Bulldozer salvage yards are great for cheap parts. Some of the best yards for dozer parts are out in the mid western states, but there are yards elsewhere. You can find bulldozers, at construction equipment junkyards, but an exclusive bulldozer salvo is optimal. You can also consider checking online for salvage bulldozer parts if you don’t have a yard near you. Below I’ll also share how the bulldozer salvage yards near me, share some tips. and help you find your closest salvage.
Map of Bulldozer Salvage Yards Near Me
For “Bulldozer Salvage Yards Near Me” or “Bulldozer junkyards Near Me”, see the map below…
Bulldozers, also called crawlers, are a heavy duty construction vehicles commonly used in mining, construction, and other necessary industries. They are motorized equipment that roll on tracks and are known for having a metal blade on the front for pushing materials like sand, gravel, and snow.
How the Bulldozer Salvage Yards Near Me Work
Bulldozer salvages are locally owned business. Some present themselves like a junkyard, but they are really heavy equipment auction houses. These companies will purchase junked and salvageable dozers and either sell them or sell the functioning parts. They serve the vehicle recycling industry which reduces the energy and natural resources needed to create new parts and equipment. Of course, we as consumers also benefit, but having an option to buy equipment and parts used at huge cost savings.
Dozers can end up in a junkyard or salvage auction for many reasons. Some have reached their end of life, while others were in accidents or broken in action. Some of these crawlers may be in slightly better condition if they came from a business liquidation auction. Most commonly though the bulldozers you will come across will be good for parts, but far beyond worth the cost of fixing.
If the Dozer Runs, They Might Auction It
If a junkyard has a crawler that still works, they may actually take it to auction instead of selling its functioning parts. This can be a faster way for the yard to profit especially if they were able to get the vehicle for cheap.
It’s important to know that, because if you are selling a dozer to a salvage, you may want to consider asking for more if it still runs. Knowing they may take it to auction, means you should ask for more the its value in scrap metal.
Bull Dozer Dismantling…
Typically when junked equipment comes into any heavy equipment salvage, it needs some prep work done. There are environmental regulations and some part stripping that take place first.
Often the first step to dismantling a Bulldozer is draining the major fluids. That includes gas, oil, diesel, fuel cell, hydraulic fluids, antifreeze, and other hazardous liquids. This is done to ensure that these fluids don’t leak and contaminate the local ground water. Even the battery will get pulled to prevent an acid or lead leak. Likely though if the battery is functional it will be resold.
After fluids, some parts get stripped. This includes the motor, attachments, and accessories like the blade and lift systems. Some of these parts get sold from a warehouse or online. The bulldozer salvage yards near me actually strip everything and sell all used parts out of a warehouse.
How a Crawler Junkyard is Arranged
The bulldozer salvage yards in my area are mixed equipment industrial salvages. So you will find not just dozers, but salvage skid loaders, excavators, forklifts, front loaders, and even tractors. While my local yard is mixed there is a section dedicated to just bulldozers.
If you have a specialized dozer junkyard, that is ideal. The selection is often better and you will get customer service that knows all the brands in and out. Whether you are looking for a Caterpillar. Komatsu, Liebherr, Case, Gehl, John Deere, or some other brand will know all the makes, models, etc. These yards tend to be arranged cleaner and the inventory better maintained.
Finding the Salvage Bulldozer Parts You Need…
Yards that have an online inventory make it much easier to find the parts you need. These yards will tag the equipment as it comes in and can tell you the make, model, and year as well as where it is on the lot. As a consumer of second-hand parts finding what you need is much more convenient when this process is done. It’s better to check online first before wasting a day walking around a salvo.
If you are going to walk the dozer junkyard, be ready to be overwhelmed. These places often have massive properties and charge you a small fee to walk around and pull parts. Some yards though are not pick and pulls, you find what you need and then they pull the part for you.
What Kind of Bulldozer Salvage Parts Can You Find…
Dozer parts and brands will vary from salvo to salvo. Really though you can find any type of crawler part…just a matter of whether it’s for the exact model you need.
As we mentioned above for brands you will find all the common dozer brands: CAT, Gehl, John Deere, Bobcat, Case, Clark, Komatsu, and more. You will also find different sizes, weights, and classes of crawlers. From skid steer size up to heavy equipment class vehicles. Additionally, you can find dozer attachments like blades, rippers, buckets, tree pullers, and riding platforms.
When it comes to parts you can find it all. First, you can find parts for various power sources like batteries, gas, or fuel cells. Then there are the dozer parts themselves like tracks, lift cylinders, motors, cabs, cages, controls, pedals, wheels, seats, capacity plates, and overhead guards.
Bulldozer Salvage Parts – Pros and Cons
Pros of Used Dozer Parts
Getting used parts for your crawler is all about saving money. Whether you are buying a salvage bulldozer or parts for one, the savings are huge. In my experience 60 to 75% off buying new is common. I have actually bought practically new parts for construction equipment at junkyard prices.
In some cases, if you have a dozer that is more than 15 to 20 years old, salvos are often your only option. I was helping a friend find tracks for a 92 Case bulldozer and we searched forever before we found something at a tractor salvage.
The other good thing about salvage bulldozer parts is you can get OEM pieces. Most of what you find will be factory installed and assembled by the manufacturer. This beats getting after market parts. Also, it is helpful if you aren’t really sure how the original part was attached.
Disadvantages of Buying Used Crawler Parts
Bulldozers are obviously heavy duty equipment that spends its life under duress. That means the quality of parts, may be suspect. Before you purchase a used part, you should thoroughly inspect it before you remove it. Then after you remove it inspect it again before you buy it. None of these salvage crawlers will have service records, so be prepared to evaluate the equipment for quality.
Bulldozer Salvage Yards Near Me Conclusion
Bulldozer salvages can be tough to find what you need if you plan on walking around. I like to check the internet first and worst case just call the yard and ask if they have my parts. Different yards will have different inventory, but if you call them most of these places network with each other. I have had one salvo send me to another to find the parts I was looking for.
If you can find a bulldozer junkyard in your area that’s better than a heavy duty equipment yard. Normally the staff knows everything about crawlers. Worse case if you don’t have a dozer junkyard, you can try checking for farm and tractor wrecking yards. That’s what I have learned from the bulldozer salvage yards near me.
