Floating the blade

[Hartlyboy]

I have a 450C with a 6 way blade and am now in the process of cleaning up some woods roads of bumps and small brush. It seemed like a good idea to use the blade in the float position but I find when I try that the blade still digs in too much , presumably just from the weight of it -it isn't being forced down when the t-handle is in the locked down float position.

Anyone have this same experience and come up with a good fix? I'm thinking I might need to attach some skid plates on the bottom of the blade like they do on snow plows. Could be I just need more seat time and experience on this machine to do a good skimming job but...

[Paul Buhler]

I hope this comes across the way I'm visualizing it.
When you move material, you are trying to establish a plane (grade) that extends along the tracks through the blade edge along the surface being prepared. If you establish this plane, and then extend it, you'll find that you will have a more consistant surface, a smoother ride, and less operator work too. That being said, try to move material a little bit at a time, cut and fill in your case. On the back drag, use the down pressure to refine the flat plane you're trying to establish or maintain. This will push smaller rocks down and isolate the bigger ones. If you use float too early in the process, you wind up with a wavy surface and sea sickness, or at least a bumpy ride. It's challenging to resurface an existing roadway. It takes time to work up enough material to separate out and hide the big stones while creating enough fine material to fill ruts and hollows. With practice you'll do most of your grade work while pushing, and maintain and smooth each pass while backing without using float. I loved using a 450 with the 6 way blade for this kind of work - nimble and powerful. You can often pick out individual rocks with a tilted/angled corner and manuever them off to the side for a proper disposal or burial. Have fun - drink a beer when you get frustrated.

[Eric.MacLeod]

i wouldnt use the float lever in forward motion, it will just keep digging down,just set the blade down and go ahead if it starts to dig lift it a little after a while you will know how much to put it down and when to lift it, use the float to smooth out any seams after dozing but in reverse only,when back dragging the blade will just float along the ground and will fill any small holes that it goes over. im no expert but i do ok, just get used to your machine then you can get a better idea of what you need to do...good luck. Eric

[Hartlyboy]

Looking forward to trying the approachs you both mentioned. Thanks for sharing your experience.

[digitup2]

Floating the blade is not always a good final step a steady hand will forward cut to grade once you get on to the machine .I have two pro operators that do only golf course greens , tees and fairways .They don't back blade anything and the backs of there blades are still coated with shiny yellow paint to prove it .The rest of my operators including me back blade as often as possible .If the material you are dealing with will not spread nice in float then feather the blade slightly up and slow to a crawl when first doing this till you get on to it .A good dozer operator dosen't get that way over night have patients .I always like an old lose blade and half wore out dozer for this job .Worn down grousers are easyer to do a nice job with also making an older lose and well broke in dozer a good machine to learn on . Digitup.

[underdog]

As posted float is for back blading.
I do not know how you could finish slick an area without back blading.
Unless you either dig track prints or really like using a rake.

[Tigerhaze]

Hi Hartly-

I am a relatively recent convert to crawlers (in the last couple of years), and it will just take practice to get good at cutting smooth grade in forward gears.

My crawler loader (2010) used to have a gauge on the top of the loader arm for visualizing depth of cut, but I have learned to visualize my cut using the bottom corner of the bucket. You just need to adjust the depth and angle of the bucket for the type of cut you want and the current surface and then micro adjust as you move forward. At first I would end up with wavy surfaces doing this but have gotten better by adjusting bucket less than I think it needs to be.

As others have said, you can get the surface smooth after a cut by back blading with a little loose soil to fill in the low spots. it just takes a lot of practice (and is actually pretty fun). My $0.02 anyhow.

[Ray III]

.I always like an old lose blade and half wore out dozer for this job .Worn down grousers are easyer to do a nice job with also making an older lose and well broke in dozer a good machine to learn on . Digitup.

Is that just for backblading? I have a really hard time making a flat road surface with the 420. The rickety blade likes to jump at every bump then the tracks hit the bump and everything gets thrown out of whack.