Top tasks to not overlook when it comes to your equipment

 When it Routine maintenance and preventive maintenance go hand-in-hand. Both aim at keeping your equipment running smoothly and avoiding costly repairs that cause downtimes.

Preventive maintenance is far more cost-effective than reactive, post-breakdown repair. It will help save you enormous sums compared to suffering expensive part replacements and costly downtime due to unexpected failures. It is also a great way to be prepared for hot and cold seasons. 

Checklists don’t have to be complicated, but they are crucial to ensure your equipment operates at peak performance.

Here are common tasks to perform based on a heavy equipment preventive maintenance checklist to lower overall operating costs and reduce equipment downtime:

1. Belts: Fraying, proper tension and discoloration
2. Body: Inspect and record general body condition: damage, rust, looseness and paint conditions.
3. Brakes: Pad and shoe status, drum and disc health, fluid levels, pressures and cable conditions.
4. Coolant: Radiator free from blockages and debris, proper coolant levels and normal colors
5. Electrical: Electrical component checkpoints: battery condition (age, voltage retention, acid ratio, terminal and cable condition), voltage and amperage testing, cable examination and fuse conditions.
6. Exhaust: Abnormal sound or smoke are problem indicators but exhaust connections like clamps and hangers should be checked.
7. Filters: Oil, fuel, air, hydraulic and cabin filters. 
8. Fluids: Fluid analysis for engine oil, hydraulic oil, transmission fluid and engine coolant is like a blood test for humans.
9. Fuel: Gasoline, diesel and propane fuel functions. Check for fuel pumps, lines and storage tanks.
10. Injectors: Plugged or dysfunctional injectors impact power and economy. Injector cleaning or replacement.
11. Lubrication: Greasing and lubricating all joints and sleeves.
12. Safety: Seatbelts, lights, horn, locks, energy lockout points, fire protection and hazard warning.
13. Steering: Tie rods, ball joints, idler arms and even wheel condition.
14. Suspension: Note condition of springs, struts, shocks and undercarriage.
15. Tires: Record tire wear, tread depth and pressure. Balance is another item for the list.
16. Tracks: Grouser height and general wear condition of track chains, idlers, rollers and sprockets.
17. Windshield: Chips can easily develop into sight-impairing cracks. Check mirror and light-glass condition.