Cat D6D Dozer

A True Cat® Dozer Man

Henry Schinske of Henry’s Custom Dozer Service Is Coming Up on His 60th Anniversary of Operating Cat® Dozers

 

Henry Schinske first got on a bulldozer in 1957, and almost 60 years later, he’s still on one.  After 12 years of working for local contractors, Schinske began his own company in 1969—Henry’s Custom Dozer Service based in Berrien Center, Michigan. From the start, Schinske has relied on Cat® dozers to help him get the job done and get it done right.

Much of Schinske’s work involves agricultural land clearing, as well as preparing land for residential and commercial construction. The work can certainly be grueling. When he first started his company, Schinske logged several 100-hour work weeks in the seat of his dozers. Still today, at 80 years old, he logs 2,000 machine hours annually. 

 

To tackle his demanding work schedule, Schinske utilizes quite a remarkable fleet of Cat dozers. Serving as the centerpiece of this fleet is a 1981 Cat D5B Dozer with three engine rebuilds and 53,000 operation hours that still performs as well as it did the day he bought it. In addition to his Cat D5B dozer, Schinske owns two Cat D6D Dozers with 45,000 hours, a Cat D6H with 12,000 hours and a Cat D6R with 11,500 hours on the engine.

“I would put my dozers up against a machine that’s just two years old and you wouldn’t know the difference,” explains Schinske. “I ran my D5B this morning to help correct a water problem on a farm. These machines are dependable and run well.”


“I WOULD PUT MY DOZERS UP AGAINST A MACHINE THAT’S JUST TWO YEARS OLD AND YOU WOULDN’T KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.”


Schinske also understands the importance of regular equipment maintenance. During the winter months, he puts his dozers in the shop to pinpoint any issues or potential issues with the machines. If there is something wrong, he fixes it right away. He credits the impressive life span of his machines to purchasing a quality product right off the bat, then taking good care of it throughout the course of ownership.

To Schinske, bulldozing has become a way of life. He has spent years honing the skill and demonstrating a fierce work ethic. He hasn’t slowed down either, and is currently working on an 85 acre commercial land clearing project for an international truck dealership and commercial buildings.

 

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“People ask me when I’m going to quit and I tell them I can’t because my doctor tells me to keep doing what I’m doing,” laughs Schinske. “I can still work 10 hours a day and feel like I’ve accomplished something at the end of it.”

 

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