Many projects need a bulldozer at some point in the process, whether you know it or not. Bulldozers, also known simply as dozers, allow you to efficiently and safely move large amounts of heavy materials such as soil or debris. If you know the best bulldozer types for various projects, you’ll be confident you can find the right equipment to quickly clear land for residential landscape projects, move materials during highway construction, or even load and unload product from the cargo hold of a ship.
To get the best results from your bulldozer projects, you need to know what bulldozer types are available and what to look for when selecting a bulldozer. Keep reading to learn how to find the best bulldozer types for your various projects.
Why Is Choosing the Right Bulldozer Type Important?
If you choose a bulldozer before fully considering how and where it will be used, you’ll put the efficiency and safety of the project at risk. For example, if you rent a dozer that is too small, you may end up taking more trips than should be necessary, breaking the dozer by overloading it or putting crews’ safety at risk. Likewise, renting a large, powerful dozer when you need to navigate a tight residential area for delicate tasks can result in damaged property and wasted time and costs.
- For more information on OSHA requirements for safely using a bulldozer visit OSHA.gov.
What Are the Best Bulldozer Types for Various Projects?
Well, that depends. There are six main types of bulldozers: crawler bulldozers — often called track dozers, mini dozers, wheel bulldozers, mulcher dozers, hybrid dozers and shiphold dozers. Deciding which bulldozer type is best for a project depends on how you answer the following three questions.
What Tasks Do You Need to Do?
Using a bulldozer to move heavy materials will require a larger, more powerful machine, but doing delicate ground finishing work will require a dozer that offers more maneuverability. How the dozer will be used will also help you decide what type of blade or other features are needed.
What Are the Conditions and Terrain of the Project Site?
The type of ground will determine if you need a dozer with tracks and tread or one with wheels. Tracks are great for navigating rough and soft ground and are best used for construction and utility work, not as ideal for work on pavement.
The size and layout of the site will also help you choose the size and features you need to safely navigate the terrain. You may need a dozer with enough height to clear small obstacles or enough maneuverability to move around in a tight space.
What Other Goals Do You Need to Achieve?
Besides the task and terrain, don’t forget to consider other factors and goals such as efficiency, flexibility and cost effectiveness. For example, bulldozers with a large fuel tank offer more efficiency and flexibility as you can spend more time working on the job site and less time fueling up. Likewise, if your project requires flexible solutions that help keep work on schedule while minimizing operating costs, renting a bulldozer may be a better choice than buying one.
You’ll need to consider all of these factors to choose the right bulldozer and determine if renting a dozer is right for your project. Next, let’s take a closer look at each type of bulldozer.
Best Types of Bulldozer by Project
Each type of bulldozer is designed for specific environments or tasks and can come with a variety of attachments and features.
The ideal uses shown here are examples. Be sure to consider your specific project, including where and how your crew will be using a bulldozer to make the best choice.
Crawler Bulldozers or Track Dozers: Best for Uneven Terrain
Crawler bulldozers, commonly called track dozers, are the most common and versatile type of dozer. These bulldozers have tracks and tread, similar to military tanks, allowing them to move easily across uneven, dense and/or soft terrain. Crawlers often feature rippers on the back, which help with clearing or breaking ground.
Ideal Uses for Crawler Bulldozers:
- Leveling roads and ground
- Clearing land for construction or mining
- Moving large amounts of materials or heavy objects
Wheel Bulldozers: Best for Paved Surfaces
Unlike crawler bulldozers, wheel bulldozers use tires instead of tracks and are sometimes called “tire bulldozers.” Because these dozers use tires instead of metal tracks and tread, they are gentler on paved or sensitive surfaces. However, the tires also mean that the machine’s weight is focused on four points which means it is more likely to sink and get stuck in soft ground or sand and may not be ideal for hillsides.
Ideal Uses for Wheel Bulldozers:
- Highway construction
- Moving materials without damaging the pavement surface
- High-performance, large projects like building sports stadiums
Mini Dozers: Best for Residential Areas
Mini dozers, also known as compact dozers, are the smaller cousins to crawlers and wheel bulldozers. Usually weighing less than 20,000 pounds, these machines pack a lot of power into a small package. Mini dozers allow you to move around quickly in tight spaces, such as a backyard or urban environment. They can also be transported to and from the project site on a standard trailer.
