage of gravity.
@@HeavyMetalLearning 2nd time on tonight, didn't go as well as yesterday. I just tried to get a feel of the land (highs and lows). I do believe I can do this, I just wish I understood a little more. I tried to work the distance between the blade and track, all I made was a mess. I think I'm starting at a high point, then I come down and make a ditch. Because we have so little dirt to work with, I think I'll turn it around and back blade to lower the high spot slightly and then get back behind to push the little bit of dirt to level and blend the grade down. I know it's hard to help with little understanding. Thanks for trying. I just don't want to keep moving back to find a starting place to get dirt, not enough yard in that direction.
@@cathyberden3867 sorry, wish we could be more help but tough to do through YT comments. Don't be too hard on yourself, it takes an operator years to become proficient/skilled in operating a dozer. Good luck.
I’m new to operating a dozer and my boss put me on an old d6. I’m having the hardest time with washboarding. I’m getting extremely frustrated because I usually get the hang of things pretty quick but not this.
Definitely been there. Dozer has to be one of the most difficult pieces to master (and grader). Only advice I can give you is just relax and try not to get too frustrated. If you can angle the blade (not sure if possible on older dozer) that can help. Make sure pushing with a loaded blade. Make sure speed is as low as possible. Grade at an angle to your current runs. Keep an eye on the horizon, some people get so focused on the blade they don't look out to the bigger picture. Those are just a few tips I have learned, but again, overall just don't get too frustrated...it takes time! Would love to hear anyone else's advice.
Where you can, back up a little further than you think you need.. odds are the bump that's starting you off doing it will be small and almost not noticeable. Also when your starting your cut lower the blade slow while moving forward just sitting the weight of the blade on the ground especially in old machines will cause it to drop in a little as you start moving forward due to that little bit of free play in the linkages. Once you cut those bumps into a hard surface just putting a bit of fill in them won't work the machine will still buck up and down as it compresses the filled parts under the tracks, if you've got rippers on the machine you can sink them then track roll the surface to even it all out and start again. I'll stop there before this gets any longer but don't stress about not being perfect yet, it takes at least a couple years to start getting smooth and much longer to be consistent with it.
@@peterhirst1265 Great info, I'm having a hard time taking care of haul roads and wash-boarding a lot. Everyone is ticked. I would be too but going from hard to soft material causes problems.
Effective dozing ranges could be talked about, 300 feet is the longest push for a D8T with a U blade, then hauling with a rock truck or scraper becomes more efficient (as an example) industry standards that are available for all equipment
That was very informational to me as I am a beginner and struggling with the wash board effect. Thank you for your time in making these very helpful videos!
I am from the Philippines and I love operating heavy equipments! I have 25 years experience operating heavy equipments. I have been constructing roads in the mountains.
Thanks for the comment!
Very good tips. Its great to see quality tutorials on operating because every company I know of is looking for operators. Ive got a few tips and comments to offer.
-You covered slot dozing pretty well, I'd like to add that the real main advantage of slot dozing isn't necessarily about being able to carry more material, although it is a benefit, but the real reason is saving the undercarriage, which is the most expensive wear item on a bulldozer. While slot dozing, you are travelling less distance for the same amount of material, which takes less time/undercarriage wear, because the most expensive thing to do with a bulldozer is back up. Harder on undercarriage then going forward and your not moving any material.
-Grading is the most difficult thing to learn with a bulldozer and I like your demonstration about how important blade angle relative to undercarriage angle. It is almost impossible to teach someone to grade, because as you said, it takes thousands of hours of seat time, however the most important thing I teach new people is that less is more. Slow, gradual, non-jerky blade adjustments are critical. Find that sweet spot blade angle were the dozer will just continue on in a straight and flat path if you did nothing and make very minor changes based on blade load and underfoot conditions. There should never be a time during grading that your put in more that 20% blade change. This is critical because if you drop or raise the blade and create a hump or valley, you now have to play catch up with the dozer to return to flat and level ie prevent the rollercoaster effect.
