We had some doubts about investing our savings into this thing, but after reading all of your amazing comments I think we made the right call. This is going to be a fun summer! 🔥

I sold out the operations side of my logging company in 2018. I sold 180 pieces of equipment through Ritchie Brothers. The one and only piece of equipment that I wish I had kept was oldest one: a 1977 D8K. They were so buttery smooth, easy to work on (other than the final drives) had ludicrous pushing power (no issues pushing my 180,000plus loaded trucks up hills), and would start in minus 40 simply by glow plugging it.

A warning and advise if you ever plan or get the idea of moving snow with it. Never use sideways it on a hill with snow. The metal tracks act just like a sled that won’t stop until it hits some thing.

I just retired from East Peoria Caterpillar where your dozer was built and had a hand in building and/or machining parts for more than a couple. I hope the winch works, because other than another dozer, it's the only thing that's going to pull you out if you get stuck!

Respect to you and the previous owner… you for not giving up on something that big and the prev.owner for taking time out to teach you

The smile on Riley's face says it all. The guy can really play in the dirt now!

Great purchase! Two things my dad mentioned and I’ve learned running dozers my whole life. Our old d7 if you press the clutches in will free wheel and can take off down a hill. Also, on rock, if the tracks start to slide, drop the blade and try and hook a tree. It kept us from going off a cliff once. Rocks and metal tracks can get tricky. Start slow and get proficient. You’ll be fast even if you’re slow if you’re working correctly.

a very responsible seller giving Riley training and making sure how to drive it. safety first always.

Ya'll are seriously taking Do It Yourself to a whole new level. So glad you're bringing us all along for the ride, this is so cool!

Holy cow. You guys don’t mess around. This is why I enjoy your channel: No Boundaries For Your Imaginations. Can’t? Not in your vocabulary. I’m in! 🍿🥤

Great show! You guys are really fun to watch. I retired from 50+ years of contracting and you are the real deal.

When you go to start it, idle the starting engine for a few minutes first. While turning the diesel over with compression lever in the start position, build up oil pressure for a time, then move lever to the run position, keep the diesel throttle lever in the shut-off position, then when engine has turned over on compression for several minutes depending on temp, then open the throttle lever to start the diesel engine. Idle starting engine and turn off the gas valve to stop starting engine.

Having ran crawler tractors over the years one thing to remember any part that says Caterpillar it's going to be darn expensive, but putting that aside the old D8 is one heck of a powerful machine

You might want to tighten the tracks a bit. It's real easy to do. On top of the roller frame there should be an access door (4 or so inch square), there is a grease fitting under it, and just a few pumps is all u need. Have fun!

If no one has told you yet, learn to watch and maintain the tension on your tracks. Especially on an older machine working around very large Rock it can be easy for them to come off. "throw" a track once and you'll never want to again. That being said, I totally envy you. Let everyone know how much fuel you use in a day. I have an idea but others will freak out. Best of luck and I hope to see you try that thing Courtney you'll look good up there.

That Caterpillar brings back so many memories. When we lived in Oregon, my dad owned and operated several. So many memories - coming down a mountain road in 10 feet of snow and freezing as there was no cab. Pushing down trees, getting it stuck in a bog up to the top of the tracks. That one has a very nice blade on the front. Looking forward to watching your work.

When you tighten the track, pull it forward about twenty feet straight, stop and back up to get the slack on top of the idler and rollers. Old D-8 weighs actually about 48,000 but they are good old machines. Learn to steer it with the blade loading, not the clutches. If you start popping steering clutches under load, you will damage it fast.

Chuck has been saying all week that he can hardly wait to see you start the dozer. Boy is he going to be surprised by your new purchase! Love it! ❤️

Well that made my morning! So stoked that you guys meet the challenge and find your way thru it every time!

Wow the truck driver did a great job of backing up quickly and you did a great job of leaving him room to back up..

You two are AMAZING! I admire both your skills and how you work together. Being able to build, weld and think your way through problems is most rewarding. I wish I cpuld have a D6/7 for use in my woods and fill site.

Congrats! And I did notice the tracks on the dozer need to be tightened up.

My Dad was a dozer operator for decades. I got to ride on. D-10 with him when he was building some sewage ponds for a housing development. Coolest thing any 4th grader could experience.

You two are incredibly happy and I love it. Keep the affirmative outlook. You’re off to a fantastic start.

one of the first things to now invest in is some fuel supply equipment, like a portable 30gallon rollaround diesel fuel tank with a hand pump on it..and run some Power Service fuel anti-gel year-round,it helps the engine start easier even in summer..drain the fuel filters and water separator regularly..25yrs a Cat iron owner

When I was a kid I actually started a gigantic bulldozer at a gravel pit. My friends and I drove it around for a while, but we couldn't turn it off. So we left it running and got the heck out of there.

