Brakes and steering
Many dozers lock their brakes when there's no power. Moving them takes a winch and the right approach.
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Won't start · won't steer · won't move
Non-Running Bulldozers Bought Exactly Where They Sit
A dozer that won't move is a 10 to 40 tonne paperweight. We buy it where it sits and plan the winching.
Running or notLowbed arranged
Free offer · No obligation
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About a minute. We call back with a number.
- Failed engines, transmissions, finals
- Seized tracks, sunk machines
- Winching planned ahead
Common failures
Why dozers stop
Final drives
One side dead. A big repair bill.
Transmission
Slipping or no drive on powershifts.
Steering clutches
Won't turn, or won't stop turning.
Hydrostatic drive
Pumps and motors losing power.
Engine
Blow-by, spun bearing, seized after sitting.
Long storage
Bad fuel, chewed wiring, rusted track.
Before we come
What we need to know
- Do the tracks turn? Or are they locked?
- Where's the blade? Up, down or buried.
- What's underneath? Gravel, grass or mud.
- How far to the lowbed? Uphill? Ditches or culverts?
Dozer sitting idle? Get a number in minutes.
Fix or sell?
When the repair outruns the machine
- Big repairs: finals, transmissions, engines.
- They stack: undercarriage often needs work too.
- Get our number first, then compare it to the quote.
Done for good? See scrap dozer removal.
Dead dozers in depth
Moving a dozer that won't run
A dead dozer can still be loaded.
Tracks
Seized tracks or final drives make loading harder. A winch and a lowbed manage most.
Blade position
A blade stuck down can dig in when winching. Tell us its position.
Common causes
Seized engines, fuel problems, failed transmissions and electrical faults are usual.
Parts value
Engines, transmissions and final drives often have resale value.
Don't fix it first
Repairs rarely pay off on a dozer being sold as is.
Questions
Common questions
How do you load a dozer that won't move?
With a winch on the lowbed or a winch truck, and sometimes with a second machine on site. Whether the tracks turn freely makes a big difference, so tell us.
The tracks are seized solid. Is that a problem?
It changes the loading, not whether we buy it. Seized tracks are common on dozers that sat for years. We plan around it.
Should I put a new battery in it first?
If that's all it takes to crank, it helps. Don't spend more than that before selling.
Can you get a dead dozer out of a field?
Usually. A field that is soft or flooded may mean waiting for drier weather so a loaded truck doesn't sink.