-Back-dragging is absolutely fine with almost any bulldozer. They are designed for it so much so that in a Komatsu dozer with a Topcon GPS grade control system, there is a special function in them for getting a perfect GPS finish grade while back-dragging.
Wow....this is excellent advice! Thank you for taking the time to offer this up! Totally agree that learning to grade takes time and sometimes less is more when starting. Thanks again and just let us know if there are any other videos you would like to see.
Good points. Except the back-blading... There are instances where it is acceptable but for general use, especially in hard ground, manage your work methodology so you are pushing forwards. For starters, you will be thankful when/if you ever have to remove the flower bolts that secure the cutting edge(s)
That PVC pipe analogy maybe "stupid," but something just massively clicked with me, it was like a face blast of epiphany and now I intimately understand "dozer theory" if you will. That's magic, that's powerful.
Yeah...it helped click with several guys we were training as well. Sometimes it’s the simplest solutions to illustrate a point!
Hi, Heavy Metal Learning.
Good video. Thank you.
My comments:
1. A dozer, probably more so than any other machine, requires that the operator ALWAYS be aware of the balance of the machine, fore and aft, side to side AND diagonally. This requires a somewhat more 'seat-of-the-pants' approach to operating than most other machines - or, as I often like to say, "Let your favorite rump steak tell you what the machine is going to do."
2. Speaking for myself personally, I have always found that my best approach is to work at keeping the blade where I want it to be to do what I want it to do REGARDLESS of what the tractor does by using the information coming from my "favorite rump steak" to tell me what the machine is going to do next so that I can counter it or work with it.
3. Especially in trimming work, unless you have a system controlled machine, your right hand is gonna be fairly busy making corrections to the blade, sometimes as much as 30 or so corrections a minute. Something called 'muscle memory' plays a HYOOOGE part in this - your muscles instinctively knowing what to do to achieve what your eyes and your butt tell you needs to happen.
4. When spreading or trimming, you need to start raising your blade incrementally AS the load on the blade decreases in order to maintain the same depth of COMPACTED layer. Experience and practice are the best ways to gain this understanding - and it IS an understanding. A loaded blade handles smoother than an empty one - means it's easier to trim with some weight of material on the blade
5. A dozer is probably one of the harder machines to be REALLY good at operating. DON'T beat yourself up over your mistakes. Instead, LEARN from them. Ask yourself WHY what happened did happen and figure out ways to counteract it. If you washboard one pass, DON'T try to repair it in the same path. Move over 1/2 a machine width and do another cut, then do the same on the other side.
6. On slopes, most dozers will slide before they will roll. BUTTTT, this brings with it another issue. With the great bulk of the machine's weight being on the downhill track, it is likely to dig into the slope in a slide and slow or stop the slide - which, IF the slope is steep enough, could in and of itself be enough to cause a rollover. KNOW your ground AND your machine.
I have had a Cat D9N dozer on a MEASURED 43 degree side slope TWICE and it never once felt like it wanted to lift the high track. Do I want to do it again? NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But it could be handy to know that the machine can do it.
7. Awareness of EVERYTHING around you and your position in relation to each item is PARAMOUNT for safe operation. It would help immensely to have eyes in the back of your head and in each ear. Failing that, keep looking all around you, especially when turning or changing direction of travel. Learn to use your peripheral vision to alert you to possible obstacles and/or movement.
8. On travel speed - it is much easier to keep up with blade corrections at slower speeds but most dozers 'ride' smoother when trimming with a bit of speed. Material conditions can influence this too. I have found that the rougher materials trim easier with a bit of speed. Also, getting used to how a material behaves and/or the 'feel' of the site may give you the confidence to travel a bit quicker and thus smooth the 'ride'.
Just my 0.02.
You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
Thanks, mate. Some tips I'll be making use of there.
Hi,@@MrAnperm.
