​

Trail Dozer Deep Dive

March 30, 2022

Photo: Allegra Trails

Agenda

Introductions

Field Footage

Pros + Cons

Best Terrain + Limitations

Becoming a Skilled Operator

�Types of Dozers -

Sutter & SWECO

DOZERS

Trail Dozers are 4’ wide or less

​

• Sutter 300/500 Trail Dozers
• SWECO 450/480 Trail Dozers
• ASV RT Series

​

​

​

Dozer Field Footage

PROS

• Heavy and Powerful
• Moderate travel speeds
• Cuts bench easily and quickly
• Low center of gravity, very stable
• Off-trail travel possible with minimum damage if not turning
• Tight Turning Radius

​

Photo: Tony Boone Trails

CONS

• Expensive to own and operate
• Can’t push debris very far below trail without ground impacts
• Can’t dig a borrow pit as fast as an excavator
• Challenges in flat slopes or “soft” soils
• Not great at cutting and shaping backslope
• Mixes organic matter and mineral soil together in spoils/berm
• Requires skilled operators
• Requires regular maintenance and often specialized tools and shop access

​

Photo: OBP Trailworks

Best Terrain

• 25 -75% slope
• Low to High Rock Content
• Rock and Mineral-based soils

​

Photo: Tony Boone Trails

DOZERS

• High Clay soils when wet
• High Organic Matter Soils
• Low slope environments (i.e. less than 15%)
• Shallow or sloped bedrock (may need additional machine to prep passage)

​

​

Limitations

Becoming a Skilled Operator

Photo: Tony Boone Trails

Photo: Tony Boone Trails

Cost + Maintenance

• Cost of a new machine
• Cost to insure
• Cost of maintenance
• Hours of maintenance
• How long or how many hours until machine is retired

Photo: Tony Boone Trails

Comparison

SWECO

Sutter

Pull from Cam’s presentation from 2019 on the comparison between the 2?

​

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/12oRzIq_VEu2gsXEVeW74HD8x1ubqNnkw/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=105461126002018959967&rtpof=true&sd=true

Questions?

Photo: Allegra Trails