Kids who love diggers will enjoy reading and learning everything they can about these important machines. Picture books about bulldozersgive readers a sneak peak at what the day to day operations of this big machine. The illustrations whisk little ones away to construction sites where all kinds of important work is being done, most importantly by gigantic diggers. These stories are fun to pair up with cool interactive and ride-on toysfor hours of play. In the meantime, here are some interesting trivia about big diggers.
Bulldozer Facts Children Will Love To Know
Next time you drive by a construction site, you can share some of the historical background about these big machines, the largest of which weighs over 300,000 pounds.
The term bulldozer can be traced back to 1876, and did not refer to a machine at all. The word referenced a person who intimidated other by verbal or physical violence. It may seem like the word bully was derived from bulldozer, though that is not the case at all. In fact, bully is based on the Dutch word boel, which actually means friend or lover, which is quite the opposite!
It wasn't until 1930 that the definition took on a new meaning- a machine for clearing or leveling.The very first rudimentary form of a bulldozer appeared in the early 1800s. Farmers were known to affix wooden shovel blades to the front of a mule or horse-powered carts. They were used to clear and smooth fields in preparation for planting.
A patent for the very first bulldozer was filed in 1925 by a man by the name of Earl McLeod. He figured out how to attach a blade to the front of a motorized tractor. The patent was simply filed as "Attachment for Tractors". His invention revolutionized the farming industry by reducing the amount of manual labor and time required to clear and flatten farmland.
Today, Caterpillar is the largest manufacturer of bulldozers in the US. A brand new bulldozer can carry a staggering price tag of over $2 million dollars! They manufacture bulldozers in three different size categories that are designated by horsepower. Their biggest bulldozer is equipped with a 695 kW / 913 HP engine and weighs a whopping 112 tons!
