5 most popular dozer makes on Constructionsales

We dug up some data to see which brand dominated the dozer market, or at least our site views...

Contrary to what most people might think, dozers are certainly no one-trick pony. Sure, they are mainly designed to be pushing material but do you know they can be used for various other applications such as towing, ripping up the ground, clearing land etc?

When it comes to the makes or brands of dozers, there are a few big names that dominate the market. Here are the most viewed dozer makes on constructionsales.com.au.

RELATED: Dozer types and uses

Caterpillar

Perhaps unsurprisingly, we come to find Caterpillar sitting at the top of the most popular dozer brand list. Not only is the brand the most viewed, but it is the top brand by a mile, with its number of views more than five times that of the next one on the list.

Caterpillar is one of the pioneers of dozers and dozer blades, being the company which produced the first proper dozer blade back in 1914. However, it wasn’t until 1945 that the company started producing its own line of dozer blades that met Caterpillar specifications and quality standards. The blades originally came in straight, angling, and 'U' shapes, both cable- and hydraulically- controlled.

View Caterpillar dozers for sale

Komatsu

Another leading name when it comes to dozers is Japanese brand, Komatsu. Komatsu is another name steeped in history with its origins traced back to the 1910s. Komatsu reportedly started developing its own dozers at around the same time as Caterpillar, with its iconic D50 bulldozer introduced in 1947.

Not one to be intimidated by the might and reputation of Caterpillar, Komatsu went on to create what was claimed to be largest and most powerful bulldozer in the world, the 1150hp D575 in 1991. The D575A-3 SD Super Dozer model can reportedly move 96 cubic-metres of material per pass if equipped with an optional blade, Komatsu claimed.

While now specialising in a range of earthmoving machinery including wheel loaders, excavators, dump trucks and more, Komatsu still puts a lot of focus on its dozer range. In fact, in 2016, Komatsu claims to be the first OEM to release a fully integrated intelligent machine control solution for its dozers and excavators, which enables a semi-autonomous operation that requires minimal operator input for tedious tasks such as final trimming and grading.

In addition to being easy to operate, operators who have driven Komatsu dozers also praised the machine for its stability, comfort and durability.

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Shantui

From Caterpillar in the US and Komatsu in Japan, we now look at Shantui in China.

In comparison to the previous two, Shantui is a relatively new company, established in the 1980s. Originally named Shandong Bulldozer, the company was renamed Shantui in 1993, which literally means ‘mountain pushing’ in Mandarin, a rather apt name for a bulldozer and earthmoving company.

While it initially focused on making bulldozers, the company eventually expanded its range to include excavators, wheel loaders, road machinery and more. Having cut its teeth in dozer production, Shantui promises quality yet affordable bulldozing machinery.

Komatsu is not the only company thinking outside the box when it comes to its dozers. In 2019, Shantui reportedly produced the world’s first 5G remote-controlled high-power bulldozer.

Shantui claims to produce 10,000 units of bulldozers per annum, in addition to thousands of other construction machinery in its line-up.

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CASE

CASE is another one of those machinery pioneers with history dating back hundreds of years. In fact, the company is celebrating its 180th anniversary this year.

CASE Construction had its roots in agriculture machinery, and was known for being the first to produce a factory integrated backhoe loader. The company also manufactures a wide range of construction machinery including skid steer loaders, excavators and of course, crawler dozers.

CASE’s dozers are more geared towards the construction industry for earthmoving purposes, instead of mining and quarrying.

According to the company, it sets itself apart in the dozer market by offering best-in-class powertrain technology for superior track power and outstanding blade force through the turns. CASE dozers power both tracks when turning to increase material retention and productivity.

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Dressta

Like Shantui, Dressta cut its teeth in producing bulldozers and till today has its focus solely on dozers as well as specialist equipment such as pipelaying machinery.

Based in Poland, Dressta was established in 1937 in the town of Stalowa Wola, literally translated as ‘Will of Steel’. In 1948, the company was named Huta Stalowa Wola (HSW).

Over the years, HSW signed many licensing and cooperation agreements with many leading construction equipment manufacturers including Clark Equipment, Dresser Industries and International Harvester (now part of CNH Industrial) in a bid to increase its technical expertise and expand its footprint across the globe.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, HSW and Komatsu America joined forces to form what is now known as Dressta to produce a range of construction equipment for the global market.

In 2012, the company is acquired by Chinese corporation, LiuGong Machinery and has since been named LiuGong Dressta Machinery. With the takeover, Dressta was able to access the Chinese market and a substantial injection of resources and was able to increase manufacturing volume and efficiency.

Since then, Dressta has expanded distribution operations into Europe, Asia & Pacific, Middle East & Africa, North America and Latin America.

LiuGong Dressta now specialises in dozers ranging from compact sub 10-tonne dozers all the way up to 67.7 tonne large dozers.