How to find the right Bulldozer for your job

Firstly, what is a bulldozer?

A bulldozer also known as a dozer or crawler loader, is used on construction sites for pushing, digging, excavating, and levelling materials like soil and debris. With their heavy metal tracks, bulldozers are ideal for rough terrain but should not be used on finished concrete or asphalt. At the front of the dozer is a large, heavy blade used to push material. Some come with modifications such as rippers at the back to help break down difficult ground.

Being powerful machines, bulldozers are used for a wide range of projects, but are often seen in construction, mining, and farming industries. They are paired a lot with other pieces of heavy equipment such as excavators and dumpers for example to complete a project effectively and efficiently.

Choosing the right bulldozer for your project

To choose the bulldozer for your project, you will need to identify its purpose, analyse the work site, consider the terrain, and pinpoint the material types. There are many bulldozer types that could fulfil most of your hauling, pushing, and levelling needs, however if the right one is selected it can improve the efficiency of your project.

Understanding the types of dozers

Wheel Dozer

A wheel dozer is generally larger than a tracked dozer, it moves on a smaller axis, and it has hydraulic steering. This type of bulldozer is great for projects that require mobility and versatility, as the tires makes it easier to move and turn. The tires cause less damage on a surface than a track does, making it idea for projects that require work in soft ground or sensitive surfaces. They are often used for road maintenance, large mining operations, and areas with delicate surfaces.

Crawler Dozer

The crawler dozer is the most common dozer, known for its tracks and the ripper at the back. They range in size from below 10 ton right up to 120 ton, with horsepower anywhere from 750 to 900. These types of bulldozers are great for projects that have regular or uneven terrain, as the tracks are well suited for terrain that requires traction such as muddy or slippery surfaces. They are often used for fields or rough off-road landscapes. Thanks to the ripper, the crawler dozer makes it more suitable for demolition and earth removal.

Mini Dozer

Also known as a compact bulldozer, the mini dozer is smaller than the standard sized dozer. Their small size makes it easy to manoeuvre and work around narrow jobsites. The dozers are often used for sloping the sides of roads, driveway grading, and other small jobs around a construction site, farm, or residence.

Understanding the types of Blades

 You need to not only know the different types of bulldozers before choosing the correct one for your project, but you will also need to have an idea of the different blade types. It is important you weigh out your options, as each different blade type serve different purposes, deal with different types of material, and handle a range of load weights. The most common are listed below:

Straight Blade (S-Blade)

Like the name suggests the S-Blade is straight, it is the shortest type of blade and does not have side wings. This means that compared to other blades, the S-Blades ability to lift and carry is more limited. This type of blade is ideal for projects with fine-grained and medium to hard material thanks to its heavy weight and straight edge. Some of the uses for the s-blade includes back-filling, stumping, grading, and levelling soil.

Universal Blade (U-Blade)

Having the largest height and width of all the blade types, the U-Blade is ideal for pushing soft to medium density material across big expanses of land. Its large side wings and curved design helps keep material from spilling over when in operation. The U-Blades are often used for pushing, hauling, ditching, and crowning.

Semi U Blade (S-U Blade)

The S-U Blade is a combination of the Straight and the Universal Blade, which as a result gives it more versatility and strength. The S-U Blade is narrower and less curved than the U-Blade, and its side wings are smaller. This type of blade works best pushing soft to medium density sand or soil, and is often used for moving heavy material, stumping, ditching, and crowning.

Angle Blade

This type of blade is ideal for moving debris to the side with its ability to angle nearly 30 degrees left or right. Because it does not have wings, the material can spill. It is often used for projects that include shaping, stumping, stripping, and ditching and works best with soft to medium to hard density materials such as soil, snow, and gravel.

Power-Angle-Tilt (PAT) Blade

Being the most versatile of the dozer blades, the PAT Blade can angle and tilt in nearly every direction. This makes it ideal for spreading soil and clearing debris, but is also often used for scraping, levelling, backfilling, and grading.

Looking to hire a Bulldozer?

We can help. We hire bulldozers across Auckland its surrounds. Call 0800 PRONTO (77 66 86) to speak to one of our knowledgeable rental coordinators or visit this page to find out more about the bulldozers we hire.