When I developed our ranch, as a builder, I couldn't believe how inept I really was. It took me a couple years to stop dragging just anything home. Eventually though, we finished and never regretted the experience.

You guys kill me! Nonstop adventures, no task too big or small. Get on gettin on!!! Love it. Looking forward to seeing more Doser stories.

Check all of the fluids. And grease it really good.

That's a nice model of CAT I grew around that model and the D8K with my two other brothers. Summers were in the woods(Rouge Valley and southern Oregon) with Grandpa who pioneered logging roads from the 40's until he retired in the late 80's. Have fun with the 8H while you have it. My twin and i would have a ball building a road like yours. Only problem we would have......who gets to go first lol Have a good day and Happy Father's day everyone

That's awesome the previous owner has hardfaced the entire blade and arms. That will help keep the rocks from wearing them out.

Now you can get the D7 dozer for your wife. You can now push start the D7 with the D8. Get the road done in two days

Use it for everything like building the best road possible. Then if you think of fire breaks around your place in case of fire use it for that also. If you want a new road put it in now.

JUST WOW! You guys are just like book ends with endless Ambition of great things to come!

Some grease in the track tensioners would be a good thing. Enjoy the new toy.

The same feeling when I woke up, walked outside and realized that that shiny new Toyota Supra L was actually mine. It was a lot of cutting grass, shoveling snow and then changing tires after school and on weekends but it was worth every minute of work. Now my ride is 19 years old and I get excited over getting another free lawn tractor to fix. Stay safe and I'm really excited to see you all have fun while getting it done.

Congratulations on the D-8 ! What a great machine! I worked on construction in the 70-80s And around a D-8 A real work horse Good luck!

Wow, you guys are serious about having some heavy metal to redo the driveway with! My kudos to you both! I thought you might find a D4 or D6 but when I saw you brought home the D8, I was seriously impressed! One warning tho- once you have had some serious machinery to work with, you can never go back to little machines. The heavy metal spoils you! I'm wondering if soon you will not be wanting a bigger excavator too! I really enjoy watching your videos to see the progress on the place, and how you solve problems!

By the way, my experience with pony motors is run the pony absolutely the least amount of time possible. Parts are unbelievably high and hard to come by. My advice if the pony goes down is direct electric start. There are conversion kits for that.

When I was 14 years old we would jump start the dozer and drive them around the development where they were building houses and streets. We had a blast. We could only find one gear forward and we could make the blade go up and down and turn.

I love the chill nature that you present with. This is very watchable, your channel is coming together so nicely! Keep up the constant refinement, it will pay off for you!

I've noticed too, on the side of track carriage there is a plate with usually with 4 bolts you take off, (their on both sides) when opened there should be a grease nipple. You use a grease gun of course and add to it until you start seeing the track tighten, but a word of caution! Do not tighten too tight, you want to take out the sag out of it, because it's old and the undercarriage is worn down you could break the links. I used to be a mechanic at Yancey caterpillar. Check your undercarriage rollers and track plates when tightening them.

Grew up on a farm in Texas. My Dad had two dozers very similar to your new toy. I was moving dirt by the time I was 12yo. When I was 15yo, my Dad and I built a 32acre lake. Great memories! So have fun, be safe, and remember going steady as she goes gets the job done. Oh, and a little maintenance every day keeps these old beast pushing dirt.

thats soooo cool as a kid my grandfather was a road builder/logger in southern oregon... we as kids got to ride and run his D8K you will love it and with a U blade you can move tons and tons of dirt

Can't wait to see you working on the road with your new CAT D8!

Impatiently awaiting the next video to see the machinery in action! A daily inspection of hoses, fluid levels, hydraulics etc is a must on such large equipment. Hopefully will cut down on problems later. How will you fuel it?

What. A. Tease. I was so excited to see you guys hit the ground with the dozer running. I can’t wait to see what the road construction looks like!

Wow , you 2 are so brave and smart...I continue to wish you the best in your endeavors.

So awesome! Remember that even though it seems like a slow lumbering beast, it can do a lot of work and it can very quickly do a lot of damage. Just learn slowly and respect it always. Also, ask Dave for detailed explanation of what to watch and be aware of while turning on rocks in terms of losing a track, even with your mini ex around, putting a slipped track back on that thing is a major job. Check track adjustment on that left track, you want slack in dozer tracks but you definitely don't want to lose one. Have fun!!! And ask Dave about sidehills on rocks, they all slide before they tip but you have some good slopes there, like I said, things can go bad fast.

Boys toys!! I didn’t even think of “big boys toys”! I would drive that thing all day long, not even thinking if I made the right things! You guys are such a blast!! Love it! And you!

