Dozers are one of the most common machines you see on all the major construction, mining or forestry projects across Australia. We have also seen an increase in suppliers who are hiring dozers for the long term or purchasing used dozers for their fleet.

To ensure that you hire or buy the right used dozer for your project, we have come up with a simple 7-step checklist of what you should look for when inspecting a dozer for hire or purchase.

The 7 steps to inspecting a dozer include:

1) Dozer operational history

When looking at the dozer's operational history you should consider a couple of factors. These include the machines operation hours, year, price and condition. This will assist you in your decision-making as it great guide to the use of the dozer.

2) Wear and tear of the dozer

As identified in the history of the dozer through the operational hours and year this is a great indicator of the general wear and tear of the dozer. As your walk around the dozer look for signs of damage or wear and tear to the top of the blade, cutting edge and the spill guard. Additionally, check the blade push arms and inspection the trunnion pins and caps. If the trunnion cap is loose this is a great sign that it has excessive wear.

3) Inspecting the undercarriage

As the undercarriage is seen as 20% of the dozer’s value, it can be quite costly to repair, so it is vital to be inspected accordingly. When inspecting the undercarriage of the dozer some of the key things to look for include:

• Uneven wear of the undercarriage as the operator could favour steering in one direction over the other
• Uneven wear due to dozer being constantly run on a hillside
• Tops and bottoms of the brushing - by reaching over the rails and touching tops and bottoms of the brushing you will be able to determine in what condition they are. If the dozer is in top condition the bearings should be round. If the bearings feel flattened in areas, it generally is a sign of excessive wear
• Track pads and its thickness - if the grouser bar is the same height as pad bolts, then the track pads will need to be replaced

4) Check for plates lines or welding

To determine the excessive wear inspect the dozer blade noting any plate lines as this could mean the blade has been refaced to cover up the excessive wear. Additionally check the blade for signs of welding as this could also be an indicator that it has undergone some repairs.

5) Hydraulic system and engine

When it comes to inspecting for any damages to the hydraulic system and engine it is important to look for signs of leakages and check the fluids, lose belts and dirty filters.

6) Cab and general inspection

When it comes to inspecting the cab inspect the condition of the ROPS, seat, seat belt, floorboard and instrumental panels ad control. If the dozer has an enclosed cab examine the doors, glass and latches. Additionally, inspect the state of the steps, handrails and mirrors. If not expected and damaged this will all add unnecessary costs for you to fix.

7) Attachments and tech upgrades

Attachments and tech updates generally add value to the dozers as long as they are in good condition. Some of the attachments you could come across when inspecting a dozer include:

• Rear attachments - single-shank or multi-shank ripper or auxiliary hydraulic
• Productivity and safety features - camera system, GPS or monitors.

How to Purchase or Hire a Dozer?

If you are looking to purchase a used dozer check out Graysonline. Graysonline is one of Australia’s biggest auctioneers for heavy machinery. They have weekly auctions running across Australia in both major cities and regional areas, with inspections available pre-purchase. If you require finance for your purchase get in touch with Finlease, who will make sourcing equipment finance easy and deal with over $350 million in finance arrangements yearly.

Finally, if you just want to hire a dozer for your project get in touch with us today. We have the largest database of dozer suppliers across all major cities and regional areas across Australia. So whether you are in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Darwin, or Adelaide or more rurally, look no further than our network. Get rates within minutes using our 'get a quote' tool or get in touch with on 1300 691 912. Subscribe to the iseekplant Constructionsht Blog to stay up to date with the latest industry news and projects, including our bulldozer hire rates guide!