The History and Power of the Trusted Bulldozer 

Pushing dirt is not a job for the faint of heart. If you’ve ever had a minor digging task in your backyard, you know that breaking soil, digging, and moving it from one place to another can be back-breaking work—certainly enough to get you a nice sunburn and sore arms for the rest of the week. When dealing with complex terrain and big mounds of dirt, things get even spicier. 

A cubic yard of soil can weigh up to 2,2000 lbs and even more if saturated. It’s why the heavy machinery used in construction sites made history and changed the efficiency and capabilities of what and how we build. The bulldozer is one of these recognizable beasts of a machine that does the heavy lifting in many construction jobs. So where did this tractor come from? 

A Lesson From Mother Nature and the Origin of the Term “Bulldoze”

When used in the common vernacular, when you “bulldoze” someone, it usually means running over them or pushing through them by force. The term actually comes from the tendency of bulls out in the wild. An alpha bull will playfully push around the smaller, less imposing bulls. Hence, the term “bully.” Come mating season, the playful aspect turns to more serious business and becomes more about asserting dominance and establishing power to win the mates. 

The Predecessors of the Bulldozer Blade 

We now associate the term bulldozer with the vehicle that includes the blade and the engine, but the bulldozer more specifically refers to the blade itself. Early in the 1900s, inventors across continents were looking to find ways to improve construction projects and excavation equipment. Industrialism and cities were expanding and growing, creating a demand for more complex infrastructure and construction. 

The bulldozer was essentially the union between early versions of tractors and the bulldozer blade. The blade component was not a new invention, as it had been used in agriculture and other construction when it was mounted to the front and harnessed to two mules or oxen. 

The Role of the Bulldozer and Why It’s a Favorite for the Job

A bulldozer is a type of tractor that is set apart by the metal plate mounted in its front. It’s like a linebacker, it will come at you with extraordinary power push back whatever is in its way. The bulldozer is used to push debris, raw material, rock, dirt, and soil and do so through the power harnessed by the engine and tracking system. 

The rotating tracks around the bottom function as a sustaining element. They are a source of power that provides the dozer with incredible stability and resilience. At the same time, it gives the vehicle the ability to traverse across uneven and rough terrain, while maintaining its pushing abilities. 

What Gives the Dozer the Power of the Bull?

The ripper and blade are part of what differentiates this machine from the regular farming tractor. The blade or “plate” is the metal structure mounted on the front of the vehicle that does most of the pushing. The ripper is what breaks or “rips” the ground or raw material. It is located on the back end of the machine. The purpose of the ripper is to soften the soil and get it to a more workable state. Its claw-like shape makes the job easier. 

What Are the Main Functions of a Bulldozer?

These powerful vehicles will be found in various sites including demolition sites, construction sites, and more. This is no one-trick pony! The bulldozer is an essential part of new home construction or the clearing of all sites. 

This heavy lifter is often used in:

• Land clearing. Cleaning up construction sites for new buildings, both residential and commercial. Before building begins, the foundation needs to be on solid ground. This might mean clearing out debris, vegetation, or evening the ground itself. 
• Construct roads or pavement. This heavy vehicle is very useful in setting the ground for a new road and or pavement.
• Demolition purposes. A bulldozer can be a very handy vehicle on demolition sites. It is used to get rid of the leftover or raw material.  
• Weed buildup. As desert dwellers here in El Paso, we know all too well how fast weeds can spread and cause clutter in yards or land lots. If you want to clear those weeds in one fell swoop, a dozer is a good option. 

Other uses for the bulldozer also include:

• Tree clearing
• Sand dunes
• New pad leveling
• Clearing mounds

The Right Bull for the Job

Here, at LB & Sons, we house several sizes of bulldozers that allow us to tackle different sizes of jobs more appropriately. Today’s favorite machines are often the Caterpillars. As the story goes, a photographer working for Benjamin Holt — a pioneer of the industry of tractors — looked at an upside-down image of the tractor and called it a caterpillar. Holt liked the name so much that he kept it. 

Before long, the Caterpillar company was born from the merger of two major players in the industrial equipment field of the time: the Holt company and C.L Best Gas Tractor Co. Caterpillar bulldozers are trusted vehicles for any job. At LB & Sons, we have the trusted Cat D6, Cat D7, Cat D8. 

The Trusted Name for Bulldozing Services in El Paso 

Whether it’s for construction, demolition, or land clearing, LB & Sons has you covered with the right bulldozer. 

Explore our bulldozer services. Call us today and find the right bull for the job!