Yer welkum, Sir. These are just some of the things that I learned in my 58 year 'apprenticeship' and I cain't see any point in taking them with me to the grave.
Just my 0.02.
You have a wonderful day. Best wishes. Deas Plant.
I appreciate the way this guy teaches.. Thanks for this tutorial
You’re welcome. Thanks for the comment!
What you said about slouching in the seat makes me think of how important the seat is, and how little consideration most operators I've met give it. I learned in an old John Deere 650j, and then the first time I ever got in a komatsu, it was a 39px, and I was instantly a little better at carrying a grade because you can adjust the angle of the bottom of the seat in the komatsu, which allowed me to put it to where I could feel the grade the best
Totally agree. Thanks for the comment!
I've heard you say the same lamentation about back grading on other videos. I watched a guy level and grade a home site on a hill, and all his final work was backgrading to cover his track marks for the grass to sow in. Seemed like a pretty smart use of his single piece of equipment to me.....
YUP....it can be useful! Thanks for the comment!
Good "how To" videos. I think though that it would be good if you could make an instruction for beginners in a dozer on how to utilize the levelling and vertical blade measuring to teach how to create the perfect horizontal (or sloping) starting point as this for sure is tricky when you are to be grading a larger surface. In a lot of todays machines you have laserguiding systems for these "heightcontrol" topics but if you don´t have that it´s good to know how to create that starting point for you from where you can start working with a 0 degree blade.
You did a good job showing that the area between the tracks and your blade is what controls your grading curve and also that this is what is really really tricky.
What i usually tend to see from beginners in this kind of machines is that the results usually are bowl-shaped when trying to create a flat surface as it is really easy to miss out on the amount of material you need to carry and instead slightly lowering the blade until the sense of balance tells you that you are going up or down.
And as you said, practice, practice and practice + some good teachers that can give you the golden key to the trade. Getting the machine to do what you want i do think is the easy part but the getting your mind around all the required parameters to get a good result is harder and takes alot of training and practice before it turns out as it should.
Good Job
Thanks for the comment! Excellent advice!
Due to the success of our heavy equipment training videos on TH-cam, Extreme Sandbox is proud to announce the launch of Sandbox Academy, a heavy equipment operator training program. If you are interested in becoming a heavy equipment operator, check out Sandbox Academy! 👉extremesandbox.com/sandbox-academy
Another good tip if your on an older machine check your track tension daily so ya don't throw a track I learned the hard way lol but was able to get the track put back on
Excellent tip....thanks for sharing!
I appreciate the opening disclaimer doing is not easy just takes practice for sure
yup...thanks
Would love to see more of these advanced how to videos
Thanks...we’ll keep trying to do more.
You are an experienced operator.
I can consider myself an operator for now. Thank you..
Great tips! I just spent the day on a wheel dozer making 'washboards'
🤣🤣🤣
Best Tutoring Clear and Well informed structured Operation Techniques,,, Top Stuff Champ..
Thanks for the comment!
Backdraging is great.. you can use the dirt you have piled up at the end to load your blade for the next grade push.
Awesome refresher courses even for us wanna be experts !!! Solid information !!! Personally I do the different angle thing quite a bit. Seems to work better for me
Thanks for the comment!
That is the quietest dozer I've ever heard run.
Yep...it’s perfect!!!
Thank you truly a blessing 🙏🏾
Thank you for the helpful videos!
One more tip. When you are leveling. Make a area the size of your machine that is level all directions. Start each pass from that area increasing the size of the level area. If you mess up. Go back as far as the level area and work out. Turn and change directions OUTSIDE of your level area. Don't worry about the small windrows. Walk those down with your tracks when finished. Best tip he gave was go SLOW when finishing.
Nice video.
This is great advice! Thanks for the comment!
yupp good tip , I do the same thing , once I have " a pad " I carry that grade through
awesome video, i just tried out for a dozer job, hope i get it!
Thanks for the comment.....good luck!
That was very informative thank you.
