Bulldozer or tractor: how to buy or hire one at a good price
Bulldozer, tractor or something in between
A tracked bulldozer is built for pushing a lot of soil, clearing and levelling large plots. A wheeled tractor is more versatile: ploughing, mowing, hauling, and with a blade it also levels a plot, just not as well as a tracked machine.
For levelling a plot of about 800 square metres for building, a tractor with a blade is quite enough. For forest tracks, clearing and dense clay you need a tracked bulldozer.
What changes the price
- Type of undercarriage: tracked machines are steadier on soft ground, wheeled ones are more mobile on the road.
- Engine hours and condition of the undercarriage: tracks, rollers and tensioners are the most expensive parts.
- Blade and attachments: angle blade, ripper, bucket.
- Year and model: a new machine costs much more than an old one, but needs fewer repairs.
- Delivery: a tracked machine goes on a trailer, which is a separate cost.
What to put in your request
- Type of machine — tracked bulldozer, wheeled tractor.
- Buy or hire — with or without an operator.
- Model — or just the class and power.
- Scope of work — levelling a plot of 800 m², clearing, filling.
- Location — city, and whether a trailer can get in.
- Year and engine hours — after 2000, up to 5,000 hours.
- Condition — after an overhaul, running.
- Budget — a purchase price or a rate per shift.
Example: “I need a tractor with a blade on hire for 1 shift: levelling a plot of about 800 m² for a house near Tsuen Wan. Preferably with an operator from the owner. Please state the rate and the cost of delivery.”
How searching on BlaBlaPrice works
You describe the job in a request, and sellers and equipment owners in your region reply in the chat: which machine, the price, the terms, the date. They see where their offer ranks and what the offers above theirs give, so they improve their terms. The best one is shown first, judged on what is offered, and reviews are visible next to each. Not everyone gets to see your number. Details are on the “How it works” page.
How to compare and what to check
Compare the same type of machine and the same amount of work. Ask whether the rate includes fuel, the operator and the trip, and whether there is a minimum number of hours.
When buying a used machine, ask to start the engine from cold, look at the exhaust, hydraulic leaks and track wear, and check the registration papers. The engine hours on the dashboard do not always show real wear, so judge the overall condition. Sometimes the job is better given to another machine: look at excavators or loaders, and at the “Heavy equipment” section.
Season and terms
It is best to level a plot in dry weather: wet soil sticks, and tracks leave ruts. In the rainy season, check whether the site is accessible at all. Clearing bushes and stumps takes power, so say what exactly has to be removed. If the plot is outside the city, agree on delivery by trailer and on who pays for fuel. Owners answer differently, so compare the total amount, not just the rate. It is also useful to ask about a spare machine in case of a breakdown, and whether the operator has worked on sloping or wet ground.
