Bulldozers

[TS7]

Excavator's killed off track loaders for excavating work. When I started working roadwork in 1972 the Cat 977 was great for removing pavement on Detroit area urban road jobs. But when the Cat 235 excavator came out, that started changing every thing on roadwork here. The paving contractor that I worked for had a Cat 955 for pavement removal and a Northwest  dragline for excavation. These machines were too slow, it was the old way of doing things, they stopped using them. But today the compact track loader (rubber track) has many uses. On the tight space road jobs we do today, we use are Cat 289 a lot.

[Rob]

IIRC that 235 series Cat was a rebranded Mitsubishi? I have a friend with a 312 used for septic work and I've done a bit of welding and hydraulic work on that machine over the years but it's such a good size being small and very powerful along with fast. Don't need a permit to move it and it's usually on a tag trailer behind a tandem dump.

[gxbxc]

If I remember right the 977 was pretty close to 42,000 lbs. and we always moved them with the detachable gooseneck Rogers. The 955 's were 34,000 The 983 was close to 80,000 I think .but I can't find a shipping weight on line to check.

[Rob]

I certainly could be wrong as never operated one but I think that 955 was consistently moved on a three axle tag trailer.  

[gxbxc]

A couple guys I knew moved there 955 on a tag trailer with a 10 wheel dump pulling it,some had air brakes on a duel tandem axle trailer (the better choice)

[terry]

That guy that I posted on earlier with the H model 955's and 977's also has about 5 983's like said before they are a real beast, he uses one in his landfill to  push and compact rubble.    terry     getting about impossible to find parts for them

Edited March 20, 2019 by terry

[TS7]

Rob, Cat 225, 235, 245 were first Cat built excavators starting around 1973-74. They were US built and more modern than any thing else at the time. The 225 and 235 could out dig any excavator built at that time, they were very sold built machines and could hold up. I just sold a 1982 235 - 32K series, 3306 engine. It had 25,000 hours+, left side track was worn out , was original. Used it till last year to pull pavement and load dirt. It was still a strong machine, just old. E series ( E200 and others) were Cat Mitsubishi (Japan) built excavators that came out around 1987 I think. At that time there were a lot of cheaper Jap excavators being sold here. They were stopgap till 300 series came out.  As Dave said track loaders were hard on trans., tracks and steering parts. This is big reason excavators replaced them, a lot less maintenance.  Cat 205 (Germany) and then the E110-120 (Japan) were first small Cat excavators.  

[Truck Shop]

                 This D8 14A wet clutch cut many a logging road and forest service road years ago, still used to dress the roads on the farm where it sets.

                  

[Truck Shop]

                        And that D8 above was moved by this 56 B71 all it's life.

                        

[j hancock]

Nice looking B-71.  Need to get that out of the weeds!

[terry]

23 hours ago, j hancock said:

Nice looking B-71.  Need to get that out of the weeds!

looks to be in pretty good shape, should be brought back to life!    terry

[DavCut]

Interesting to see that the Cat didn’t get the standard department colors @NycHeavyIron. 
 

Thank you for sharing these “behind the fences” photos. 😊

[mechohaulic]

On 2/23/2016 at 8:29 PM, euclidtc12 said:

Pics of mine now before and after Restoat RI HCEA show fresh

two- tone green tractor is a familiar truck= John Ovesney and son.now in 2023 John's son does the HD moving. honored to have met and talked to John at the brooklyn CT truck show this yr. did a few hrs yrs passed working for John and his fleet.

[mechohaulic]

got lost in the moment going back to page one of this post  started many years ago. interesting facts and pictures. seem to be a lot of CT input and pictures.  D8 I have run , worked on which included changing cutting edge in 90 degree sun . IH  TD20 I put  a number of hrs on during blizzard of "78  .

[doubleclutchinweasel]

10 hours ago, mechohaulic said:

got lost in the moment going back to page one of this post  started many years ago. interesting facts and pictures. seem to be a lot of CT input and pictures.  D8 I have run , worked on which included changing cutting edge in 90 degree sun . IH  TD20 I put  a number of hrs on during blizzard of "78  .

You just triggered a repressed memory!  The cutting edge on the K/G cutter blades we used was welded on, not bolted like our dirt blades.  Cutting one of those off and replacing it was quite an ordeal.  Helped do a couple of those as a young man.  Get more welding experience right there in a couple of days than most people get in a lifetime.

I'll need to drink a little extra tonight to try and push that memory back into hiding!

[tjc transport]

2 hours ago, doubleclutchinweasel said:

You just triggered a repressed memory!  The cutting edge on the K/G cutter blades we used was welded on, not bolted like our dirt blades.  Cutting one of those off and replacing it was quite an ordeal.  Helped do a couple of those as a young man.  Get more welding experience right there in a couple of days than most people get in a lifetime.

I'll need to drink a little extra tonight to try and push that memory back into hiding!

😆

[mechohaulic]

don't want to hide those positive memories . seems I need an extra drink at night to forget the present day situations;; not the past. not saying past was all positive -just feels like more past positive then future. 

[mrsmackpaul]

They had some impressive gear

 

Paul