Attachments for All Seasons
Seasonal Changes and How to Work Through Them
By Steve Sniff
We receive regular reminders about how important it is to maintain our heavy equipment, but sometimes it is easy to forget the equal importance of attachment maintenance. After all, an excavator without a usable bucket is little more than a glorified golf cart. Although attachments are not nearly as complex as the machines they are attached to, many of them do have similar components such as hoses, fittings, hydraulic assemblies and fulcrums and pivot points— all of which require the same level of care as the machine itself.
Also, maintenance procedures are dynamic. Except in single-season climates, weather changes always factor into any maintenance agenda. What might be a minor concern in fall could become a critical issue in the dead of winter. What care do our attachments need yearround, and what additional or increased attention do they require during the blaze of summer and the chill of winter? Let’ s first of all consider regular ongoing upkeep.
Year-Round Maintenance
According to the NMC Cat website,“ The No. 1 way to prolong the longevity of your heavy construction attachment is to determine the right type for each piece of machinery.” The article goes on to say that factors such as climate, jobsite conditions and the material that is being worked in should all be taken into consideration. Why?“ Specific attachments are for particular environments, machines and substances, so it’ s vital to research which will best fit your application.” Never try to force an attachment onto a piece of equipment that it wasn’ t designed for. Whereas you might be able to get away with this kind of jerry-rigging with a hand tool on occasion, doing so with heavy equipment will not only damage
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