Benbros Qualitoys
Bulldozer
photo Gary Galvin
Variation 3: Yellow tractor, no silver trim, red blade/rollers/driver, dark-green tracks
Using the Caterpillar Tractor body, Benbros developed a second model in the series by attaching a large dozer-blade to the front via the axles. It made a chunky toy at over 140mm long but had excellent play (or push!) value.
As with the large Tractor, the body was a single hollow casting which included a solid front grille, engine detail, a seat, a rear hook and had 'Benbros Qualitoy' and 'Made in England' cast underneath. The two-part metal rollers were fixed to the body on nail-head & crimped axles with the outer part painted and the inner parts normally unpainted. The rubber tracks could be dark-green, bright green or mid-grey.
There was a separate metal driver of an unusually spindly casting with its arms pointing forward. It was held in place by a peg fitting into a hole in the seat and was painted red or green. Later this figure was dropped in favour of the driver previously used for the Ferguson Tractors.
The Bulldozer attachment had a front blade mounted on two side arms secured to the axles outside the rollers. The rear ones were just a hole through which the axle passed but on the front the arms had slots to enable the blade to be raised and lowered.
Benbros produced the Bulldozer in a variety of colours. One was red with a black blade and black or yellow rollers and silver trim on engine parts; another was yellow without silver trim with a red blade and red or black rollers. Next there were two variations with metallic paint, a blue one in various shades with a yellow blade and yellow or orange rollers, and a metallic-green model with red blade and yellow rollers, both with silver trim on engine parts & grille.
The Bulldozer had its own brightly illustrated box with 'Bulldozer' in a panel on both picture faces. The end-flaps had the 'Benbros Qualitoys' crest-like logo.
Finding the Caterpillar Bulldozer is quite difficult and the box is rare. Mint examples of such a play-friendly toy are very rare.
photo Gary Galvin
Variation 2: Red tractor, no silver trim, black blade & rollers, red driver (tracks not original)
Benbros Qualitoys Bulldozer
Variations
1) RED, BLACK blade, YELLOW rollers, DARK-GREEN tracks, RED or GREEN thin driver
2) RED, BLACK blade, BLACK rollers, DARK-GREEN tracks, RED thin driver
3) YELLOW, RED blade, RED rollers, DARK-GREEN tracks, RED or GREEN thin driver
4) YELLOW, RED blade, BLACK rollers, ?DARK-GREEN tracks, RED or GREEN thin driver
5) METALLIC-BLUE, RED blade, YELLOW rollers, GREEN tracks, BLUE driver
6) METALLIC-BLUE, YELLOW blade, YELLOW rollers, GREEN tracks, BLUE driver
7) METALLIC-BLUE, YELLOW blade, ORANGE rollers, GREEN/GREY tracks, BLUE driver
8) METALLIC-GREEN, RED blade, YELLOW rollers, BLACK tracks, ?BROWN driver
photo Gary Galvin
Variation 4: Yellow tractor, no trim, red blade, black rollers (missing tracks)
photo Gary Galvin
Variation 5: Metallic-blue tractor, silver trim, red blade, yellow rollers, green tracks
photo Gary Galvin
Variation 6: Metallic-blue tractor, yellow blade & rollers (tracks not original)
Variation 7: Metallic-blue tractor, yellow blade, orange rollers, grey tracks
Variation 8: Metallic-green, red blade, yellow rollers, black tracks