Basic information
Bulldozer is an example of equipment without which it is hard to imagine carrying out any earthworks, at least in a reasonable time. What characterizes bulldozers? What are their most important structural elements? How to choose the right equipment for your company? We explain all this in this text.
In which works do bulldozers perform best?
Popular bulldozers, contrary to appearances, are quite universal construction machines and offer a wide range of applications, so they are successfully used in a number of works, from mining to finishing.
They are found in forestry, road construction, mines, gravel pits, or waste dumps. Versatility of these machines means that right next to excavators and loaders, it is bulldozers that are the most frequently purchased construction vehicles in our country.
In an average company, a bulldozer is primarily used for detaching the ground from the substrate with a blade and compacting and moving the excavated material over short distances, and it can also be successfully used as snow removal equipment.
An important function of a bulldozer is leveling, i.e. making a plane, or profiling the substrate (giving it the right shape) and backfilling excavations.
Bulldozer construction
The main division of bulldozers comes down to the type of tractor used, so we have wheel bulldozers and much more commonly encountered track bulldozers.
As for the main structural elements, here we need to mention the chassis, main frame (which is a connection of the front and rear frames), superstructure, drive system, hydraulic system and working equipment.
The working equipment in a bulldozer is of course the blade, but also the ripper, plow, winch, hitch or some other specialized device.
It is worth noting here that many other machines (like graders) use this type of equipment and let's also mention that there is the possibility of using a two-part blade, but this requires the operator to have appropriate skills in evenly distributing the excavated ground.
Modern bulldozers impress with their efficiency, but also with the comfort of work
The modern bulldozer, although it has not structurally changed particularly over the last several years, is already a thoroughly modern machine.
This can be seen, for example, in the cabin - more and more often air-conditioned, equipped with a heated, fully adjustable seat, a set of armrests and electronic systems supporting the operator (to mention at least the blade tilt indicator, which greatly facilitates work on slopes and increases safety).
Currently, bulldozers powered by modern, ecological units adapted to the applicable emission standards, equipped with automatic work modes (e.g. high efficiency or maximum economy), having special systems detecting excessive load or 3D automatic leveling systems are entering the market.
What to pay attention to when buying a bulldozer?
First of all, your own needs both in terms of machine performance and the profitability of owning it (fuel consumption, availability and prices of spare parts, service costs).
It is also worth focusing on a few most important aspects determining the usefulness of a bulldozer, i.e. the size of the blade, the power of the drive unit and the type and degree of slope of the terrain in which the bulldozer will work.
