How to Reduce Maintenance Costs for Your Excavators
Category: Equipment and Solutions
Hydraulic excavators are valuable resources for digging, shearing, removing debris, and more. Depending on the attachments you have, excavators can reduce working timelines helping you to impress clients and expand into different opportunities. Construction professionals must remember that the key to reducing maintenance costs for equipment is to take care of your investments and ensure workers are doing their part to prolong the life of the machines.
Review the tips below to learn how to reduce maintenance costs for excavators as well as other pieces of construction equipment you use daily:
1. Always Train Your Team
Construction workers should only operate the equipment after completing appropriate training. This is especially true for excavators, as machines are home to thousands of components inside and out. Ensuring your workers know how to use company-owned machines makes it easier for your business to spot anything out of the ordinary.
All equipment operators should be confident inside the cabin of an excavator. Adequate training programs make it possible for employees to respond to warning lights, vibrations, missing parts or overheating before a costly repair is in order.
2. Schedule Maintenance Before a Problem Occurs
Decision-makers often wait to have excavators serviced until there is a reason for concern. Doing this leads to downtime, as part of your fleet is unavailable for days or weeks at a time.
Preventative maintenance involves reviewing owner’s manuals and service recommendations listed by the manufacturer. Assign a group of employees the responsibility of keeping a digital maintenance log. All heavy-duty machines will require an oil change after a certain number of working hours. Have equipment operators communicate with log keepers to effectively rotate excavators out of your fleet for service before a major breakdown takes place.
3. Gain Access to Replacement Parts
If you own excavators, one way to minimize maintenance costs is to have extra parts available at all times. Construction equipment is prone to wear and tear, so consider placing an order for remanufactured hardware, fuel filters and batteries. Whether cold weather is to blame for a dead battery or bolts loosen and go missing, you will have what you need to get back up and running.
4. Maintain Bucket Attachments
Excavators and attachments should be placed in a temperature-controlled storage location when not in use. Always have equipment operators inspect buckets and add-ons for deterioration prior to use. Any attachments that show rust or cosmetic damages should be replaced as soon as possible to reduce the amount of stress placed on excavator arms.
5. Schedule Routine Cleanings and Daily Inspections
One of the more straightforward tips for reducing excavator maintenance costs is to keep machines clean. If your company travels to remote sites, check that tracking pins, undercarriage components, fuel tanks, and the engine compartment are free of dirt and mud. Pressure washing heavy equipment on a light setting can lift stubborn grime.
Prioritizing daily inspections will keep users up to date with the condition of excavators and equipment before starting the workday. Encourage your employees to monitor fuel gauges, coolant levels, and running temperatures to see that machines are free of leaks.
NMC Cat for Excavator Maintenance Services in Nebraska
Work in construction, agriculture, landscaping or similar industry in the state of Nebraska? NMC Cat offers preventative maintenance services for genuine Cat® equipment including excavators. Reduce the likelihood of a total breakdown by relying on our certified technicians for advice and timely solutions for maximum uptime.
For more information about our routine maintenance plans, contact us online today.