Whoa! Well, get the operating procedures down and get to work. That machine is exactly what you needed to tackle all the road work you have I remember my 1st time on a D7. I was like a kid in a candy store. Thrilled, excited, and a bit scared all at once. Be safe and move mountains!😁

Good afternoon & thank you for sharing your journey with us

Wow! That duzer is ginormous! You guys are awesome! I enjoyed every minute of this video and can’t wait for the next one.

I first operated a dozer like yours when I was 12. I have had the privilege of operating dozers from a d4 all the way up to d9’s . That’s a great dozer congratulations and have run.

Take the slack out of the Tracks. By pumping grease into the adjustment pistons. Look at the slack in the top of the Tracks as they roll over the upper rollers. Be carful and read the Manual. On the Net or from CAT. Its out there find and do it right !!!

I think you made an excellent purchase. Most of the controls on this dozer are the same as on the D8 I operated for my grandpa when I was a teenager. The cutting blade on the dozer I operated was raised and lowered by cable. We cleared trees and stumps behind loggers for a local paper mill with cutting blades that cut them off at ground level so they could plant new trees. It looked like you needed to tighten the tracks a little on your dozer. You should take care of that before they get really loose. You don’t want to slip a track.

I could feel your angst driving it the first time. I bought an old Cat D-7 loader years ago, every time I fired it up, I thought this would be the time it fails me. Like you, I too live in the high mountain wilderness, so repairs are going to be expensive. Here it is, more than a decade later and the beast is still running like the day I bought it, and it had been through the grinder by a rock quarry owner, literally buried in a rock slide. I've put over a 1000 hrs on it myself and the clock stopped working at 18 hundred hrs. Point is, don't ever sell it, you can hand it down another generation. You definitely got a nice rig, take care of it. Oh, by the way, I've been off grid for more than 3 decades. Soo glad I went down that road.

I've got over 30,000 hours on them old D7 and D8H dozers along with lots of hours on the newer ones. My favorite still is a late 60's increased horse power D8H. If you need help fixing or maintaining just shoot me a message.

Most fun I've had building a road and log stage area was with a D6 ...secondary effect is the amount of vibratory compaction you get with the tracks .

That it too much fun!!! Thank god for Dave!

Like others say grease track to tighten , easy to do , it will be very hard to get the track back on! Nice old dozer

Love your videos. Hopefully you two get what ye deserve in life. With much respect from Ireland 🇮🇪

In 1974 when I was 24 I learned to operate a Cat D8 at New Zealand steel pushing the slug dump. There is a sculpturing ability which is very satisfying. I'm 72 now and looking back I now realize how much I loved driving that machine.

Nothing says excitement like Riley's face sitting on and driving a HUGE bulldozer! 😁😁😁 Being an adult is scary; we just go around unsupervised, like, all the time! LoL! 🤣🤣

I like your new chairs in your kitchen, I look forward to seeing a tour as you both settle in and a puppy update. Best part of having a dozer is you can now do anything, anything. The world was made with a dozer and if you want to make money you can put it to work for you after you do the work needed, perhaps Dave wants to keep it working until winter with word or mouth advertising and I bet the market will be even hotter when the work is done. Good purchase. Your neighbor would profit from selling that equipment now while the market is hot.

How fun! I look forward to seeing the trouble you all cause with the dozer.

Now you can tow the D7.Nothing like 2 dozers. I like how you tell him where ya gonna sit? Pack a lunch,maybe supper too,a jug of water,hop on,fire it up and head out.

That’s a classic. D8K I loved them my uncle had one. Good for u guys

So happy to see you guys get a dozer, can’t wait to see Courtney’s smile as she takes revenge on the trees lol. be careful and blessed

6’2” wow you’re a tall drink of water!! I’m an old Marine Corps heavy equipment mechanic and operator, I have operated and worked on dozers just like that. Other that being huge, they are relatively easy to work on. As with most of the comments posted here the biggest and best thing you can do is PM’s (preventive maintenance). Man I am so jealous of you guys!!!

You two are awesome. Love watching the work you are doing together, so many couples could learn from you. More videos please!

I have run a D-8 car before pushing scrapers. They are powerful. I brought a small dozer about 5 years ago. It’s a John Deere 450 E model. I love this little dozer. It has a six way blade and rippers. I have done so much work on my ranch in Mariposa ,Calif. You will enjoy your dozer, be safe.

Just a thought and I know you want to do it your way but you can help yourselves with a little thought. Apply ice and water shield on the sealed wall exterior. This is the same product used on a roof before shingle installation. Then, if mine, I would glue on thick panels of rigid closed cell insulation. This would not be for thermal advantage but rather act as a compression zone for earth movement. Once that is in place, install some perforated pipe to move water away from the structure. I would back fill with washed pea gravel and contain the ends with clay. Same for roof once you patch with corten steel. May have spelled that wrong. Now cover the container with dirt or clay. Don’t pile too high on roof. The pea gravel will allow water to drop to the diversion pipe hopefully before reaching the container wall. Any water intrusion through the pea gravel would then make it to the closed cell foam boards with joints sealed with waterproof tape and then if moisture continues it will filter to the liquid membrane you painted onto the container. This will extend the useful life of your electric room. Another note, the container may be constructed from corten steel which has the property of developing rust on the surface but does not rot the metal. Once rust develops, rusting stops. Interior wood floor May rot over time and can be replaced with sheet steel. This is how I would handle burying the box. I would also weld in some supports to keep the unit solid. Good luck and stay safe.

