I have been working in the woods since 1986 ,and I have blown up things while making a lot of costly mistakes which usually cost a lot of lost productive time and money to repair . Clearing needs to be approched with some thought as to how to get the job done with a minium amout of damage to the machine ,just not start pushing down tress in all directions ,and safety to the people involved . Its all too easy to get hurt or killed in the woods . I have been injured 2 times and it happens in an instant .Its the thing that you don't see that will get you . I was nearly killed by an operator that was operating a loader as I was cutting up logs when he backed up the machine and hit the end of a log with the rear track .the log spun around and hit me in the back knocking me flat on the ground ,and the log landed over top of me .lucky for me ,the log ended up across 2 other logs .

education isnt cheap

Working with heavy equipment can be fun and enjoyable when done safely and correctly. So be safe! life is way to short!

I am not an experienbced dozer operator and my first ride resulted in me being thrown forward and over the air cleaner on the D4 as it crested a berm. Fortunately I managed to hang on and as I went forward I fortunately knocked the clutch lever out. I still ended up spreadeagled over the bonnet and almost hit my faced on the exhaust pipes.

On another occasion with the D7D I was pushing over a large wattle tree - they have a massive tap root which often snaps off suddenly. The 7 does not yet have a tree pusher and so I was inching the blade higher and higher to get more leverage. My son was watching and even though I did not realise, the 7 was approaching an alarming angle with the blade some 8 foot or so up the tree trunk with the best part of the tracks now off the ground. Of course the whole thing let go suddently and as the root snapped my escape plan went to custard. I planned to back off real quick as the tree went over but there simply was no time to engage reverse. The roots caught the blade and the dozer lurched up and forward as the large tree went over.

Fortunately this was on level ground and all ended well with the dozer freeing itself from the falling tree and then crashing to the ground. No damage was done to me or the machine.

I looked across and my son was doubled over with laughter and pointing at me like I was the village idiot - which I was.

The 7 is parked up now until I can build a pusher for it.

Experience can be expensive. How true!

"Inter674" wrote:

I am not an experienbced dozer operator and my first ride resulted in me being thrown forward and over the air cleaner on the D4 as it crested a berm. Fortunately I managed to hang on and as I went forward I fortunately knocked the clutch lever out. I still ended up spreadeagled over the bonnet and almost hit my faced on the exhaust pipes.

On another occasion with the D7D I was pushing over a large wattle tree - they have a massive tap root which often snaps off suddenly. The 7 does not yet have a tree pusher and so I was inching the blade higher and higher to get more leverage. My son was watching and even though I did not realise, the 7 was approaching an alarming angle with the blade some 8 foot or so up the tree trunk with the best part of the tracks now off the ground. Of course the whole thing let go suddently and as the root snapped my escape plan went to custard. I planned to back off real quick as the tree went over but there simply was no time to engage reverse. The roots caught the blade and the dozer lurched up and forward as the large tree went over.

Fortunately this was on level ground and all ended well with the dozer freeing itself from the falling tree and then crashing to the ground. No damage was done to me or the machine.

I looked across and my son was doubled over with laughter and pointing at me like I was the village idiot - which I was.

The 7 is parked up now until I can build a pusher for it.

Experience can be expensive. How true!

Love it I needed a chuckle thanks Paul

Hi dcrobira
Until all have operated a dozer on the west slope of the Sierra Nevada I can only hope that the criticism is tempered. I'm glad all is OK.
I have owned and operated crawler tractors since 1962 in all venues including 5 days on the Las Palitas fire in 1985 that nearly burned San Luis Obispo. I have found nothing as challenging as working a dozer here in the Sierra, where the granite domes rise up and take your tracks right out from under you without warning. I've ridden my D6C sideways 15 to 20 feet on a gentle slope that I would have never expected. New seat covers were ordered. It was a 10 on the pucker factor. Also the Buckeyes, Liveoaks and Manzanita combined with unseen boulders can high center a tractor with a 1/3 a turn of the track or less.
My neighbor was clearing several hundred acres with a 10K D6C. Was doing a nice neat job of a methodical clearing. While backing up a steep hill, the right track slipped forward, turned the tractor sideways and it rolled at least 8 full revolutions down through the brush. He said it was a slow roll and he thought it would stop three or four times but kept going. The ROPS held and seatbelt and helmet held well, though the ROPS had to be replaced before the tractor was put back in service. His biggest concern was having a branch spear him in his house while it was going over.
I hope that your repairs are not too costly and you are able to resume your work. Be careful and enjoy yourself.
Casey

Your right Casey! sometimes things can happen when you least expect it, even with experience.

The neighbor who rolled his D6C, a few weeks earlier with that same tractor had started out first thing in the morning from the night camp and headed up the mountain to the brush clearing site between a 1/4 and a 1/2 mile from the pickup (ute for you guys down under). After a short time pushing brush, he found one of those Sierra pebbles in his way. It was only several tons and nice and round, so he kicked her loose and let'er roll. Down into the brush and trees it went and was never given a second thought. Lunch time came and he headed back to the pickup (ute) for a bite. To his dismay his sandwich was crushed by the errant bolder that he had dislodged. Sad that his sandwich was in the cab of the pickup and it was extremely difficult to pry up the top of the cab to retrieve what was left of the sandwich.:shocked:Tough one to explain to the insurance adjuster.
Casey

Did you ever get to the source of what made your engine lock up?