Great video. That demo with the white pipe & the 4' sight picture just made leveling with a front end loader ALOT easier. Are you, or were you, also a pilot?
Thanks! And yes, do have my private pilot license but only flown smaller Cesna.
help for me, Good job
I’m having the hardest time With slot dozing thanks for this video
Glad we could help...thanks for the comment!
Is there a video about moving dirt, from say excavating a pond, around and using that dirt to build a berm with the dozer?
One thing I'd like to say iv been operator and asscer for nearly 50 years im come to drive a dozer well u can't its not got a steering while u track,could u teach them how to push a motor scarper,,,or look after a landfill site in wet weather,,,or trim a a batter or make a burm,,
What area the the key techniques on flattening terrain? For an example flattening terrain to set up concrete foundations.
Same as the general grading techniques that are covered in these videos.
Great video
Thank you!
These are beginner tips imo cool video and still good tips but advanced training to me in a dozer would be teaching guys how to go about doing things like big fills and slopes and the techniques of how to to things. Stuff like that
Id love to hear your story how you started operating and on what machines.
Definitely can work that in to a future video, although there are a lot of videos on our channel that talk about the start of Extreme Sandbox. Ultimately I'm just a big kid that has a passion for heavy equipment, so everything has been learned by trial and error. Definitely not any expert by any means, but I love sharing what we have learned at the sandbox.
One thing I do not hear u saying is, its important to start grading from as level as possible when you start the grading. Most times if your machine isn't level when you start it is much more difficult to create or maintain a level grade.
Excellent point...thanks for sharing!
@@HeavyMetalLearning thanks go 30+ rears experience operating various machines. You guy's doing a great job as operators we are continuously learning non stop. I am still learning after 30+ years. 👍👊✌🙏💯
@@johnhollis8882 LOVE that attitude! Never stop learning. Appreciate the support!
Hell yeah thanks
you're welcome
great stuff ....
Thank you!
In my experience in a smaller tractor like your running dont bite the hole pile at once. Nibble it off easier on the dozer. Just a tip
Good tip...thanks for the comment!
How much speed Should you approach the slot with on a fixed that size I have a test Thursday and look all over for a video like this
With money and sponsors who cares if your rough on the machine right?
If im running a finish cut with clay where loading the blade doesnt stop the washboard effect how can i prevent it?
I would angle the blade about 10-15 degrees....if that didn't work I would try and approach from a different angle.
@@HeavyMetalLearning appreciate it
I need learn operate bulldozer please tell me how I can do,???
I've been watching threw school thanks Buddy🙂 but wish I could work in sand hahahaha ...
If you are pushing three times at Dozier link you're pushing it too far to begin with get a dozer at end loader a truck or an excavator in the truck and that Dozer that you are currently running right there is a Phil Dozier mainly
i am considering a career in construction any advise?thank you
Lots of opportunities right now in the trades. Talk to some of your local contractors in your area to learn more. Positive attitude and a good work ethic take zero skill but will get you ahead quickly in the industry.
*Listen to the machine. And operate it with your ass. Haha.
Good video.👍 Shame your blade can't pitch or roll. Adjusting the pitch between the load/carry/spread makes a huge difference. And rolling the blade not only is used for steering the machine but the material under each track can often have a different degree of compaction as you track over it and being able to roll the blade to keep the machine level is an important skill. (And a valuable one for transferring to other work tasks, such as establishing a cut up/down the side of an incline where the dozer is not aligned with the angle of the slope. Such as climbing a stockpile from a stacker or establishing an access along the side of a hill.)
Solid advice though. 👍
Except for one important detail.
Slot spacing.
This can vary from task to task but generally, if you bulk pushing material for stockpilling or surface extraction related activities there is a definite work methodology to follow. And it is wise to practice this aspect from the beginning.In this presentation, your slot spacing is too far apart and only vaguely explained. (I know this is pitched at a beginner level but a little more info explaining that the spacing is only for demonstration purposes would help the viewer acknowledge more detailed and task specific information/methodology is required here.)
