Also called “bulldozers” or “crawlers,” dozers are large, motorized machines with a metal blade in the front that can be used to push various materials (such as sand, soil, rubble, and rocks). This is often necessary during various phases of a construction project. Most models ride on continuous tracks, but some specialized models are equipped with large off-road tires. Their most common accessory is called a “ripper,” which is a large hook-like device that can be mounted singly or in combination either in the front or rear and is used to loosen dense materials.
You can see dozers at work during large- and small-scale construction projects (such as road building). They can also be used during mining and quarrying, on farms, in large industrial factories, as well as in a variety of military operations (both in peace and in wartime). The word “bulldozer” only refers to a motorized vehicle that’s fitted with a blade used for pushing objects, but it’s sometimes used inaccurately to refer to other types of heavy equipment (such as front-end loaders that are meant for carrying materials instead of pushing them).
How Dozers Are Used
Dozers typically refer to large and powerful pieces of tracked heavy equipment. This feature gives them a great deal of traction and mobility in very rough terrain. The wide tracks can also help to distribute the vehicle’s weight over a large area, which decreases surface pressure so it won’t stick in sandy or muddy ground. Dozers have special transmissions that allow the vehicle to take advantage of the track system by providing a great deal of tractive force. These features allow these piece of heavy equipment to excel in the following areas:
- Road building
- Construction
- Mining
- Forestry
- Land clearing
- Infrastructure development
They can also be useful in any project that requires an earth-moving vehicle with a great deal of mobility, power, and stability. A special type of dozer is equipped with an all-wheel drive and typically has four rubber-tired wheels. It also uses hydraulically-operated articulated steering and a hydraulically-actuated blade that’s mounted in front of the articulation joint.
If you’re a construction or industry professional in South Texas and are looking for someone to service and repair your dozer vehicle or any other piece of heavy equipment, be sure to reach out to Rhino Equipment Services. We would be happy to speak with you about your specific needs.