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The "Pulldozer" Levels Fields, Digs Ditches
Move over graders and scrapers. The Pulldozer is leveling farmland across Western Canada, and construction companies and rural municipalities like the new option.
    “Regular land scrapers pulled by tractors work well for moving dirt, but they are very heavy. It’s hard to get a smooth finish,” says Dale Kotzer, of Bridgeview Manufacturing in Gerald, Sask. “The Pulldozer has a big blade and levels the whole thing off.”
    It’s not designed to move soil great distances. It’s intended for short runs and drain cleanout, and leaving finished level ground in one pass.
    That’s important to large acre Canadian farmers who need to fill in potholes and level fields in the fall. Many farmers also appreciate the Pulldozer’s optional trencher shank. With 42 in. of rain in many areas, fields were dotted with lakes and potholes threatening to prevent seeding.
    “Farmers drove through the water this spring with the trencher mounted on the Pulldozer,” Kotzer says. “It doesn’t carry dirt, so it’s not so heavy. In wet conditions, the operator can lift the blade, and with the large tires it will roll out of the area without getting stuck.”
    The trenching was enough to drain fields for planting, and farmers continue to use the Pulldozer to clean up and level land affected by the wet conditions.
    Besides leveling, the Pulldozer can be tilted to create new ditches or clean out existing ones. It can pull dirt over willows and cattails, cut down hills six times faster than a scraper, and remove/replace topsoil.
    At 1,000 lb. for every foot of width, the Pulldozer is a “robust” piece of equipment that’s rugged enough to pull out rocks and roots. Demand is good for its third year in production – by farmers who use it on their land and do road work for rural municipalities, to construction workers to oilfield businesses that reclaim oil drilling sites.
    The Pulldozer comes in four models. An 18-ft. model weighs 18,000 lbs., drags up to 18 cubic yards, and sells for $58,000. It requires a 250 to 375 hp tractor. The 24-ft. model weighs 24,000 lbs., drags up to 25 cubic yards, sells for $68,000 and requires 400 to 500 hp. Both models have the hydraulic retractable trencher option.
    Kotzer notes that farmers can easily cross the 28-in. wide trenches the Pulldozer makes by farming on an angle. The tool is also equipped with universal brackets to mount laser or RTK controls.
    Pulldozers have been shipped to the U.S. and Australia. The company is interested in setting up U.S. distributorships.
    Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Bridgeview Manufacturing, Box 4, Hwy 22, Gerald, Sask. S0A 1B0 Canada (ph 306 745-2711; www.bridgeviewmanufacturing.com).



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2012 - Volume #36, Issue #1