For most Bulk Push related work tasks, the idea is to move over once the slot has reached blade depth and space it so once the second slot is complete, the 'windrow' separating the two slots has a triangular profile.
This makes the next step much easier.
*Cleaning up the windrows.
You position the dozer at one of the outter most windrows and work your way from one side of the work area to the other. The idea is to load the blade with the windrow material and push that blade of material into the proceeding slot. You work your way further down the window with each blade and once the entire windrow has been removed, move to the next windrow and repeat.
To do this, position the dozer at the beginning of the windrow, angled slightly towards the proceeding slot and with the windrow positioned roughly 1/3 from one side of the blade closest to the proceeding windrow. If you gauge these two factors correctly, by the time your blade is loaded, the dozer blade should be nearly completely in the proceeding slot and you should have very minimal, if any, spillage out of the blade on the preceding side. It takes a little while to master and I even see many moderately experienced operators get this part slightly/completely wrong, so keep practicing and trying.
There is also the slot pushing components relating to different methodology's for spilling/stacking the material and various sequencing for removing the material but that is beginning to go beyond the realms of 'beginner' level slot pushing...
If you want to learn to operate a track dozer and you can get yourself in a slot pushing job, do it, there is no better place to learn and hone the fundamentals and critical skill required to operate a track dozer proficiently.
Teach me
CAT , Meow !It is best.
Rent a car d8 and go into depth please
Hindi mein batao bulldozer ka function
That’s a green screen
hmmmmm.....you think we're THAT tech savvy????
Jared Stenger ...the earth is flat.
sorry but anyone who cant use common sense to figure this out should not be in a dozer. just get a lot of seat time and listen to the better operators and don't cry when you have to labor.
Can't beat a U blade to carry material.
Yeah...those are nice!
As a finish dozer operator that was one of the better tips, tricks, and how to vids I've run across. I like to see what things people are teaching to the new gen operator. Sometimes they don't quite got it right, but then again I ain't got it all my damn self lol but you did a pretty good job at explaining things and bringing attention to things I think necessary for rooks to hear and think about while learning. Be patient, you gotta connect your butt to your brain to your hand and that takes a lot of seat time!
Thanks for the comment!
I am going to school right now learning how to operate heavy equipment. I have watched most of your videos and they have been a great help to me. Thank you alot for the time and effort you and your team put into making these videos.
LOVE to read comments like this! Glad we are able to help! Good luck on your program!
It's a lot. Respect the trade. Learn engrosh
I went to a school for heavy equipt, and now i can run a sledge hammer, a crowbar, and a rototiller......and a wTER COOLER
@@tallen4520 ... Good for you , most people learn drinking, stealing , fighting and how not to work.
How to collect ebt and be a parasite on the ass of society.
Here in England, black blading isn't good practice it will get you chucked off of some sites. Especially road jobs. I'm not an expert, only just over 4 years in the seat myself.
Back blading is seen as something you do if you can't get a level going forward. And, it can get you in trouble. Over here you have to dig a slot like that to get your ticket before you can drive a blade on site. So video's like this will help those who want to look up how to drive before they take their test. Good work I say, I didn't have time to look up how to do it, I was thrown in the deep end lol, still best way to learn sometimes I think in the winter, raining with 400 lorries waiting to tip. I used to drive around on site thinking I wouldn't mind going on a blade, 5 years in the game and finally ended up on one. Much better than diggers or tractors I think because at least on a blade you're always busy. I hate sitting still!
Thanks for the comment! Yeah, that is part of the "taboo" of back-dragging which I personally don't feel is necessary. I absolutely believe there are times that it is completely appropriate to back-drag but again it seems to have this reputation on a jobsite.
RustySkull Productions ..back blading is a sign of inexperience. It drives me crazy. Dont get me wrong, back blading has its place but a good operator rarely needs to do it.
