A used forestry dozer can make you money for years or eat your whole season in repairs. The difference usually shows up in the first hour of looking the machine over, if you know where to look. We look at a lot of dozers for customers, and these are the seven things we check every single time before we tell anyone a machine is worth buying.
1. Is it really set up for the woods?
A construction dozer and a forestry dozer can be the same model and still be two different machines. Before anything else, walk around it and see if it has real forestry guarding:
- Belly pans and bottom guards to keep stumps and limbs out of the undercarriage and driveline
- Sweeps and a screened cab or ROPS/FOPS canopy
- Radiator and grille guarding
- Guarded fuel tank and hydraulic lines
Factory forestry packages hold up best. Shop-built guarding can be fine too, but look at the welds and the steel. If it looks like it was thrown together, it won’t last long in the brush.
2. Undercarriage, the most expensive thing on the machine
On any used dozer the undercarriage is where the big money hides. Depending on size, tracks, rollers, idlers and sprockets can run anywhere from $25,000 to well over $60,000 to redo. Ask the seller for a recent undercarriage measurement and the percent remaining on:
- Track chains, pins and bushings
- Pads (look for cracks and wear at the grousers)
- Top and bottom rollers
- Front idlers
- Sprockets
If nobody can tell you what’s left, figure on it being worse than it looks. Logging ground, rocks and roots wear an undercarriage a lot faster than a gravel pad. Anything under about 40% means a rebuild is coming, so price that into your offer.
3. Hours only tell part of the story
We’d take an 8,000 hour dozer with service records from one logging outfit over a 4,000 hour machine that’s been passed around with no paperwork. Where it worked, what it did and who ran it matter more than the number on the meter. Ask for:
- Service records and oil change history
- Any major work done, engine, transmission, finals
- A recent oil sample, if they have one. It tells you a lot about what’s going on inside
4. Final drives
Finals take a beating on a forestry dozer and they’re not cheap, often $8,000 to $15,000 a side on a mid-size machine. Pull the drain plug and look at the oil for metal. Check the sprocket hubs for oil weeping out, and listen for grinding or whining when it tracks and turns. A bad set of finals is either a walk-away or a big price cut.
5. Blade and frame
Most loggers want a straight blade or semi-U for building road and pushing slash. A full U-blade tends to carry too much trash. Check:
- Cutting edges and end bits for wear
- Cracks or weld repairs in the moldboard and push arms
- Tilt and lift cylinders for leaking seals or scored rods
- Trunnions and pivots for slop
Edges are cheap. Cracked and re-welded push arms or a patched frame tell you how hard the machine was run.
6. Cooling system
Sawdust and fines plug a radiator fast in the woods, and a dozer that runs hot all day doesn’t last. Look for a caked-up core, cracked hoses, residue around the overflow and cooked paint near the engine. A reversing fan is a big plus on a forestry machine because it blows the core out on its own through the day.
7. Get it inspected before you pay
Photos and a walkaround video only tell you so much. On any machine you can’t see in person, have a mechanic or the local Cat, Deere or Komatsu dealer do a pre-purchase inspection. It usually costs a few hundred dollars plus travel, and it’s the cheapest insurance you’ll ever buy on a piece of iron.
Quick answers
How many hours is too many on a used forestry dozer?
There’s no hard cutoff. A well kept machine with 10,000 hours and a newer undercarriage can be a better buy than a 5,000 hour machine that’s been neglected. Records and condition count more than hours.
What does a used forestry dozer cost?
It swings a lot with size, age and undercarriage. Older D6 and 650 size machines can be found for well under $50,000, while late-model forestry dozers with good tracks go well over $150,000. Check our current dozers for sale to see real prices on machines we have right now.
Can you add forestry guarding to a construction dozer?
Yes, and plenty of good logging dozers started life on a job site. Just make sure the guarding is heavy, well built and covers the belly, radiator and cab.
Looking for a forestry dozer?
Laxton Equipment finds and sells used logging equipment all over the country, and dozers are a big part of it. Take a look at the forestry dozers we have for sale, or call us at (702) 875-2703 and tell us what you need. If we don’t have it, we’ll hunt it down for you.
