Save Money with Preventative Maintenance on Construction Equipment

One Veteran Tech Gives Critical Tips

Dennis Budde recently retired from his role as Service Technician after working at Birkey's for 20 years. Before he left, we asked him to share critical maintenance tips that can reduce downtime and catch problems before they grow and cost more to fix.

Dennis talks about these tips in the context of CMIs, or Customized Maintenance Inspections, that he performed at Birkey's. You can put these tips to good use in your own shop, or bring your machine in for a CMI done by a certified Birkey's service tech.

Here are a few tips for preventative maintenance on construction equipment:

1. Inspect hydraulic hoses in hard-to-see places

Be sure to check these lines for damage or wear. The cost of downtime for a blown hose may not seem like much, but when you have three guys standing there on the jobsite and two trucks waiting, the cost can add up.

2. Inspect the powertrain seals

A planetary is a good example. There are 3 seals there that could leak easily. They get down in the water and the mud, and they get wires wrapped around them. There's only about a quart of oil in a planetary. If you are losing oil, you may not see it, even in your daily operation. But once that quart of oil is gone, you can wipe out a planetary.

3. Inspect the water separator

Check to see if there is water in the system. The new injection systems are very delicate. Water will cause major expense.

4. Inspect the cooling system

Many times you'll have a broken fan belt and won't notice. Most backhoes are running in very dusty, dirty conditions. The radiator gets plugged easily and can cause severe engine problems.