On a bright sunny day, paving the road is a motor grader. The blade lifts and slants across the path in order to work. Suddenly the roaring halts and engine comes to a stop. Keys twirl, door creaks, and heavy footsteps march towards the front end. “Oh well, there goes the rest of our day” exclaimed James – the motor grader operator.

Such incidents are more frequent than you think and believe us or not but someday you might be the one in need of roadside maintenance if you are habitual of doing things at the eleventh hour. To assure that you are not the one stranded in the middle of a quarry, you could take a few steps to prevent the undesired troubles. We have mentioned here few of the common errors that if rectified can help you save on the maintenance part when it comes to heavy construction equipment.

Prefilling vs priming

You are the boss when it comes to construction equipment that you own or operate. One needs to keep a keen eye on the filling part pertinent to fuel filters. There is a whole lot of debate going on whether to prefill the fuel filters or not. We recommend to not go with the idea of prefilling because of a myriad of reasons.

A tech savvy might think a lot of himself/herself when it comes to fuel filters and would believe that they can prefill a filter without involving the contaminants. However, this is not true. Fuel filters are made up of constituents that require micron measurements to be precise. One can’t cap the center hole, let the fuel drip into dirty side, and still believe that no damage has been done. Funnel, bare hands, or even a fuel can will let contaminants into the filter. The risk is not worth the damage.

Overburdening

Fast movements are one of the reasons that add to the deteriorating condition of the construction equipment. You can often see operators using the equipment quickly and ruthlessly. Sudden turns, stops and starts, and slewing of buckets will leave the equipment or at least the attachment dilapidated.

Don’t waste your time and energy by making quick passes. This practice leads to wastage, of material and of fuel. Don’t let the tires spin when you drive into a pile, because this can cause ruts at the stockpile. If you are precise with what you do you can save up a lot in terms of finances and fuel.

Overlooking the Manual

An experienced operator, typically one who has gotten too big for his britches, seldom skips the manual reading part. Instead he/she believes in getting the feel of the equipment by revving the engine up.

You might think that this is the way to plough the field but there are many things that one can learn by just reading the manual. Every construction equipment, be it a motor grader for sale or a caterpillar articulated truck, comes with a manual and overlooking it might land you in trouble. These manuals are known to contain valuable information pertinent to the equipment.

Sometimes you come across a problem that could have been easily avoided or prevented just by looking at the manual. There are sometimes unknown control options that can help you achieve the intended results just with the press of a single button rather than making it hard on yourself.

So make sure that you are not one of those who have their noses in the air and end up looking like a fool. Familiarize yourself with the construction equipment first and then take it for a spin. Mico Cranes and Equipment strongly suggests our readers to avoid the pitfalls by spending some time with the manual.

Unplanned Direction

When it comes to attachments, you might end up doing more damage than good if you don’t plan out your attachment purpose. You should always use the attachment for its intended purpose. You can’t use a hydraulic hammer to do the work of a pry bar. The hammer only allows for cutting from certain angles but if you put it to digging or picking up big chunks, then its fate is certain. Excessive wear will cause fractures and ultimately leakage.

It doesn’t matter if you are looking up an articulated truck for sale or checking up on an excavators teeth, you should always use attachments to do what they are meant to do.

Missing out on maintenance schedules

You can’t just go on a spree of missing maintenance schedules and think that your equipment is going to be just fine. Of course this malpractice takes a toll on the overall condition of your construction equipment.

You can save up money by having a maintenance contract. You might think that this is an expensive option but the truth is that it’s not! You do the math, compare what you pay out of the pocket versus a maintenance contract, it will surely save you money.

Apart from this when you have a contract with a certified service provider this can help you get nothing but the best. If you are going to own a new equipment, make sure that you are availing the different care packages the OEM’s offer such as CAT connect, active direct care, and other features. These can help you continuously monitor your equipment and give you timely report of all the problems beforehand.

So these are some of the tips that can help you deal with increased maintenance. If you still have any questions, you can ask us right away. We’ll be more than happy to help you out. Till then, happy reading!