wondering what y'all figure are the worst operator habits etc...?

-fear of a grease gun?
-failure to check fluid levels?
-too rammy..trying to operate a 100HP dozer like its a 200HP dozer...
-riding a brake as a foot rest...etc...

-the list is probably endless...put in your 2 cents please..

not covering exhaust

Today modern stuff--Zero warm up or cool down, grease gun fear, making up for skill with speed

I am guilty of it myself self sometimes but I have seen lots of shinny blades both front and back. something about hack's don't leave tracks

leaving the dozer and scraper parked in the bottom of the pit before a big rain.

Always drove me nuts when my guys would quick drop their blades from up high. Especially on rocks or frozen ground.
Or guys that would push with their idlers up in the air.
Or the guys that started stripping soils by pushing from the back of the claim and over top of the un stripped ground.

Come to think of it I've got lots of pet peeves lol.

"nomorejohndeere" wrote:

not covering exhaust

definitely a no-no...

"mog5858" wrote:

I am guilty of it myself self sometimes but I have seen lots of shinny blades both front and back. something about hack's don't leave tracks

Pardon me for the noob question but what is bad about backblading? Is it bad for anything or is it just that it doesnt take skill? I remember a certain municipality where I worked people would talk down on one operator that would scrape the streets (snow removal) in the float position. Is there anything wrong with that? I mean is it the same thing that it doesnt take any skill or is there more to it?

One thing that is for sure, all operators have strong opinions about how to get the job done, lol. Back blading is sometimes very necessary to the work one is doing. I have been on big cut and fills where if you didn't back blade, you didn't keep up with the trucks dumping in front of you. Also to pull material away from an edge or obstacle that you cannot get the machine behind it in the first place. I think when someone is talking bad about a back blade operation is mostly when it is done because the operator cannot put the project on grade and make it look nice going forward. Some guys don't like to hear it but back blading is a useful tool in any dozer mans arsenal.

"bursitis" wrote:

leaving the dozer and scraper parked in the bottom of the pit before a big rain.

-it's hard to believe any operator would actually park any kind of equipment in the bottom of a pit or pond, ditch....but yes i can:eek2: