Without proper maintenance any machine can lose its efficiency. Same goes with the compact excavator, it needs regular maintenance to for proper functioning. Without maintenance, it won’t be productive and can cost you high operational cost.

In this article, we have compiled the list of some common maintenance issue. If you notice any such notice, call a professional to resolve the problem immediately. You can also get a repair manual from http://www.repairloader.com/c.php/Bobcat to repair the machine yourself.

Track Tension

Most of the compact excavator has rubber tracks. These rubber tracks need regular adjustment to maximize durability and minimize the wear and tear on track and its components. A loose track will accelerate wear and results in unnecessary downtime.

A too tight track will cause a tear in rubber material and wear on other track components such as traction motors, front idlers, sprockets, etc. You should refer to operator’s manual to learn how to check the track tension correctly. You can download one through http://www.repairloader.com/c.php/Bobcat.

Grease

All pins and bushings require regular greasing on a daily basis to work in their optimum functionality. By reading operator’s manual, you can easily identify the greasing points and also get suggestions for grade and quantity of greasing. 1-3 shots of greasing will be enough as both over-greasing and under-greasing can also be problematic.  Extra greasing not only needs extra money, but it will also raise an environmental hazard as well as considerable mess.

Propel Drive Gearbox

When it comes to servicing, people generally forget about propel drive gearbox. Gearboxes need a regular oil change at every 1000 hours intervals with half to one quart of oil. Gearboxes may be small, but they are quite expensive, so you do not want to neglect the maintenance of this component.

Hydraulic Oil Change

Hydraulic oil can look misleading manytimes. Even if it looks clean, it might lose viscosity, breaks down and loses the capacity to hold contaminants in suspension. Contaminated or wrong hydraulic oil can lead to hydraulic system failure.

It is recommended to change hydraulic oil every 2000-4000 hour interval. To know the exact interval, read manufacturer operator’s manual.

Keep Records

Keeping records is the most time-consuming and tedious task. But it is important to note service records and invoices of filters, oil and other components. These records will help you in future to evaluate the service life of your machine.

All equipment will reach the end-stage of their service life. If you keep accurate records, with this information you can later make a well-informed decision whether you want to purchase the same manufacturers product or make a switch to another brand. Proper service records help you to deal with your dealer and manufacturer for claiming warranty.

Now that you know which part to maintain at what interval, you can easily increase the longevity and productivity of your small excavator. It is also a good practice to read operator’s manual time to time. If you have lost your manual, you can easily get more owner manuals online.