damage to the machine. The tool also appears to
was good, with the grousers only rarely slipping
have value for general engineering tasks, such as
on the frozen soil surface. Although the effect of
moving obstacles. Use in a range of site condi-
having the ripper slightly off-center on the 550
tions demonstrated its value for ripping hard,
was not substantial, it occasionally caused the
compacted soils and asphalt pavement.
tractor to crab when ripping resistance was great.
The CEV was used at two sites with seasonally
frozen soils: an undisturbed site with thin frost (4
Ripping with the CEV
to 5 in. [10 to 13 cm]) and a sod cover, and an area
The model 1000-HL ripper used on the John
with a frost layer greater than 14 in. (36 cm) con-
Deere 750 was also attached to the dozer blade on
sisting of gravely material with sufficient fines
the Combat Engineer Vehicle (Fig. 10). A larger
and moisture to form very strong well-bonded
ripper model would have fit on this machine for
greater ripping depth and a closer match with
ground. Both sites also had a thin snow cover
machine power; however, the greater weight of a
(approximately 1 in. [3 cm]). A thin snow cover
larger ripper would have been much more diffi-
over smooth frozen ground can provide poor trac-
cult to handle and installation would have re-
tion for the CEV fitted with rubber road pads.
quired mechanical assistance. This model was se-
The thin frost layer was easily ripped. The rip-
lected because it fit the CEV blade, it could be
per was lowered to full depth as the machine
handled in pieces without mechanical assistance,
advanced and the cutting edge of the dozer slid
the 14-in. (36-cm) penetration depth matched our
over the frozen surface. A narrow groove was
produced that appeared very similar to the ones
requirements, and, if mechanical problems oc-
made ripping asphalt pavement at the engineer
curred, damage to the ripper was preferred to
Figure 10. Ripper attachment on the blade of the Combat Engineer Vehicle (CEV). This ripper is the same model
that was used on the John Deere 750.
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