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How to Get Your Equipment Out of the Mud

Apr. 27 2022 Tips By Star Equipment

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While working on wet and soggy jobsites, your heavy equipment could at some point get stuck in the mud. Whether you have skid steers, CTLs, wheel loaders, or excavators, almost any type of equipment is vulnerable to this situation.

At Star Equipment, we have a few tips to help you avoid getting stuck in the mud with your heavy equipment fleet.

How to avoid getting stuck in the mud with a few tips

Getting stuck in the mud can waste time and money. Removing equipment from the mud can be an arduous task. While we know this is easier said than done, it’s obviously better to try to avoid getting stuck in the first place. Here are a few ways you can try to avoid it altogether.

  • Before you start work for the day, thoroughly examine the jobsite so you’ll have an idea of the terrain you will be working on. Clearly mark off dangerous areas that are full of mud or sticky soil. If possible, avoid taking your heavy equipment in that direction.
  • Use wide tracked compact track loaders and excavators to minimize ground disturbance. As wider tracks enhance flotation and traction, they’re ideal for working in softer soils and muddy areas.
  • Remove mud or debris from your equipment’s tracks, tires, and undercarriages between jobs and at the end of each workday. This step should help improve traction in wet conditions.

Tips for extracting equipment from mud

Your equipment will probably get stuck in the mud, no matter how careful you are. Here are some suggestions on how to anticipate this situation and handle it.

  • Make sure you have robust straps, ropes, chains, or cables handy in your toolkit to pull your equipment out of the mud.
  • Remove anything from the machine that can be removed to make it lighter. This will make the process of getting your equipment out of mud easier.
  • Place planks behind its wheels to assist with traction when you set up the machine to extract it from the mud.
  • To avoid damaging your machine, attach straps to a tow hook or the frame itself. Doing so will give you the best chance of getting your equipment out without damaging or breaking anything.
  • The chains can snap during towing causing the tow hooks to transform into deadly projectiles as they fly through the air. To ensure they fall towards the ground instead of flying up, insert them with their tips up.
  • Similarly, it’s important to keep a safe distance from towing chains or straps in case one breaks. Chains and hooks can cause serious injury to bystanders.
  • Removing equipment from the mud is a difficult and dangerous task. Our tips should be able to help you accomplish it safely and effectively.

About Star Equipment, Ltd. - We work with all the top manufacturers, from Air-Tow Trailers and Grouser Products to Takeuchi and UB Equipment. Star Equipment has four Iowa locations conveniently situated near Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, and Ames. We’ve been serving Iowa for more than 50 years and our team is ready to assist you today.

Contact our team at https://www.starequip.com/contact-email-construction-equipment-dealership--xcontact

More tips and best practices: https://www.starequip.com/construction-equipment-dealership--tips