Caterpillar’s dominance in the dozer marketplace primarily stems from its most popular line called the D6 series. Featuring 3 different models, these medium size machines outdo their fellow CAT dozers 3-to-1 in North America’s used heavy equipment market. The newest of these machines, the CAT D6T, was recently created as the heaviest of the D6 line with an operating weight of 47,138 lbs. The next size down, the CAT D6N, comes in about 20% lighter than the D6T but still maintains a respectable 166 horsepower. The smallest of the popular D6 series medium size dozers is the CAT D6K2. The D6K2 is the fastest of Caterpillar™s medium size dozers weighing just under 15 short tons and featuring a Cat C4.4 ACERT twin turbo diesel engine.
Some of the most intense jobs for machines take place in quarries and mines. Having to move massive amounts of earth day in and day out requires some of the strongest
machines in the world. In some mines dozers are needed to move massive pieces of rock weighing tens of thousands of pounds. Most machines were not capable of handling such
tasks until Caterpillar came along and created the CAT D9. As the largest of
the popular Caterpillar dozer models the D9 rivals the world’s most effective dozers both in size and in output. The strength of this giant Caterpillar actually starts at the companies origin. Caterpillar’s owner originated the idea of using crawler tracks for heavy
equipment in the early 1900’s. He determined that the constant contact with the ground provided better traction than tires did, allowing him to move heavier items. Caterpillar
applies that same principle today to its most powerful dozer. With all 108,000 lbs sitting on all 22.8 square feet of track on each side of the dozers frame, the CAT D9 has more pushing power than any machine of its size. It is powered by a
436 horsepower, 6 cylinder, 7.2 inch stroke, CAT C18 ACERT diesel engine. The powerful engine is surrounded by a heavy duty frame that spans 26.5 feet long, 14.7 feet wide, and
13 feet high. However, even with an engine as powerful as the C18 ACERT the incredible mass of the CAT D9 limits its maximum forward travel speed to 7.3 miles per hour and a slightly faster backwards pace of 9.1 miles per hour. However, what the D9 lacks in speed it more than makes up in moving capacity. This machine leads with a blade that reaches 22.5 feet long. With it the CAT D9 is able to move 17.7 cubic yards of material with ease. There is also an area on the back side of this dozer to attach a large ripper.
At first glance CAT dozers appear to be rather homogenous in nature. However, when one takes a look
at each machineries unique specifications, their varying driving styles and mechanisms, and their vastly different sizes, the diversity amongst the dozers is self-evident. By
breaking them into four categories based off of their increasing size, companies like Caterpillar advertise small, medium, large, and waste handling dozers. Within those categories CAT has at least 4 different sizes of dozers. While having so many machines (a total of 18) with such similar capabilities may seem redundant, the amount of options gives buyers a great avenue to purchase the absolute best machine for their operation. Smaller models like the CAT D3K2
serve as the most compact versions of the Caterpillar dozers. With an overall length of 14 feet the D3K2 is comparatively small when put beside mega-sized dozers like the Komatsu D575A. While typically fitted with a standard blade, Caterpillar’s D3K2 can also implement a mulcher attachment for wood and forestry tasks. Another attachment that Caterpillar’s dozers use is called a ripper. Unlike the blade or mulcher, a ripper attaches to the back of the dozer. Rippers use one or more shanks to dig in the ground behind the dozer as it moves forward. When depth or single-point pressure is the primary goal for the ripper operator a single shank is generally the go-to option. For a broader and lighter job a multi-shank ripper is a better choice.
Reading about these amazing machines is one thing, but getting to witness their enormity in person and talk to their companies is another. There are few events around the world that allow such an opportunity outside of MINExpo. Meeting every 4 years in Las Vegas, Nevada MINExpo gathers the mining industry’s leading brands, experts, and workers for one epic event. In the exhibit area of the expo attendees can look at and sit in some of the newest machines coming out of manufactures like Caterpillar as well as talk to their representatives to help them understand the depth of quality of the dozers. There are also ample educational classes and networking opportunities all weekend long at MINExpo. The next event will take place September 28-30, 2020.
Since Caterpillar has been selling quality dozers starting in the 1950s it is no surprise that the used dozer marketplace is full of some of the more recent models that have been used over the last 20 years. Because of Caterpillar's dedication to quality many of these used machines still in excellent shape can be found on mascus.com by potential buyers across the world. Buyers are able to find the used equipment they are looking for on sites like Mascus by using a speedy search and foolproof filters that narrow the search. Also, seeing that many current owners of used CAT dozers are ready to sell their valuable machines Mascus has provided sellers an effortless signup process to get their used heavy equipment available to buyers internationally.