I don’t know if anyone has said, but it’s extremely important to turn the Starting Motor off by turning the fuel tap off and letting carb fuel bowl run out of fuel. Do NOT turn it off with the magneto switch. Great buy on the Tractor.

Seeing you guys with that reminds me of the first time In drove my tractor. I bought an old Ford tractor with a bucket in the front. I had never driven a tractor before. Now I'm pretty good with it. Still, it's always fun and exciting having a new piece of equipment that will help you get things done.

Excellent purchase...it can take down a lot of trees in a hurry, move snow, and even hire out of you wish. D8= dream come true!

So excited for you guys! We're hoping to get ours out here in the next year. We might need to get lessons from you then.

Hi Riley and Courtney You two continue to amaze me. I'm not surprised since Riley is half crazy(in a good way😀) and Courtney follows right along, that something like this could happen. You do whatcha you gotta do. Looking forward to seeing both of you driving that thing around. Best wishes as you continue your property build. Stay strong and safe

A Big Congrats on that! They are much faster than a pick and shovel and much more aggressive! They get it done! Love your videos. I learned much about the advantages of Pole Buildings, thank you! Ron PTL USA

Glad to see that you all got this big dozer, so that you can really move dirt and rock on your road instead of trying to use a smaller dozer and taking a lot longer and working harder . Take care and stay safe and get to pushing dirt and start having fun . 🤗👍💖💫

You Need to go over the Bulldozer mechanically change all the fluids & tighten the track up way to loose great Bulldozer also great Video's and really nice view I sure it gets really cold up there in the winter From Aurora, Ohio Have Fun

You guys produce outstanding videos...... Thanks!

I had the opportunity to move one of those about 5o feet ,,, the ground rumbles . Impressive machines . You will have your new road in no time ,,, be safe ,, have fun

Good timing on the dozer with diesel at $7 /gal. !! Thanks Mr. President…..

That's cool, I was just following a huge dozer on the road acouple days ago and thinking I would like to use that for a day on my place.

Reckless Riley in his eliminate! This new toy will make building your road go MUCH faster 😁

Awesome! Now ya got something that will make short work of that driveway. Once you get a good feel for it it won’t take long at all with that beast! 👍👍 I can hardly wait to see the videos!!

Nice! Plans that include equipment are always good. You will get some work done with that beast! Congrats

Snow removal will be so fast!

You guys have been watching too much Camarata!

Hi you two that looks like a lot of fun ....When I was a young boy I had one for a toys I wish I had someone like you are doing it in life.

Looking toward the future sale , please purchase Caterpillar yellow paint then when time allows brush that thang into looking new, after every repair (paint) during every repair (paint) new paint makes the likelihood of a future sale twice as possible. As soon as possible learn the track tension procedure , purchase a shop manual and purchase engine oil and hydraulic oil in 5 gallon buckets. If you don't already have a dewalt or milwaukee electric grease gun get one and invest in replacement grease nipples change/ replace all that you can also get the lock on type grease fitting for the gun.

Couple things: Wife is gorgeous, property is amazing, video is sweet and that dozer is badass! You guys are a great team!!

Think of the decelerator as a brake until you get used to it.

It is pretty amazing to see the skills of that truck driver and also the previous owner, really have alot of time with those machines and you can tell. Cool video.

Work and fun with that old D8!

I’m excited for you guys and proud that you took the leap. One thing I’ve learned is to watch the oil levels in your final drives. Super spendy and hard to source parts but you probably know this already. I’ll be clicking even faster to watch you guys play with this big toy. Can we expect an airstrip and bush plane in the future?

Y’all as usual are doing great, just remember , If It is EASY everyone will be doing it . Easier the road to drive on the Easier it is for everyone else to get down too, Just saying. We always had the hey where does this go people showing up after our road was made in to a highway

ALERT!! My Dad worked around Diesel smoke his whole working life and ended up with crystalized lung disease and on oxygen the last few years of his life. There are small particles in diesel smoke that get trapped in the lungs and the body encapsulates it causing scarring and lungs that work poorly. The reason I'm telling you this is so you can take precautions and avoid this terrible condition. I really enjoy your life story. Blessings.

You both just made a great investment for yourselves and your property! Congrats on the dozer. And especially what’s going on in the industry, it’s hard to find equipment!