I would love to train people willing to learn . A passion for heavy equipment helps . Understanding hydraulics too . I have 25 years on every thing heavy and am a pro . Like the video !
Thanks for the comment!
I would love to learn 😢
I've been looking for these type videos (more advanced insights) for months! Keep them coming guys!
Thank you! We'll keep it up with a variety of fun, inspiring, and educational content on our channel.
Thanks for the information. I know it takes time and energy to produce videos of this caliber. The big payoff for me is that you have saved me countless hours of learning via trial and error. I just bought an old dozer and need to move A LOT of dirt away and then back to compact the soil in layers so the entire area is compacted. The piece on slot technique alone was huge benefit to me. I appreciate it. Thanks again.
Awesome to hear, that’s exactly why we do these videos. Glad to hear the value add for you and thank you for the comment!
Great Vid. It literally took me hours to figure out what you thought in minutes. I like the idea of "dont get frustrated" and "it takes reps". Through this video I learned the most important thing about getting g things flat is to carry material and use a little bit of angle. Thanks for the info. Where is the school and when do you teach? I.moght make it over if it's close enough...again, thanks...😎
Thanks for the comment! We have sandbox locations in MN and TX, but not necessarily a formal school. But you can come out and get some stick time on any of our equipment. Check out our website for more info.
I have run a lot of dozers and nobody ever showed me how, and I never went to school for it. I started out on a cable rigged D6 on our ranch when I was a kid and went from there, but you’ve got a lot of great tips and ideas in this video. If I could say one thing it’s to slow down, slow the hell down, you’re not impressing anyone and you’re just tearing up the undercarriage of the dozer. Most of the time I ever had trouble making grade was cuz I was in too much of a hurry, and then I’d get frustrated and pissed off, great idea you had to get out of the machine and look at the ground. Sometimes you just need to take a step back and look at things from a different perspective, one thing I’ve learned about dozer work is that it’s a patient man’s game, you need to do the job three times in your head before you ever fire off! And what I said about slowing the hell down applies especially now today because these machines y’all run have so much power and you run a disconnect between you and the machine what with the air conditioning and the stereo and the damn gps and the radios and the phones and their wives calling, good lord I don’t know how these young guys ever get a damn thing done! I’m retired now so I don’t have to worry about that anymore! I can sit here in my easy chair sucking down cold beer and second guessing all you young cats out there! 😂 but I surely do miss the work, I was part of a great many projects and I ran a few dirt crews in my time, the camaraderie is what I miss the most, and you will too. Be safe out there boys, not all of us made it to retirement, it’s dangerous work, and tomorrow is promised to no one. ☝️🇺🇸💪👊👍🫡
these videos are very well produced and presented
Thank you! Just let us know if there are other videos you would like to see.
Always go two ways over your area, grade it length wise and width wise, takes out a lot of humps and gets it truly square. Same thing with the roller, if you roll two ways you get better compaction
I just wanna run OVER things (Houston traffic)! 😅🤣😂😎
YES!!!
Lmbo
keep woutching and never gets old
Thanks for the comment!
On the subject of back dragging it’s not thats it’s taboo it’s that it wears the heads of the bolts that bolt the cutting edge to the blade then you got to cut them out, also if you keep dragging the top layer you wind up with a very fine very dry material at rhe edges of your pad that you won’t be able to compact even when wet. Yes every operator back drags the good do it a whole lot less just my opinion
That's a great point...thanks for sharing!
Back blading might also be taboo for maintenance reasons. Unless it's a high track (like some caterpillars) the majority of track bushing wear is from backing up and back blading will accelerate it. However if it helps the speed and quality of the job then it's probably worth doing
Thank you from Bangladesh
Could you please do GPS training. from within the Cab working, Re what's that line for Gradients, Design etc. How the Dozer works on Auto and Manual using GPS. Thanks
Yes, definitely have that in the plans to do some of those. But will prob be later this year. Thanks!
Nice video.
