Excavator Maintenance Guide: Do These Well to Keep Your "Iron Partner" at Full Strength

I. Article Introduction

    Still troubled by frequent excavator failures?

    Worried that high maintenance costs will make the project budget overrun? Want your "iron partner" to always work efficiently and double its service life? This guide is your savior! Whether you operate a small excavator shuttling through urban streets or a large equipment fighting in mining construction sites, there are tailored maintenance tips here. From daily essential basic inspections to exclusive maintenance points for different models, and then to the tangible benefits brought by maintenance, it is full of useful information, allowing you to spend the least energy to keep the excavator "online" at all times, so that construction and money-making are not delayed!

II. General Maintenance Points: Basic Tasks Cannot Be Ignored

2-1 Daily Maintenance: Before starting work every day, check the engine for oil leakage, water leakage, and air leakage (the "three leaks" problem); clean the dust and debris on the machine body, especially in the heat dissipation area, to keep it clean; check whether there are cracks in the steel structure welds and whether the fasteners are loose; check the tightness of the belt, the oil level (engine oil, fuel, hydraulic oil, etc.), and control the track tension within 30-50mm of sag.

2-2 Regular Advanced Maintenance: Inspect the air filter, radiator, and return oil filter at 250 hours; replace the diesel filter, oil filter, and water filter at 500 hours, and check the air pressure system and battery electrolyte; focus on checking the hydraulic oil circuit filter, slewing and traveling brakes at 1000 hours, and check the oil level and lubrication of the traveling system components.

2-3 Lubrication and Seasonal Transition: Lubricate the pins of the working device every shift, and lubricate the slewing support every 250 hours; remember to replace the oil suitable for low temperatures during the transition from autumn to winter, check the freezing point of the antifreeze, and replace the cooling water every spring and autumn.

III. Different Types of Excavators Have Different Maintenance Focuses

3-1 Small Excavators: Focus on Flexible Adaptation, and Detail Control Is the Key

      Differences in Operating Environment: 

      - They mostly work in narrow areas such as urban streets and garden green spaces, and are prone to being contaminated with mud, fallen leaves and other debris. Moreover, tire-type small excavators often drive on hardened roads.

      Core Maintenance Differences:

       - Tire maintenance is the focus. It is necessary to check the tire pressure every week (keep it within the range specified by the manufacturer), check the tread depth and wear uniformity every month, and avoid tire blowouts or driving deviations caused by abnormal tire pressure.
     - The machine body has many compact components. It is necessary to clean the dust and oil at the engine compartment and hydraulic pipeline interfaces every 2-3 days to prevent heat accumulation in narrow spaces or pipeline aging and leakage.
     - Fine operation relies on a sensitive hydraulic system. It is recommended to additionally check the pilot oil circuit pressure every 500 hours to ensure accurate response of the joystick.

3-2 Medium Excavators: Strengthen Load Resistance, and Stable Operation Is the Core

       Differences in Operating Environment: 

       - Widely used in earth excavation, municipal engineering, etc., with moderate operation intensity but long duration, and easy to contact with dust, sand and other impurities.

       Core Maintenance Differences:

       - The working device has concentrated loads. Check the wear amount of the connecting pins of the boom and arm every 100 hours. When the gap exceeds 5mm, replace the bushing in time, and fasten the bolts of key parts (such as the connection between the bucket and the arm) every month.
       - The air filter is easy to block. It is recommended to clean it every 150 hours and replace the filter element directly every 500 hours to prevent dust from entering the engine and causing cylinder wear.
       - The hydraulic oil circulation intensity is high. In addition to regular oil change every 1000 hours, it is necessary to additionally test the hydraulic oil pollution degree to ensure that the particle size grade does not exceed NAS 8.

3-3 Large Excavators: Strictly Abide by Heavy Load Standards, and System Protection Is the Focus

      Differences in Operating Environment: 

      -Mainly work in mines and large infrastructure sites, continuously withstand heavy load impacts, and the high dust and high vibration environment causes great loss to the equipment.

      Core Maintenance Differences:

      - The hydraulic system bears huge pressure. Check the pressure parameters of the main pump and main valve every 500 hours (the deviation does not exceed ±5%). When replacing the hydraulic oil every 2000 hours, it is necessary to thoroughly clean the oil tank and pipelines, and replace the suction filter and return oil filter.
       - The traveling system has super strong load. Check whether the track plate connecting bolts are broken every week, measure the track tension every 200 hours (the sag is controlled at 40-60mm), and check the oil level and replenish grease for the support wheels and carrier wheels every month.
       - The cooling system needs efficient heat dissipation. Clean the external catkins and dust of the radiator every 300 hours, check the tightness of the fan belt and the sealing of the water pump every 1000 hours, and ensure that the engine water temperature is stable at 80-90℃.

IV. Significance of Maintenance

4-1 Ensure Stable Equipment Performance: Regular maintenance can timely detect and eliminate potential equipment failures, ensure that core components such as the engine, hydraulic system, and traveling system are in good operating condition, so that the excavator can maintain efficient power output and precise operation performance during operation, and avoid affecting the construction progress due to the decline of equipment performance.

4-2 Extend Equipment Service Life: Through maintenance measures such as cleaning, lubrication, and replacement of vulnerable parts, component wear, corrosion and other problems can be reduced, and the aging speed of the equipment can be slowed down. Scientific maintenance can greatly extend the service life of the excavator. In the long run, it reduces the frequency of equipment replacement and saves equipment purchase costs.

4-3 Reduce Maintenance Costs: The time and cost invested in daily maintenance are far lower than the maintenance costs after failure. Many serious failures are caused by the accumulation of small problems. For example, neglecting the cleaning and replacement of the air filter may lead to engine cylinder wear and high maintenance costs; while regular maintenance can solve small problems in the bud and avoid the expansion of failures.

4-4 Ensure Operation Safety: As heavy machinery, excavator failures may cause safety accidents. The inspection of key parts such as brakes, structural welds, and fasteners during maintenance can timely eliminate potential safety hazards and ensure the safety of operators and the surrounding environment.

V. Article Summary

- Maintenance is of great significance to excavators. It can not only ensure stable performance, extend service life, but also reduce maintenance costs and ensure operation safety. It is hoped that the majority of excavator operators and maintenance personnel can attach importance to maintenance work, implement maintenance measures in combination with the characteristics of different models, so that the excavator can always maintain "combat effectiveness" and provide reliable guarantee for engineering construction.

- With proper maintenance, the excavator can have fewer failures and work more! Hurry up and use these methods to keep your equipment "online" all the time, so that efficient construction is not delayed~