Excavator Maintenance: How to take care of your excavator?

Excavator Maintenance: How to take care of your excavator?

Properly maintaining your excavator is essential to maximizing the potential of your fleet. A well-kept machine is less likely to break down, which saves you time, money and stress. Plus, proper care will drastically extend the lifespan of your excavator. Keeping up with even just one machine can be difficult since excavators are complicated machines. Many of the parts of an excavator will eventually wear and will need to be replaced, as well.

Preventive maintenance certainly has its advantages. When done correctly, it’s an extremely cost-effective method, because it helps machine owners avoid breakdowns or other issues that might delay work. Avoiding breakdowns also helps prevent permanent damage to the excavator and lengthen its lifespan. In order for a preventive maintenance plan to work correctly, however, a lot of care and attention has to be put towards the machines in your fleet. Your operators, mechanics, and other staff will need to be knowledgeable enough about the excavator and observant enough to notice the warning signs before a maintenance issue occurs.


Daily Excavator Maintenance Checklist
Note: This is an example inspection checklist. It’s best to create your own maintenance plan, based on your needs.


Picture is from the web


-Pre-start Checklist
·Check that the machine is parked correctly and safe to start.
·Check for damaged or worn out parts, especially parts that often need to be replaced, like belts, hydraulic lines and hoses.
·Check the undercarriage for any leaks or loose parts. If the machine is wheeled, check the tires to make sure they are undamaged and properly inflated.
·Check the cab of the excavator for damaged or broken windows, mirrors, and seat belts.
·Check all fluid levels, including the fluids for your engine, power steering, and hydraulics.


-Start Checklist
·Start the engine of your machine and allow the engine to idle for 5 to 10 minutes.
·Listen for any unusual noises.
·Feel for any odd vibrations or other problems with the suspension system.
·Check the gauges on the dashboard for anything that needs to be fixed or replaced.
·Test the excavator’s hydraulic system by moving the arm and boom. Pay attention to odd noises or movements.
·Test all of the lights on the vehicle, including headlights, backup lights and brake lights.
·Test that the brakes work properly.


-Shutdown Checklist
·Park the excavator in a safe place and engage the parking brake.
·Allow the engine to idle for 5 to 10 minutes before turning off completely.
·Refill the fuel tank.
·Clean the machine and pick up any trash, if need be.


5 Tips for your excavator
From heavy to compact, excavators are built to take on the roughest environments and perform your most difficult jobs. Operating in uneven terrain, dirt and mud and hauling large loads throughout the seasons, it is important to regularly maintain your excavator to prevent unexpected downtime and repair. Here are 5 tips to keep your excavator in top working condition throughout the year:


-Maintain and Clean Your Undercarriage
Working in dirty, muddy terrains can cause undercarriage buildup. Clean your undercarriage routinely to remove dirt and debris, and prevent unnecessary wear to your excavator. When inspecting your undercarriage, look for damaged or missing pieces, and oil leaks.


-Check Your Tracks
Check to see that your tracks have the right tension. Tracks that are too loose or too tight can result in excess wear to tracks, chains and sprockets.


-Change Out Your Air and Fuel Filters
While operating your excavator outdoors, debris can accumulate in your machine's air, fuel and hydraulic filters. Regularly cleaning and changing out your filters can help your excavator run its best for longer.


-Monitor Fluid Levels 
On a daily basis, check to see that all fluid levels are at their recommended levels. Check engine oil and hydraulic oil levels prior to operating your excavator to ensure it's working well throughout the day.


-Drain Water Separator 
As excavators sit outdoors overnight, condensation can often build up in the engine. To prevent corrosion from trapped water becoming steam, drain your water separator daily.