Need to push something out of the way? Or rip things apart? Bulldozers are some of the most frequent pieces of heavy-duty machinery dotting construction and demolition sites. They’re the go-to equipment when clearing debris, doing landfill duty or spreading aggregate in new roadworks. Their versatility stems from the combination of power, precision and productivity, and dozers in varying sizes and operating capacities.
Ideal in earthmoving, excavation, trenching, grading, demolition and general material handling, the wide variety of dozers is bested only by the assortment of bulldozer attachments, ranging from blades and rippers to winches and rakes. These increase the usability of both tracked and wheeled dozers, with attachments selected according to project requirements, the material you’re working with and site conditions.
Bulldozer Blade Attachments
Besides classification according to size, load capacities and whether they’re tracked or wheeled, bulldozers are also classified by their front blades. These are the standard bulldozer attachments when moving large amounts of soil, sand, gravel and debris. The wide variety of blades serves different purposes, handling different types of materials and varying load weights. They also differ in shape and size. Common blade types include:
- Straight blades: This is the most common blade type, featuring a flat surface and straight edges ideal for general material handling. They work well with common worksite materials, including gravel, sand and medium-density soils and excel in grading, levelling, backfilling and stumping duties. The attachments are recognisable by their smaller size and lack of side wings.
- Universal or U-blades: These are curved, with large side wings and are ideal when pushing large quantities of materials at a distance. The wings contain material, preventing spillage. U-blades are the biggest bulldozer blade attachments and are common in larger earthmoving projects with soft to medium-packed materials.
- Semi-U blades: Combining design elements of both straight and universal blades, semi-U blades provide stronger penetration and increased versatility. They’re narrower than universal blades, with a slightly curved shape and integrated side wings. Best uses are moving heavy materials, backfilling, stumping and crowning.
- Angle blade: This bulldozer attachment has a two-way blade with an angled motion, able to move 30 degrees left or left. Best use case scenarios are clearing debris, spreading aggregate, shaping and ditching.
- PAT (Power-Angle-Tilt): PAT blades pack versatility, with tilting and lifting capability in several directions. Ideal tasks are scraping, levelling, grading and backfilling.
Other common bulldozer blade attachments include cushion or push blades with thicker blade designs and reinforced cutting edges – used to push other heavy equipment such as scrapers and tractors; folding blades – which can be rotated outwards to disperse materials or turned inwards when scooping, and sloping blades designed specifically for grading, ditching and finishing tasks.
Rake Bulldozer Attachments
Rakes are larger implements consisting of several curved tines mounted to the front of the bulldozer. Stick rakes are the most common type, and a heavy-duty bulldozer attachment, allowing the machines to clear land, pull out roots, rocks and sticks while allowing loose dirt to pass through. They’re common in applications ranging from general land clearing and earthmoving to construction and farming, and are recognisable by spaced tines reinforced by a heavy-duty steel frame. Brush rakes are smaller and narrower attachments with evenly spaced curved tines, common in general land clearing tasks and debris removal.
Scrapers
Scraper attachments are versatile and efficient dozer additions used to cut, load and move large volumes of soil, gravel and loose materials. They’re extensively used in general earthmoving tasks, clearing land for grading and bringing surfaces to a smooth and level finish. Scrape attachments are also seen in ditching duties alongside roads for proper drainage.
Rear Attachments
Blades, rakes and scrapers attach to the front of the dozer via the arms and cylinders. Rippers and winches, on the other hand, attach to the bulldozer rear. Rippers are large claw-like implements used to break up and loosen hard surfaces, including asphalt, compacted soil and rock. Ripping is the prep phase in land clearing, before excavators enter the worksite. The attachments use power from the dozer hydraulics to lower shanks into the ground, which then tear and split material. This can then be cleared with the vehicle’s blade. There are two basic designs – single-shank rippers providing maximum penetration in tougher soils and materials, and multi-shank rippers, commonly used on loose materials and at a shallower depth. Both are combined with scrapers for improved efficiency.
Winches are another rear attachment, used to pull. lift and recover heavy loads, including rubble, stumps and rocks. Cable-type winches provide the needed durability and versatility for moving heavy loads at a lower cost than comparable synthetic rope winches. The latter, however, are safer, lighter and simpler to repair, though they will need more care during use. Both can be powered via the dozer’s hydraulics or come as an electrical option. The attachments are readily seen in towing and recovery tasks of heavy machinery (including the dozer if it gets stuck in loose soil), general land clearing, pulling pipes in position and more.
Choosing the Right Attachment
Attachments go above and beyond the stock dozer blade to offer increased versatility across a range of tasks. This transforms dozers into do-it-all necessities on any worksite. A single dozer can be equipped with multiple attachments, significantly reducing operating costs and the need for additional machinery. With that said, choose the attachments that meet project needs in terms of material type, the task at hand, dozer compatibility and attachment features.
Blades are the more popular choice, but here, too, there are multiple options. Universal blades work best on soft soils, but you may need to switch to straight blades for harder, compacted ground, or angle blades to move and carry materials. This leads to the next consideration – intended use. Rakes and scrapers do a better job than general-purpose blades, with higher efficiency and lower parts wear, leading to lower operating and maintenance costs.
Size attachments accordingly to the dozer type. The machines need to work comfortably and maneuver the parts to avoid strain, overheating or safety and productivity issues. Consider attachment weight. And compatibility with OE dozer parts, such as arms and cylinders, for seamless operation. Lastly, consider attachment build, materials and special features, such as heat-treated steel reinforced frames, thickness and tine spacing. Buy the parts new, or source used attachments in good condition from machine and accessory resellers.