Ideal Uses for Mini Dozers:
- Residential landscaping and construction
- Grading, back-filling, or clearing land
- Moving materials in a confined area
- Pushing snow or clearing pathways
Read more: Using a skid steer during winter
Mulcher Dozers: Best for Clearing Overgrown Land
When you need to clear a lot of land that is full of shrubs and other plants, pick a mulcher dozer. These bulldozers have a mulching attachment designed to grind up bushes, shrubs, thick vegetation and even some trees.
Ideal Uses for Mulcher Dozers:
- Clearing land for agriculture and farming
- Logging operations or forestry management
- Wildfire prevention or clean up after a natural disaster
- Infrastructure maintenance (such as utility lines, recreational trails)
Hybrid Dozers: Best for Emission Control
Like other hybrid vehicles, a hybrid bulldozer has a combination diesel and electric engine. They are designed to perform all the same tasks as a crawler or other bulldozer, but they give off less fuel emissions than traditional bulldozers. As a hybrid dozer brakes, the battery recharges, so there’s no need to plug it in.
Ideal Uses for Hybrid Bulldozers:
- Urban or residential construction or development
- Enclosed building sites
- Projects for companies or clients with eco-friendly or smart city initiatives
Shiphold Dozers: Best for Maritime Projects
Shiphold dozers are designed to work best within or around the cargo hold of a ship. They make it easy to move materials efficiently within a very confined space and the unique layouts of ship interiors. Shiphold dozers are also corrosive-resistant and made to withstand the effects of moisture and saltwater.
Ideal Uses for Shiphold Dozers:
- Loading and unloading cargo on a ship
- Moving materials on or around water-going vessels
- Moving materials around shipyards or marinas
Don’t Forget the Right Blade and Treads
Once you’ve identified the right type of bulldozer for your project, you also need to make sure it comes equipped with the right type of blade and treads.
Types of Bulldozer Blades and Attachments
The blade is the large shovel-like attachment on the front of the bulldozer which pushes, lifts, digs or scrapes materials. Additionally, other attachments like breakers, trenchers, cutters and buckets make specialized projects possible. Make sure the blade or attachment you choose will move the material in the way that you need it to.
- Universal Blade (U-Blade): Tall and wide curved blade with large side wings. Designed to minimize spillage while pushing or carrying material across a long distance. Good for soft- to medium-density soil.
- Straight Blade (S-Blade): Short, flat blade without side wings. Designed for handling medium- to hard-density and fine-grained materials. Best for scraping applications like leveling soil or grading.
- Semi-Universal Blade (Semi-U Blade): Similar to a U-blade but with less curve, smaller side wings and narrower shape. Designed for more penetration strength than a U-blade and more versatility than an S-blade. Great for stumping, crowning, and moving soft- to medium-density soil.
- Angle Blade (Two-Way Blade): Blade without side wings, but it can angle side to side. Designed for precision, it can move gravel, snow, and all types of soil.
- Power-Angle-Tilt Blade (PAT Blade): Blade can move in all directions: up, down, left, right, and tilted toward or away from the ground. Great for many applications, including lifting materials, grading, and clearing.
- Auger Attachment: Using an auger attachment can help dozer operators drill into the ground to create holes and lift material out of the hole as it is being drilled.
- Breaker Attachment: Breakers are best for site preparation and foundation removal, easily breaking through concrete.
- Cutter attachment: Not only is it important to have the right equipment to maneuver across and break up ground, equipment operators may need to clear out what is on top of the ground first. Cutters live up to their name by cutting brush and mulching small branches.
Types of Bulldozer Tracks and Treads
Bulldozers that use tracks instead of wheels can have either high-tread tracks or low-tread tracks. If you’re working on a sloped surface or tough terrain, pick a bulldozer with high-tread tracks.
In addition to the height of the tread, also consider the tread’s shape to ensure traction and stability.
- Grousers: Metal cleats to prevent slipping on tough terrain
- Flat Bar Treads: Straight metal bars that turn the tracks into smooth surface for more ground contact and stable handling on paved or hard, flat ground
- Combination Treads: A mix of cleats and flat bars for better traction and handling on a variety of surfaces
- Pyramid Treads: Textured with a pyramid pattern for better grip and overall stability.
If you need to do more work in less time while reducing operating costs, then partner with a trusted equipment rental provider like Herc Rentals. Our lineup of bulldozers for rent offers the latest technology and features to help keep your bulldozer projects running safely and efficiently without the hassle of upkeep.
If you’re wondering how much it costs to rent a bulldozer or which dozers are the best bulldozer types for various projects, contact us. Our experienced team will work with you to find the model that delivers the right blend of agility, utility and safety that your project needs.
Browse our selection of bulldozers or contact a Herc Rentals equipment expert at 888-777-2700 today.
