Best Practices for Maintaining Construction Attachments
Best Practices for Maintaining Construction Attachments
Attachments are essential on any jobsite, expanding the functionality of your equipment to complete specialized tasks like digging, demolition, material handling, mulching, and more. Some of the most widely used construction attachments include excavator buckets and hydraulic breakers. To help you keep them operating at their best, we put together some key maintenance tips and best practices.
Maintenance tips for loader and excavator attachments
The most important guideline for maintaining your construction attachments is to ensure compatibility with your carrier machine. Forcing loader or excavator attachments that are incompatible with your machine can result in damage or inefficient operation. Once you’ve confirmed the right size and type for your equipment, follow these maintenance tips to keep your attachments working efficiently:
- Clean all construction attachments after each use
- Grease fittings for smooth operation
- Replace worn parts to prevent further damage to critical components
- Inspect your loader and excavator attachments for visible damage or unusual sounds
- Keep hydraulic hose ends clear of dirt and debris
- achments for visible damage or unusual sounds
- Always adhere to the guidelines outlined in the owner’s manual
Maintaining your hydraulic breakers
Hydraulic breakers are subject to powerful impact forces, making proper care especially critical. Before using these attachments each day, follow these steps to ensure safe operation:
- Inspect for leaks—Check all hoses on your hydraulic breakers for cracks, leaks, or loose fittings, and ensure proper shielding is in place. Keeping hoses clean from contaminants is essential.
- Ensure proper lubrication—Thoroughly wash hydraulic breakers to remove dirt and debris, and apply the manufacturer recommended grease or oil for bushing wear. Standard lubricants may not meet the specific requirements of hydraulic breakers.
- Check the locking mechanism—Ensure the locking mechanism is functioning properly without stiffness or bending, as this can prevent the attachment from locking securely.
- Perform regular maintenance—On a weekly basis, or every 10 hours, remove and inspect the retaining pin and tool. On a monthly basis, or every 50 hours, inspect the tool shank and bushings, carefully checking for wear, and inspect the hydraulic hoses. Hydraulic breakers should be serviced annually or every 600 hours.
Maintenance Tips for Excavator Buckets and Loader Buckets
Excavator buckets and loader buckets are some of the most commonly used construction attachments, and proper upkeep is vital for maximizing efficiency and reducing operating costs. Before using your excavator buckets or loader buckets, inspect the following:
- Mounting hinges—Check for cracks in the mounting hinges of all your attachments. Address any issues immediately to prevent further damage.
- Front leading edges and corners—Look for signs of thinning or cracks along the edges. Reinforcing these areas can extend the life of your buckets and prevent costly replacements.
- Bucket edges—If wear or stress is visible, consider replacing or rotating the edges on buckets with reversible edges.
- Bucket teeth—Rotate bucket teeth regularly to extend their lifespan. Move worn corner teeth to the center, and consider flipping them upside down for even wear.
- Lost teeth—Operating excavator buckets or loader buckets with missing teeth can cause excessive wear on the adapter nose and lead to improper contact with new teeth.
- Pins and bushings—Worn pins and bushings can cause undue stress on your machine, leading to expensive repairs if left unattended. Also, worn pins & bushings result in less control of the machine during operation
If you have any questions about maintaining your hydraulic breakers, buckets, or other loader and excavator attachments, contact our team today!