Hi, Kelly.
I'm with Glen on this one. You are one pretty cluey bloke but I reckon you've got it bass ackwards this time. Like Glen. I have always been told small idlers for drawbar work and large idlers for dozer work. Ask Mike Mc (Slippery) about the fun that he had trying to grade with his HO D8 when the idlers were in the high position, which is about the equivalent of small idlers on a D2 or D4.

Hi, 4D2Ken.
Kelly's approach to taking out scrub is a good one but there is another one that I have used quite effectively too, especially when you plan to put the scrub into windrows for burning. Travel back and forth with the blade just off the ground parallel to the line you want to make your windrow on, moving over one blade width at a time. Anything that might be a bit big for the D2 to walk over, knock it down carefully, again parallel to the line of your windrow. then back up, pick up the butt and roots and push it out on to what you have already knocked down. Once it is clear of your current line, back up and resume your run.

When you have sufficient area flattened, start at the edge and push the flattened scrub in to where you want your windrow to be. When you have completed one side of your windrow, start about the same distance on the other side at one end and cut a line through the flattened scrub turning towards the windrow each time the load on your blade starts to slow the dozer down. If you do this on a line where the scrub has all been flattened in the same direction that you are pushing, when you start from the other end, working your way back along the line and pushing the scrub into the windrow, you will once again be picking up the root ends of the scrub first, thus helping to protect your radiator.

There's more ways of killin' cats than choking the litter critters with butter - - - - - - - if you get my drift.

Hope this helps.

"7upuller" wrote:

Kelly,

I disagree with the statement that smaller Idlers are for dozing and larger ones are for drawbar work. I have always been tought the opposite. Large idlers are for dozing.-glen

Glen,
Your right on that account, when I wrote that my thoughts were more in line with the intermediate size idlers, the ones that are adjustable to either a “low” or “high” position, low for front mounted equipment such as bulldozers, and high for drawbar work. They took over from the large diameter front idlers. Which, I think history will show there were not all that great, that being the one reason for the intermediated idlers. One thing for sure the intermediate idlers are easier to change then the large diameter, as well as having only one idler to do both jobs, high and low. As for the large diameter idler on a D2 I doubt it would have much, if any effect on one’s ability to better control the dozer. I ran a few of those 2U’s of late that had the large diameter idlers and I don’t recall having any better control over the dozer than what was with the small idlers, maybe they didn’t duck down in front as bad when you started to back up like the tractors with the small idlers did.
Kelly

"Kelly" wrote:

As for the large diameter idler on a D2 I doubt it would have much, if any effect on one’s ability to better control the dozer.

I think so too. Good work can be done with a D2 but it takes a bit to get on to it. One thing that help a lot are the adjustable skids that go just behind the cutting edge to keep it from digging in too much. The tool bar dozers came with them but they usually get lost.

On the other hand we have a 5J loader with 5 roller track frame and solid equalizer. A very precise grade can be cut with it.

Hi All, I thought I'd respond to a few posts.

Kelly: I got a chuckle out of your comment that my D2 is "noise heavy without a doubt." I do wear earplugs when I operate it, especially when I start the pony engine! I won't be doing much work with the D2 but a rear counterweight would be useful. It appears the only thing to mount on is the drawbar, however, so that kind of limits what weight it can handle. The D2 did a decent job on the blackberry bushes, I just attacked them by going about half the width of the Dozer at a time and they ripped right out on flat ground with the blade just resting on the ground. Also, once I got back I took the hose to the radiator and really gave it a good blasting. There were some leaves on front and dirt on the bottom back that I was able to wash off.

7upuller and snowshoveler: I won't be changing the idler roller as I won't be doing enough work to justify it. If I get ambitious this winter I may try to design a mount for a 55 gallon drum that I could fill with concrete, or maybe a 30 gallon drum.

Mike Mc: Sell my D2?? Are you serious??? My wife complains I never get rid of anything, then I point out that we've been married 31 years lol. I have an A-C HD-7 with a backhoe, there was a discussion I started on that beast not too long ago. Trouble is, that thing intimidates me, but luckily my neighbor Don isn't and he does a fine job on it.

Deas Plant: Thanks for the scrub tips. The blackberry bushes, while dense, are no match for the little D2. I just went about half width of the Cat at a time in 1st gear and the D2 just marched right through.

8C 361: I also thought about some sort of skid on the bottom of the blade to keep it from digging in when I am just taking down berry bushes. Maybe I will see if Don wants to help me build something for that.

Thanks for all the great information gentlemen, this site is a great source for knowledge! Cheers, 4D2Ken

Deas,

Hey boss that ok, you can side in with anyone you like, no problem. But here is the full the story. Were, taking about two differenced things here.

1) Back in the day when they started using the large diameter idlers there was no intermediate idler (the ones like MikeMc has on his HO D8) and caterpillar recommended using the large diameter idlers for dozer work or other front mounted equipment, they were to improve the overall performance of the tractor, and then on the other hand, when the tractor was to be used for drawbar work it was recommended to us the small diameter idler.


2) Then along came the intermediate size idlers. Which became, effective with SN 2U11091 for the D8’s at least. The design of this idler permitted ready adjustment to either a “low” or “high” position. Low position for front mounded equipment and “high” for drawbar work. When mounted in the low position the intermediate idler is 1/4” higher than the former large diameter idler, which was to reduce grouser scuffing and give longer service life for the track shoes. Another note is that when the tractors were shipped from the factory they were in the low position (unless specified otherwise) which corresponded to the former large diameter idler.

Ask Mike Mc (Slippery) about the fun that he had trying to grade with his HO D8 when the idlers were in the high position, which is about the equivalent of small idlers on a D2 or D4

.
Here is a photo showing the difference of the two position of the intermediate size idler, and there track length on the ground, which Deas is talking about.
Kelly

I really don't understand where this discussion is headed too?? 4D2Ken asked about his D2 being nose heavy and what where the options. There are no intermediate idler heights for a D2--just larger smaller idlers and a counterweight. am i missing something here??

I've had several D2 j models and the one with the D2 winch on the rear was a bit easier to control when blading.

Hey AD2Ken,

You are on the right track about trying to balance the tractor for better perfomance. Some Cats are just a pleasure to run and are balanced right. Some Cats I will run for a few minutes and get off them and because they are not a good balanced tractor. Even OilSlick commented that when he put a winch on his Mighty D4 that it made a great improvement to the tractor, as Ol Grump suggests. The idea of a barrell, for it's weight is on the right track, but it probally won't please you. As Ol Grump suggest, a winch would be cool tool to have, look good, and solve most of your balance issue. Listen to Ol Grump, he is a good old fart. -glen

AD2Ken,


Well I’m sure everyone is glad to hear you are getting the hang of it and I’m sure you’re feeling better about it as well, good deal. I’m sure its little filtrating at first; they were not made to take big bites. I would have hard time with something that small, so hang in there. Another good sign you’re getting off to a good start, earplugs.

“The wife complains I never get rid of anything, then I point out that we've been married 31 years lol”. I can’t wait. LOL.

Good luck and stay safe.

Kelly

After running a small excavator one day putting in a electrical feeder conduit and staring down at that tiny little blade then coming home and making a mess with my old D2. I have come to the conclusion the blades on many D2's are just too big and probably would be better off with a mini excavator sized blade.

First you don't have enough power and traction to really push a full blade so you raise it up then the washboard pattern starts. I think if I had a smaller blade on my rig there first would be much less weight and I wouldn't have issues with suddenly running out of power.