How You Can Extend the Life of Your Heavy Equipment

If you are someone that works in the construction industry, you will know that the one thing that is always a concern of contractors is the life of their equipment. When you are working with heavy equipment like motor graders or wheel loaders, you need to have a plan in place to ensure the longevity of the machine and to extend its lifetime as much as possible. In order to extend the life of your used construction equipment, what you need above all else is a proper maintenance plan that prevents any unnecessary breakdowns. Another thing that is essential for the longevity of your equipment is ensuring that it is operated with proper technique and handled with precision and care.

Have a Maintenance Strategy in Place

If you are looking to extend the life of your equipment, it is essential that you have a preventative maintenance strategy in place so that you may avoid any problems in the future. Having a maintenance plan in place that spots any issues with the equipment before they can cause any serious damage will end up saving your equipment as well as the repair costs that you would otherwise have to pay. When you are making the plan, you need to detail everything, including when the maintenance checks take place and exactly how often the machine needs to be inspected.

Specify the time when the machine needs to be serviced and schedule the technicians and mechanics that are to examine the equipment accordingly. Ask them to pay special attention to any weak spots in your machine. If you stay on top of any such damage caused to the equipment and have it repaired on time before any serious damage, you will end up saving your time and money.

Hire a Trained Operator

Heavy equipment needs to be handled a certain way. If you want to make sure that your equipment lasts for as long as possible, you need to make sure that the person who is handling it knows exactly what he is doing. With an experienced operator using proper techniques to use the equipment, you will not only ensure your equipment’s life but also get the job done perfectly.

Condition Monitoring

If you are worried about the defects in the equipment being detected too late, what you can do to avoid that is apply condition monitoring to detect any defects pre-emptively. If there are any changes in the condition of the machine, such as the reaction time of the machine or its temperature, that would indicate that there might be a problem forming. With the help of condition monitoring technologies, you can track any such inconsistencies and identify any faults quickly.

Precautions When Working in Extreme Conditions

If you are using your heavy equipment in extreme conditions, you must ensure to take extra precautions, especially if the working conditions are particularly hard on the machine. These precautions are mostly related to preparing your machine for the extra pressure it will be under and maintaining the equipment for these extreme conditions. The extra measures you will have to take include checking the equipment more frequently for any signs of wear, lubricating all moving parts regularly, and changing the oil filters when necessary.