How to look after and prolong the life of your digger

So, you want to know how to look after and prolong the life of your digger? Well, you sure have come to the right place. At International Plant Sales, we specialise in offering used excavators for sale and we ensure that the life of the machine is well maintained whilst it’s with us. 

This guide to looking after and prolonging the life of your digger will assist you whether you hire your plant machinery, buy new diggers, or if you purchase used diggers. 

CHECK FLUID LEVELS

Just like a car, you must check the fluid levels in the digger.  This is important to ensure your machinery runs smoothly, experiences the least amount of problems, and most importantly doesn’t end up costing you and eating in to your profits. 

If you’re a customer and you hire diggers, then the plant hire supplier should take care of the fluid level checks for you, however, be sure to check yourself as well. You wouldn’t want to be half way through a job and the digger you’re using experiences a fault. This will cost you in staff time and wages, as well as the cost of the digger hire and the delay in getting the job done. If you hire a digger over a long period of time, check what the terms and conditions are as set out by the plant hire company. 

When checking fluid levels, we’d recommend closely monitoring the levels for the following: 

• Always ensure there is enough diesel in the machine and you don’t run on the bare minimum 
• Check the oil level
• Check the hydraulic fluid level
• Look at the coolant level
• Look at the water level
• Top up these fluid levels as necessary.  

Quite simply your machine won’t run without these fluids and you could also do a lot of damage to the engine and various components if the fluid levels aren’t checked and topped up regularly. 

MACHINE SERVICING

If you own your construction machinery, get your machinery regularly serviced, at least once a year to maintain the longevity of your excavator. 

When enquiring about machine servicing, always spend some time calling various machine servicing company’s and asking around to ensure you get the best servicing price. You will also want to check the company servicing your digger meets industry standards and are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

Be sure to ask if the following is covered within the service.

• Thorough checks of fluid levels including oil, hydraulic, water and coolant
• If you want the oil changed, check whether this is included within the service price or if it’s extra (you don’t want any surprises) 
• Checking for leaks all around the machine including under the machine and in the compartments 
• Look over and ensure various areas are free from debris 
• Check and replace where required any air filters 
• Drain water from the fuel/water separator 
• Check for dust in various areas of the machine such as the air filters 
• Grease the machine accordingly 
• Turn on the machine and check controls, windshield wipers, air conditioning system and seatbelts
• Thorough check of the undercarriage, looking for loose bolts, cleaning out debris, replacing of damaged guards, inspection of the sprocket and drive 
• Gear box check 
• Sparkplug check and changing where necessary 
• Engine check 
• Checking of lights,  ensuring bulbs and connections are in working order 

HOW MUCH DOES A DIGGER SERVICE COST?

For a Komatsu PC210 excavator, you’ll be looking at around £1,000 for a full service, which would meet industry standards. 

For a smaller excavator such as a Komatsu PC55, you would be looking at roughly £500. 

DAILY MACHINERY CHECKS

We’d recommend removing dirt and debris from the machine as often as you can. You also probably want to check the attachments are in good condition. Greasing pins and bushings on a daily basis is also recommended. Prior to working with the digger, first check the fluid levels, wiper blades and seatbelts are all in good working order.  

We’re not saying to inspect the digger as though you would if you’re a pilot checking over a plane, however giving your digger a quick once over prior to using it will ensure the digger is well maintained. Look after your digger and your digger will certainly look after you!