IMBA Au to bring purpose built trail dozer to Oz

Hey there trail builders!

I am pleased to announce that IMBA Aust, in partnership in IMBA (US) and Sutter Equipment (US) are bringing a purpose built trail building dozer to the land down under to help contractors and land managers punch out some quick kilometers of fun, flowing single track.

check this:
http://sutterequipment.com/sutter_500.html

This thing is one mean beast when it comes to cutting trail and our main motivation is to help Aussie communities achieve their trail dreams quicker and cheaper than ever before.

This loving reconditioned machine is on a boat, bound for Botany Bay, and it will be forced to work like a convict!

As part of a national tour, the first project is in Adelaide during October. TrailScapes (Garry "Patto" Patterson) won the contract to build 15 km of MTB specific trail in a Dept of Environment and Natural REsources Reserve (that's a first for SA as it basically represents National Park tenure @ Craigburn Farm not far from Belair). Patto reckons the Dozer will be the perfect tool for the job and he got in first!

After working it in Adelaide the plan is to take the dozer back to Sydney via some "demo" projects in Vic (yet to be announced). We are also looking for demo projects in Sydney. For interested parties who may need to blast out some trail quickly the charges for using the Dozer are $6900 + GST for machine and operator for 10 working days (2 weeks). This one off price does not include transport costs. In 10 days in the right conditions, we think we can cut somewhere between 5 and 10 km of trail.

So we are looking for demo sites with "shovel ready" projects and if you are interested for December and onwards, let us know.....

Naturally we are keen to hear from trail contractors who would like to use the machine which can be rented for a reasonable rate too.

cheers
Nick
nick@imba-au.com
 

No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
Looks great. So it cuts a 140cm track, pretty wide. Pardon my ignorance, but why is it better than say a bobcat? Is it because it'll push a near finished track straight through by just going forward pretty much? Can't wait to see a finished track with it in NSWs or ACT.
Has Jindabyne booked it in yet for the around the lake track?
Are National Parks cool with using it on allowed trails?
Pretty exciting for XC tracks.
 

Macr

Likes Dirt
I thought that it may cut 140cm tread, but eventually the under-storey will grow back, leaving the ST line created by the constant passing of bikes along a line.
 

No Skid Marks

Blue Mountain Bikes Brooklyn/Lahar/Kowa/PO1NT Raci
Yeah, 140 realistically is probably ideal, or even too thin. It will probably make a wider path going back and forth a bit anyway. You need visibility, so 140 is a good starting width.
I wonder if they can swap the dragging spikes(whatever they called)at the back for hanging chains or a rubber blade or something, to drag for a final run. Or maybe a big roller.
 

Olly76

Likes Dirt
Looks great. So it cuts a 140cm track, pretty wide. Pardon my ignorance, but why is it better than say a bobcat? Is it because it'll push a near finished track straight through by just going forward pretty much? Can't wait to see a finished track with it in NSWs or ACT.
Has Jindabyne booked it in yet for the around the lake track?
Are National Parks cool with using it on allowed trails?
Pretty exciting for XC tracks.
Dozer will actually push through wet ground and be able to cut a trail Dozer tracks will grip hard in the dirt and not slip whilst pushing / cutting the trail. Bobcat's ( Skid Steers) get bogged super quick and designed mainly to move quantities of dirt in tight access area's i.e turn on its own axis.
 

retroenduro

Likes Dirt
Yeah, 140 realistically is probably ideal, or even too thin. It will probably make a wider path going back and forth a bit anyway. You need visibility, so 140 is a good starting width.
I wonder if they can swap the dragging spikes(whatever they called)at the back for hanging chains or a rubber blade or something, to drag for a final run. Or maybe a big roller.
the scarifier (spiky things on back) can be swapped out for loads of stuff including a hydralic excavator bucket.
 

Olly76

Likes Dirt
Agree and Disagree Dobbo,

The mini dozer has a valuable place in trail building. The speed you will be able to cut a trail in will be amazing, kilometers in days not months. No more cutting the grass / shrubs off the trail just punch you way through with the dozer.

Now the ultimate would be then to send in the mini excavator to create all features, drainage and to shape the trail in general. This obviously cannot be done with the dozer and your argument might be that the mini can cut the trail in and this would by true but the dozer will be alot more efficient.

Hire the dozer for a week cut in 5-7 kilometers and then let the trail fairy's loose with most of the grunt work done.
 

Kramer

FoBR
Hire the dozer for a week cut in 5-7 kilometers and then let the trail fairy's loose with most of the grunt work done.
This is what they did to build Stromlo. The mini digger cut the trail, and then an army of trail fairies fuelled with pizza and coke was unleashed to tidy the edges (slope onto the trail and outslope off the trail).
Also, following all of this with a plate compactor does wonders for the toughness of the trail too!
 

outtacontrol

Likes Bikes and Dirt
A dozer wouldn't work on our trails. The sideslope would be unsuitable for a dozer. We use a mini excavator that can cut a tread for itself to travel onto.

Could be useful on flatter terrain??
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
A trail dozer works by cutting the bench in front of it that it travels onto.
But when the side slope gets steep there is a lot of spoil to push. A dozer will only push it's own weight. Also you need to considered where does the dozer push it and how do you control the sedimentation?

Don't get me wrong, I think the dozer would be a great tool but on the type of slope outtacontrol describes I think the excavator would work better in conjunction with a dumper as you'd be able to pick up the excess and put it where its needed rather than constantly push a rill in front of you that would inevitably create a half bench. Also the excavator can dress the side of the trail to produce the right transition between hill and trail.
 
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retroenduro

Likes Dirt
if it has an angled blade then you could push it 'over the side' so to speak but then i guess this will make any sediment problem worse?
 

thecat

NSWMTB, Central Tableland MBC
if it has an angled blade then you could push it 'over the side' so to speak but then i guess this will make any sediment problem worse?
Yeah "pushing it over the side" is what creates the half bench. The IMBA guidelines recommend against half bench construction.
 
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