By Peter Fitch, July 9, 2018

A mini excavator is very expensive. That’s why it needs to be maintained to avoid having to replace it after a few years. When taken care of, an excavator can last for more than two decades. Besides that, maintaining this equipment will cost you less money than repairing the damaged parts. Maintaining an excavator is not hard like we are made to believe. Anyone can do it. All you have to do is stick to the guidelines that are provided by the manufacturer in the user manual. When you follow such guidelines religiously, you will hardly make any mistakes during routine maintenance sessions.

If you have never used a mini excavator before and are thinking of investing in one, the tips below can help you identify and focus on keeping your equipment working in perfect order for years to come.

Filters

A mini excavator is usually equipped with several filters. The filters help in sieving the air that circulates in and out of the engine. They are also used for eliminating impurities that might be present in the engine oil. The equipment can’t, therefore, function efficiently without these filters. This is because the impurities and other foreign matter can clog the engine and end up hindering the smooth flow of air and oil within the engine. Sometimes just cleaning a dirty filter is normally enough. The good thing is that modern filters come with an indicator that blinks or beeps when it’s full.

Tracks

Nowadays excavators roll on tracks that are constructed from a rubber material. These tracks need to be examined and changed from time to time. This is because they bear all the punishment when the equipment gets down to work. As the excavator moves back and forth, the tracks get rubbed against rough surfaces including on gravel and rocks. You should actually replace mini excavator tracks as soon as you realize they have some cracks before they completely wear out and expose the chain underneath.

Lubricants

The engine of an excavator contains parts that rub against each other when the equipment is turned on. The moving parts are kept alive by the lubricants that help in reducing friction between them. It’s recommended that you inspect the level of lubricants to ensure the engine doesn’t break down when you are in the middle of a project. However, you should only use reputable brands of lubricants because there are some limitations that door more harm than good to your engine.

Electrical Wiring

If you are keen, you will notice that the majority of excavators are fitted with computerized systems that make it easier to diagnose technical problems. Since an excavator is used in extreme conditions, the cables that interconnect such systems can easily be damaged by mud. The mud actually makes induces the wires into rusting. Sometimes the wires are pulled back and forth by mistake, which often causes them to hang loosely. Such cables can cause short circuits that can reduce your equipment into ashes. You should, therefore, insulate with tape and make sure they are not hanging.

Cooling System

An excavator is usually equipped with a cooling system that prevents heat from accumulating in the engine chamber. Overheating can easily damage the parts of the engine including the oil. You should, therefore, examine the ventilation openings to ensure they are not clogged by debris. Moreover, you should always refill the radiator with pressurized liquid so that it can continue cooling down the engine. If you realize the radiator is always empty even when you refill it more often, you should consider calling an expert to replace it because it might be having some leaky holes.

Filters

Tracks

Lubricants

Electrical Wiring

Cooling System