Hey!! Sounds like fun....except when you guys get to talking about "COLD"!!! I have developed an allergy to it...it was 52 this morning on the Sea of Cortez....like to froze... 

Quote from: TboneAgain on November 26, 2013, 07:25:17 PM
Nah. One guy building a lake on a D-6 is not in a great big hurry for a lake. A pond, maybe, but not a lake.

I was wondering.  A lake to me is BIG.  I'd think he needed a fleet of those for a lake.

Quote from: cpicturetaker12 on November 27, 2013, 04:29:21 PM
I was wondering.  A lake to me is BIG.  I'd think he needed a fleet of those for a lake.

Yeah, I live in the Sierra, there just isn't any flat ground around here.
Just dam a creek in the canyon and call it a day.

Well I discovered something interesting about the dozer.
The parking brake is useless, or severely out of adjustment.

Took the dozer down to the bottom of the property to clear some land for the solar panels that pump water up to the house, kind of heavy brush, pushed over a few trees, drug them back to the top, whereupon I discovered that a dead branch had worked it's way into the engine compartment and literally caught fire, set the brake, ran for some water, jumped up on the tracks, flipped the lid open, doused the flames.

Standing there relieved that the fire was out, I felt dizzy. Thinking it was residual effect from adrenaline....

Well to my horror, it wasn't, the 25 ton dozer began running down the mountain backwards, fast.
Thinking it wouldn't get far with the trees I drug up acting as an anchor. That thought was quickly dashed when the chain snapped, but luckily it hit a group of trees about 75' down the mountainside.

It always amazes me how potential catastrophes can turn out fine. Thank God for his rule of watching over children and fools, cause I ain't young no more.

Did you learn anything?

I worked in/on/around heavy equipment for lots of years. Lesson #1 -- the emergency brake does not work. Ever. On anything. Ever. Lesson #2 -- review Lesson #1. 

Simple solution: park facing downhill with the blade all the way down and set to float. It takes a few seconds to slew that monster around, but it might save your life one of these days.

Oh, congratulations on walking away from this one! (I don't have to tell you that the snapping chain alone might have removed your head or some other body part you'd rather keep.)

Quote from: TboneAgain on March 16, 2014, 10:57:12 AM
Did you learn anything?

I worked in/on/around heavy equipment for lots of years. Lesson #1 -- the emergency brake does not work. Ever. On anything. Ever. Lesson #2 -- review Lesson #1. 

Simple solution: park facing downhill with the blade all the way down and set to float. It takes a few seconds to slew that monster around, but it might save your life one of these days.

Oh, congratulations on walking away from this one! (I don't have to tell you that the snapping chain alone might have removed your head or some other body part you'd rather keep.)

It's only 25 tons, you'd think a little thing like an old wornout brake could hold it.
Sad thing is, I've used it before facing down hill and it worked just fine, but it's worthless with the tiniest of a decline backwards.
I read a few other horror stories about the dozer facing up hill and failing brakes.
But normally I just tilt the bucket down and sink it in the dirt, but this time, the fire was a tiny bit of a distraction.

Buying an extinguisher today.

Quote from: Solar on March 16, 2014, 11:56:06 AM
It's only 25 tons, you'd think a little thing like an old wornout brake could hold it.
Sad thing is, I've used it before facing down hill and it worked just fine, but it's worthless with the tiniest of a decline backwards.
I read a few other horror stories about the dozer facing up hill and failing brakes.
But normally I just tilt the bucket down and sink it in the dirt, but this time, the fire was a tiny bit of a distraction.

Buying an extinguisher today.

GET two there small.