Hydraulic System Maintenance   Tips for Maintaining Your Hydraulic Equipment     Equipment hydraulic systems provide the power needed to perform heavy lifting, digging, and maneuvering tasks. To ensure the longevity and reliable performance of construction equipment, regular hydraulic maintenance is crucial. Below are the best practices for maintaining hydraulic systems in construction equipment, ensuring optimal performance and minimizing downtime.   Regular inspection and cleaning   The most important part of hydraulic equipment maintenance is regularly checking the system for any leaks, damaged hoses, or worn out seals. You should also pay close attention to connections, fittings, and hydraulic fluid reservoirs. Inspect the filters and screens to ensure they are clean and free from debris that can hinder proper flow. Regularly remove dirt, dust, and other particles that may accumulate on the equipment, as they can adversely affect the system's performance.   Monitor fluid levels and quality   Fluid is the lifeblood of the system and a key part of hydraulic maintenance. Check fluid levels frequently, following the manufacturer's recommendations. Low levels can lead to cavitation and inadequate lubrication, causing premature wear and reduced performance, while contaminated or degraded fluid can impair the hydraulic system's efficiency and cause component failures. Regularly test the fluid for contamination, moisture, and degradation, and replace it if necessary.   Maintain proper fluid temperatures   Hydraulic systems generate heat during operation, and excessive temperatures can lead to fluid breakdown and component failure. A key part of hydraulic equipment maintenance is regularly monitoring the system's operating temperature to ensure it stays within the recommended range. If the temperature exceeds the acceptable limit, consider using coolers or heat exchangers to regulate it. Adequate ventilation and airflow around the hydraulic components can also help dissipate heat effectively.   Lubrication and seal maintenance   Proper lubrication is essential to minimize friction and wear within the hydraulic equipment. Follow the manufacturer's guidelines for lubricating moving parts, such as cylinders, pistons, and bearings. Lubricate seals and O-rings to prevent leakage and to help maintain their integrity. Confirm that the lubricants are compatible with the hydraulic fluid and the system's components before applying them. Using the wrong lubricant can lead to seal swelling, reduced performance, and potential system damage.   Regular filter replacement   Filters play a critical role in hydraulic maintenance by capturing contaminants and preventing them from circulating in the system. Over time, filters become clogged and lose their effectiveness, compromising the system's performance. Replace filters at regular intervals as recommended by the manufacturer or based on usage conditions.   Maintain system pressure and optimize settings   Proper pressure settings are essential for operation of your hydraulic equipment. Regularly monitor and adjust pressure levels according to the manufacturer's recommendations. Excessive pressure can cause damage to system components, while inadequate pressure can result in poor performance. Regularly inspect and calibrate pressure relief valves to ensure accurate and consistent pressure control.   If you have any questions hydraulic equipment or maintenance, then just reach out to our team today!

 A great looking lawn is a beautiful sight, but maintaining lush, green turf requires consistently taking the right steps. Turf maintenance involves providing your grass with the necessary nutrients, water, and care to keep it healthy and vibrant throughout the year. To help you out, we’ve put together six turf maintenance tips to remember when you are working to cultivate a healthy lawn.   Aerate your turf—Aerating is an effective way to reduce soil compaction and allow nutrients and water to penetrate deeper into the root system. You can use a lawn aerator or a garden fork to create small holes in the soil. Aerating your turf six to eight times a year can improve soil health and promote healthier turf growth. Fertilize regularly—Fertilizing is an essential task for turf maintenance. Fertilizers provide essential nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, which are necessary for healthy growth. Choose a fertilizer that is suitable for your turf type and apply it according to the manufacturer's instructions. A regular fertilizing schedule can keep your lawn healthy and vibrant throughout the growing season. Water your lawn correctly—Watering the correct way is crucial for maintaining healthy turf growth. It’s important to water grass deeply and infrequently, rather than shallowly and frequently. This approach encourages deep root growth, which makes your turf more resilient to drought and other stress factors. Use a sprinkler or irrigation system to water your lawn, and avoid overwatering, which can lead to fungal growth and other turf diseases. Plus, always water at night or in the morning or evening. Avoid the hottest part of the day when you will lose water to evaporation. Mow regularly—Mowing is an essential aspect of turf maintenance. Regular mowing promotes healthy turf growth and prevents weeds from taking over. Choose the right mowing height for your turf type, and avoid cutting too low, which can damage the grass blades and root system. A general rule of thumb is to mow no more than one third of the grass height at a time. Control weeds—Weeds can quickly take over your turf, so it's essential keep them away from the turf. You can use herbicides or manually remove the weeds, but be sure to choose a method that is suitable for your turf type and safe for the environment. If clearing weeds from a smaller area, then removing them by hand is your best option. Repair bare spots—Bare spots can be unsightly and make your lawn more susceptible to weeds and turf diseases. Repair bare spots by raking the area and adding new grass seed or turf. Keep the area moist until the grass seed has germinated and established a strong root system.   Following these steps consistently will make turf maintenance easier and more successful, providing you with a healthy, resilient lawn. If you have any questions about maintaining your turf, then contact our team today!

Tips for Avoiding Wear on Pins and Bushings  Pins and bushings are often the first structural components that require maintenance. Depending on the material you're working in, like soil, rock, gravel, or pavement, how much you use the machine, and who the operator is, pins and bushings may wear slower or faster. We've put together several tips to help slow wear rates of pins and bushings on your tracked equipment.    Why should you care about pin and bushing wear? Replacing a damaged pin and bushing can cost several hundred or a few thousand dollars. Plus, your equipment may need to be transported to an offsite workshop to complete the replacement, leading to costly downtime. If the worn pin or bushing has damaged the structural steel of the equipment, you might be faced with the cost of replacing the pin and bushing and the repair costs for line boring, welding, and refitting.  There are two primary ways to avoid pin and bushing wear and avoid these costs and downtime: lubrication and turning.   Ensure Proper Lubrication Pins and bushings wear excessively when there's a lack of lubrication, and they don't wear evenly. The pin wears on the side that makes contact with the bushing and wears on the mating surface of its inner diameter. Worn pins and bushings lead to tracks' stretching (called pitching), which decreases the performance of the tracks and has negative impacts on the life of your undercarriage. Most pins and bushings today have 'grease grooves' on the inner diameter where lubricants form a film layer for the pin to rotate on. Adding lubricant at the intervals recommended by the manufacturer slow wear rates and help purge contaminants from the bushing by forcing out foreign materials from the grooves.    Pin and Bushing Turning  In order to avoid pitching, pins and bushings can be regularly turned, so the wear side is not along the side that makes contact with other components. The pin and bushing turning provides new surfaces to working areas both internally and externally. By bringing new surfaces to working areas, the wear for the difference in load is more evenly distributed. Turning restores pitch on the track between pins and can prolong undercarriage life by enabling the chain to last until links and rollers need attention. It's a good idea to check your pins and bushings before you bring out your machine for the season. If you see your tracks pitching, you know you have to address the pins and bushings. How often pins and bushings need to be turned can vary based on the conditions of your working environment, but you will likely need to do it at around 2,000 hours. If you have any questions about pin and bushing wear or need us to handle turning or replacement, contact our team today!