Haloo sir what do I need to Go through to operate the bulldozer although I already have experience with caterpillar .
Excellent video! Great job operating and instructing. Holley and I must have rubbed off a bit...I hope!
Thanks Kurt! Definitely learned a thing or two from our awesome Komatsu instructors!
when i was starting on excavator with log grapple i was only good for 5 hrs before getting frustrated and knocking hoses off, improved with practice
Thanks for the comment!
Very good
Awesome! Thank you guys!! it helps us operators that have not been in the game for years and years! It is appreciated!!
Hi Sir
Realy your VEDIOS is vvvv information good but if we come to New ZEALAND on visit VISA after we can take Traing in New Zealand after can be possible we will get job in New ZEALAND ?
I have no experience, and will never have, just I like tractors. I watched your video and it seems you are very good at it. I have a simple questions, people will probably laugh at me...but how do you know your machine is level to the ground?? And also, how do you know your blade is right on level with the track? Do the controls have an indicator? or a level mark? Thanks
I run Dozer for 25-30 years and you never know tonight I've had younger guys do things watch them do things I never drink of that's just how it is man but the old dog is usually the guy you want to watch cuz he knows what he's doing his choice to make tricks you don't even know what you're seeing
I got a quick question. Can we come out to learn at any age? And can we choose like which equipment we want to learn? Or is it more as a practice site more than for new people to learn?
Slot dozing first time ever heard that phrase It's called windrow hadwin drove to the outside the blades as high as your bread so that you would carry it will be the distance that you wish to carry it otherwise you don't do nothing but chased around all day 10-4
Sometimes you have a smooth plane graded, but it is sloped down or up and it is hard to tell. Going to the far end or to the side and turning around to push some from another direction can help you see that, especially when you are tired, lol.
Slot dozing would be a good thing if you running a dozer that is equipped with a blade that is not designed properly for the job.
If you get a win with a railroad track started in your pill and will your blade put on free float and back out of it and smooth ride up not a problem
When to tilt the blade left or right? Up or down is what confuses me.
[thank, you for youre helpful video]👍
Well I am expert in everything, coz I drink czech beer, cheers!
Not sure if you do prestart inspections on your machines I find many don’t understand the equipment they operate.
Definitely...check out our Pre-Op Inspection playlists on our channel for all those videos.
Who can a new guy work for?
I like heavy equipment machines
Seatbelt? Who uses one of those? lol jk
What kind of techniques do you prefer when pushing B2 into a culvert frost taper?
No clue on this one....sorry
How do you drive a Liebherr Mining Truck
Very carefully!!! Even I want to learn that one!!
You should try to see if you could a peace of equipment and see do a video
Enjoyed the Knowledge about slow down about makeing grade and wash boarding well done.
Thank you!
My school, HCA, told us it not called back blading, they call it back grading. The difference is one u use float other u don't u just raise the blade.
But my school told use to watch ur videos if we don't understand anything. Ur videos helped me out a lot.
I would agree with that, definitely is a difference on whether you are engaging float or not.
Brilliant Tip D6 Operating cut and Moving the materials..👍
Thank you!
When coming over the convex at the top of the cut it can be a lot smoother if the operator runs one track up on the side berm. It is slightly less convex and slightly softer than the virgin material. Slow is smooth, smooth is efficient, efficient is fast. Clean yer frickin tracks!
Good tip. And yes, need to keep those tracks clean! Thanks for the comment!
Or just ease into the cut and eliminate that grade difference. You can still fill a blade quickly and leave a smooth transition, just takes seat time.
It's called a grade brake lol.
Great videos on the blade, i have watched both now, im a 360 op at the min and this is something that interests me greatly and looking in to doing my ticket over hear in the UK.
What the chances of getting a video with some tips/tricks in batter work with a dozer ? Or even just how to create one correctly
Best regards Max
Thanks for the comment Max. What do you mean "tips/tricks in batter work"? We'll see if we can help you out but not sure what exactly you are looking for.
