Look after your investment
Making an investment in hydrualic lifting equipment is a major expense for a business and these days, any investment has to offer value for money as well as a return on the invesment. This is why regular maintenance is necessary to keep the machine working properly and efficiently, if it is not working due to a breakdown, your business will lose money. Obviously, things can still go wrong even if you keep the best maintenance schedule on the planet but at least you will know that you have done everything in your power to ensure your lifting gear is well looked after.
When a contractor invests in equipment costing tens of thousands of dollars, preventative maintenance is the No. 1 tool to keep it running properly and efficiently, extending the life above 10 years and 10,000 hours, ultimately saving the owner money. Throughout the lifetime of a compact wheel loader, many common issues can be avoided with the proper care of daily, periodic, annual and seasonal maintenance. It can be tempting to skip or not completely fulfill these maintenance tasks in order to save a few minutes keeping a project on schedule. However, if proper maintenance is not applied, the outcome can be untimely and expensive.
Being proactive with maintenance gives the contractor additional benefits such as reduced downtime and extended overall life of the machine. Following the manufacturer’s recommendations is the best practice, but often overlooked. Review the manufacturer’s maintenance manual and perform the maintenance tasks according to the schedule.The initial inspection tasks should have been performed by an authorized dealer. As stated in Wacker Neuson’s Wheel Loader Maintenance Manual, “To ensure proper functioning of the machine, it is required that the first inspection be performed after 50 hours, or at the latest, three months after initial startup.” This is to assure that the machine “breaks in” properly.
After the first 50 hours of the wheel loader’s use, the maintenance schedule is grouped by the amount of time on the machine: daily checks and maintenance points, periodic maintenance and annual/seasonal maintenance. Daily maintenance should ideally be performed at the beginning of the shift by the operator....More at The First 50 Hours Forward - Compact Equipment
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