It is extremely important that heavy equipment operators keep their equipment well maintained and in working order at all times, so the equipment can operate reliably when needed on the work site. When maintenance is kept up to date, the operator can keep his equipment in top condition and be able to visually inspect for repairs that need to be made. If done on a regular basis, these inspections and maintenance can keep heavy equipment in top shape and keep them from major costly and time consuming repairs.

Daily heavy equipment maintenance should include a visual inspection, which should be comprised of a walk around the equipment while looking for leaking fluids and worn parts or belts. Fluid levels should also be checked and topped off during this inspection as well as any dry linkage should be greased where necessary. Lastly, the air pressure levels in the equipment’s tires should be checked and filled as necessary.

Quarterly maintenance should be performed every three months or every 500 hours of use. At this inspection, an oil and filter change should be performed, also, the hydraulic oil filter should be changed. Finally, the diesel fuel filter should be replaced at this quarterly maintenance inspection.

Yearly, or at the end of the season, the hydraulic oil and transmission fluids should be completely replaced. A thorough cleaning should also be done at this point, and a close inspection performed to look for any repairs that should be completed. Lastly, the tires should be given a very close inspection to ensure proper tread, and if they are not up to standards, they should be replaced immediately.

As can be seen in the above steps, there is not a whole lot to maintaining a piece of heavy equipment, as long as a maintenance and inspection schedule is maintained. Like any other type of vehicle, the better shape things are kept in the longer they will last. Hours that are needed for costly repairs are also hours that the piece of machinery is not doing its job on the work site. Through maintenance and inspection, heavy equipment can keep getting the job done and money in the operator’s pocket.

Winter can be hard on heavy equipment and although we protect our blades and buckets with a technique known as hard surfacing, freezing conditions can be our equipment’s worst enemy. Frozen lines can often be replaced in an hour or two. If your blades hard surfacing is starting to come away then it probably needs grinding back and a new surface applied.

Hard surfacing is a process where special hard metal compounds are welded onto a blade or bucket. This surface bears the brunt of any wear when digging, scraping or moving materials. The process is particularly important if your heavy equipment is working in areas with a lot of hard rock.

The constant freezing and thawing process that takes place in winter can damage this hard surface. If it is not replaced then you may find that your blades or buckets take the wear and tear themselves. This leads to a need to replace these heavy equipment tools – a rather costly exercise when you compare it to the cost of hard surfacing.

For heavy equipment operators that are trained effectively, knowing what to look for when inspecting your machinery can prevent these long term problems from eventuating. Training schools like ATS Heavy Equipment Operator Schools include maintenance and daily inspections as part of their training program. This ensures that operators that complete the course and enter the workplace have the required knowledge to carry out these inspections. Do you know the difference between a hard surfaced blade and standard off the shelf blade?