Major equipment failures don't just occur out of the blue. Often it's the minor components people take for granted - pumps, batteries, switches - that get overlooked. Cleaning is another basic item that gets missed.
Thierry: People often make sure that the equipment starts up, but they often skip the general maintenance like changing the oil, checking the scrapers, checking the lights, or checking the water pump. Leaks are a common problem that can shut you down if not noticed in time. But you don't want a season or job site to fail just because you didn't inspect a water pump or a minor system that usually doesn't require as much attention.
Chaunce: We encourage our customers to buy maintenance kits to prevent component failures. Our 500-hour kits and 1000-hour kit include a variety of filters and wear-type items that cover areas some might not ordinarily inspect. Maintenance kits can prompt service technicians to check things out more thoroughly. We always encourage this behaviour and offer the kits at a discounted price.
For major components, keeping machines clean is critical. When daily cleaning procedures go unaddressed, there is potential for vast buildups of material that hide issues. And then, all of a sudden, a problem that would be relatively minor can turn into a significant breakdown scenario. We want companies to understand that keeping machines free of asphalt or other debris lets you physically see if you have a potential problem developing.
Adjust the scraper bar on a compactor to ensure no clogs and maximize penetration depth.