Doosan dozers: A deep dive

Aaron Kleingartner, product and dealer marketing manager, Doosan Infracore North America

Doosan Infracore North America recently announced it will soon add dozers to its equipment offerings which currently center on two job site staples, excavators and wheel loaders. What specifically does the company have planned?

To find out, we talked with Aaron Kleingartner, product and dealer marketing manager. Following is an excerpt from that discussion. 

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: We heard Doosan is adding dozers to its earthmoving equipment lineup, beginning with the DD100 model. What are Doosan’s plan for its dozer line?

Aaron Kleingartner: We launched this new product category for Doosan at our dealer meeting in Tucson, Arizona last November. It’s a new product for us and we’re excited to bring it to market. We showed the DD100 as a prototype, so it’s relatively early in our development process.

We’re planning to offer two dozer models. The first, the DD100, will officially launch in early Q3 this year with the DD130 launching in Q1 the following year, in 2023. We’ll have both models available to the public by CONEXPO-CON/AGG in March of 2023.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: How are the two models different?

Kleingartner: The two models fit into the 140 hp and less product size class. Based on our analysis and data available, that size class accounts for about 45% of the dozer market.

These two models complement our excavator and wheel loader offerings very well. That was part of the reason for choosing that size to bring to market. The two models are virtually the same machine, just a big and small brother or sister, if you will.

The smaller version is approximately 10 metric tons. We offer a couple of options based on different track widths so we have a general-purpose machine and a low ground pressure version with a wider grouser trackpad and a little wider blade blade.

It’s the same concept for the larger machine in the 13 metric ton size.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: What applications are dozers in this size range best suited for?

Kleingartner: These machines are not the smallest and they’re definitely not the biggest. These models are very well suited for small utility contractors, site-preparation contractors, as well as rental. We have initiatives with our dealers to help them be a one-stop shop to their customers, and these models are very well suited for that.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: Why is Doosan entering the dozer product category right now?

Kleingartner: It stems from a number of years of feedback from dealers and customers. We need an expanded offering to be able to offer a one-stop shop for our customers who are small- and medium-sized dirt contractors. Customers that we’re working with every day in those utility work, infrastructure projects - and those who are looking to rent machines - they were asking for this type of product.

When we took a look at ways that we could expand and help our dealers be that one-stop shop, this seemed to be the top choice for a product category to add to our portfolio.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: According to Doosan, operators will notice a continuity throughout the company’s other equipment lines, so will it be

Doosan's recently previewed DD100 dozer is expected to be available by the third quarter of this year

easy to hop from Doosan excavators and wheel loaders onto the dozers and be quickly operational?

Kleingartner: Yes, the design parameters include common components where possible, and the interface for the in-cab monitor is basically the same part number between all three product categories.

Wheel loaders, excavators and dozers have different software and the on-screen display varies by product, but the layout is similar and the way the controls work is similar. You’ll get in one or the other and will obviously see they’re related. It’s very easy for the operator to understand the controls and the interface, and they’ll have the ability to hop from machine to machine, if a contractor has a team that needs to do that.

It’s helpful not only for parts support for our dealers and customers for that one-stop shop, but also for the operators to have a consistent feel inside the cab of these various machines.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: What will differentiate a Doosan dozer from the competition?

Kleingartner: You’ll notice from some of our specs that our machines are going to be a little bit heavier than competitive units. That comes from the feedback we’ve received. Customers wished they had a little more pushing power in this size class of machine.

As a result, our models also have slightly more engine horsepower than a number of the competitors in this space. And the combination of those two things will allow our machines to have increased tractive effort, which in turn allows the machine to push more and be a little more productive on the job site.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: One of the things Doosan promoted with the introduction of the DD100 is the undercarriage design. What’s unique about it?

Kleingartner: There’s a combination of both single- and dual-flange rollers on the undercarriage. Basically, the grousers connect to a large chain that goes around the track, and that chain is driven by a sprocket, but under the undercarriage, there are rollers that help support the weight of the machine. Dual-flange rollers go outside the chain of the track and single-flange rollers sit inside the chain of the track.

The combination of both of those rollers helps to make sure the track stays on the undercarriage and it provides greater operator comfort. In contrast, a complete set of single-flange rollers can be very rough as it’s running over that chain. Those dual-flange rollers ride on the outside, where it’s much smoother, so they help keep the track on the machine as well as improve operator comfort.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: We understand both 2D and 3D grade control will be available on these dozers. Is there anything about those systems you want to highlight?

Kleingartner: When the machines become available, they will be grade control ready with Trimble components. We will offer that as a factory option for customers to choose, both 2D and 3D. The benefit of having that out of the gate and working with a partner like Trimble is that it will be a mastless technology.

There’s additional sensors on the blade that will notate its height, its tilt and its location so there are no masts on the edge of the blade. This will provide better and improved visibility and usability with the machine.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: For customers who don’t want to make the initial investment in grade control, can these machines be outfitted later?

Kleingartner: It’s a factory option so all of the mounting brackets will be designed into the machine so they’re bolt-on ready. It can be very easily configured from the factory ready to go, or if a customer chooses, it can be added later. If they’re buying a machine used, they can easily add it later in that case as well.

There will be provisions for other systems too, like Topcon and Leica, or what have you. If dealers and customers have those systems in their fleets, we will have the ability to interface with those systems as well.

CONEXPO-CON/AGG 365: Is there anything else about Doosan’s dozers you’d like to talk about?

Kleingartner: I’d just like to reiterate that we’re excited to offer this new product category to our lineup. We had great feedback from our dealers when we unveiled the DD100 at the dealer meeting last year.

Also, one of the things we’ve talked about outside of product development is our desire to grow our business to be in the global top five by 2025. Right now, we’re ranked ninth based on global revenue for construction equipment companies, so we have a very aggressive goal. Product expansions like this are one of the ways that we’ll be able to get there.