As in creating/building and then trimming a batter/banking ? Not sure if there is a different name for it over there ?
Yeah, not sure how that would translate over here but such as creating banks, etc. We'll have to see if we can cover some more of those technical portions of bulldozer operations in our next dozer video. Thanks for the comment!
Well done for that great work ,we really enjoyed the present ion, thanks
Thank you for the comment!
Grading simple g p s
How can i get the train
My husband put me on the dozer barked the controls and said go. I get the controls, but he will not guide me in how to move the earth. I'm on a hill with maybe 500 X 250 foot flat land then it starts to drop slightly. We have little earth to wok with so I find myself moving very small amounts or digging in to deep on one side. Would it be better to work front to back on the narrow side working the earth off the edge rather than long way cutting unto the hills edge. I think I would be good at this with a little guidance. I'm starting on top of a hill, not flat land. Thank you.
I should have watched to the end, I'll try diagonal. Thanks
Lots goes in to planning before even starting earthwork. Ultimately would need to know the overall objective you are trying to achieve. Obviously any time hills/slopes are involved you want to use the advantage of gravity.
@@HeavyMetalLearning 2nd time on tonight, didn't go as well as yesterday. I just tried to get a feel of the land (highs and lows). I do believe I can do this, I just wish I understood a little more. I tried to work the distance between the blade and track, all I made was a mess. I think I'm starting at a high point, then I come down and make a ditch. Because we have so little dirt to work with, I think I'll turn it around and back blade to lower the high spot slightly and then get back behind to push the little bit of dirt to level and blend the grade down. I know it's hard to help with little understanding. Thanks for trying. I just don't want to keep moving back to find a starting place to get dirt, not enough yard in that direction.
@@cathyberden3867 sorry, wish we could be more help but tough to do through YT comments. Don't be too hard on yourself, it takes an operator years to become proficient/skilled in operating a dozer. Good luck.
I’m new to operating a dozer and my boss put me on an old d6. I’m having the hardest time with washboarding. I’m getting extremely frustrated because I usually get the hang of things pretty quick but not this.
Definitely been there. Dozer has to be one of the most difficult pieces to master (and grader). Only advice I can give you is just relax and try not to get too frustrated. If you can angle the blade (not sure if possible on older dozer) that can help. Make sure pushing with a loaded blade. Make sure speed is as low as possible. Grade at an angle to your current runs. Keep an eye on the horizon, some people get so focused on the blade they don't look out to the bigger picture. Those are just a few tips I have learned, but again, overall just don't get too frustrated...it takes time! Would love to hear anyone else's advice.
Where you can, back up a little further than you think you need.. odds are the bump that's starting you off doing it will be small and almost not noticeable.
Also when your starting your cut lower the blade slow while moving forward just sitting the weight of the blade on the ground especially in old machines will cause it to drop in a little as you start moving forward due to that little bit of free play in the linkages.
Once you cut those bumps into a hard surface just putting a bit of fill in them won't work the machine will still buck up and down as it compresses the filled parts under the tracks, if you've got rippers on the machine you can sink them then track roll the surface to even it all out and start again.
I'll stop there before this gets any longer but don't stress about not being perfect yet, it takes at least a couple years to start getting smooth and much longer to be consistent with it.
peter hirst thank you. I will try that and see what happens. No rippers on this machine.
@@peterhirst1265 Great info, I'm having a hard time taking care of haul roads and wash-boarding a lot. Everyone is ticked. I would be too but going from hard to soft material causes problems.
Effective dozing ranges could be talked about,
300 feet is the longest push for a D8T with a U blade, then hauling with a rock truck or scraper becomes more efficient (as an example) industry standards that are available for all equipment
Great. Guys
That was very informational to me as I am a beginner and struggling with the wash board effect. Thank you for your time in making these very helpful videos!
thats a nice dozer I always liked komatsu
Yes, we love our Komatsu!
Awesome video
Thank you!