Extremes in weather can be challenging for people as well as for heavy-duty hydraulic equipment like your Hitachi and John Deere excavators. You should start thinking about preparing your excavator for the colder fall and winter months. Your excavator needs special maintenance and care in order to keep performing properly and avoid unforeseen problems.
Fuel, Oil, and Fluid Maintenance For Cold Weather Conditions
Excavator Fuel for Cold Weather
When having your excavator at a standstill is not an option, you need to take the time this fall to ensure that there is no water accumulation at the bottom of your excavator fuel tank to avoid the possibility of freezing. As for your excavator’s fuel, in extremely cold weather, you should be refueling with winter diesel which has a lower freezing point than the standard diesel you normally use during milder weather. In addition, to prevent or minimize the possibility of corrosive condensation in your excavator fuel tank, you should maintain the fuel tank to more than 70% full – ideally, you should refill your fuel tank at the end of each shift.
Excavator Oil for Lower Temperatures
It’s also important to check and change your fuel filters as well as your oil. You need to use engine and hydraulic oils with the correct viscosity for lower temperatures. Synthetic oils and multi-grade oils are the best options for colder temperatures, especially during winter. Please keep in mind that you should also keep your oil reservoir full to avoid freezing by preventing condensed snow and ice from entering your oil reservoir and freezing.
Excavator Antifreeze Fluid in winter
Likewise, check your excavator’s antifreeze or coolant to make sure it’s appropriate for the temperatures you’ll be working in. For temperatures as low as -10ºC, antifreeze with a 40% concentration should be sufficient but if the temperature drops more than that you should use 50% concentration which won’t freeze even at temperatures as low as -50ºC.
Shield Your Excavator Components from Water and Moisture
You need to grease your excavator properly to help keep your excavator components and parts moving properly and shield them from water and moisture. It’s also vital to maintain the proper level of lubrication to reduce the high temperature caused by the friction of the working parts. However, grease also prevents particles such as sand and dirt from entering the gap between the working components and parts. If you don’t have the proper amount of grease, there is a possibility that the grease oil seal can fail to seal and, as a result, increase the wear between friction parts that will lead to a reduction in the service life of your excavator components and parts. Please, keep in mind that in low temperatures, you should be applying grease with low viscosity and a thicker release since you don’t need to worry about evaporation.
Ensure Your Hydraulic Hoses are in Good Condition
Older or weak/damaged hydraulic hoses should be replaced since cold temperatures can reduce their flexibility and cause cracks or leaks when you least expect them. Therefore, inspect the hoses of your excavator before cold weather sets. This should be done at the end of fall or at the very beginning of winter before the temperatures drop significantly.
Check Your Excavator Battery
During cold weather, batteries can lose up to 50% of their strength. As a result, if your excavator battery is weak, your excavator may fail to start. You can check it using a battery tester to determine the voltage but you can also tell from the performance of the battery as well (e.g. a slow engine turnover).
Minimize Expenses & Maximize Excavator Productivity
By taking the time to prepare your excavator for changes in temperature and weather conditions, you can minimize expenses and maximize your productivity. At Langley Excavator Parts Exchange, we want to help you protect your excavator and are always prepared to offer you the excavator parts and components you need so you can get back to work quickly. Our 21,000 square foot facility in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada serves clients throughout North America on a daily basis and ships our John Deere and Hitachi excavator parts across the world. Call us at 1-888-530-5444 or contact us online. With one of the largest inventories of John Deere and Hitachi components, our experienced and knowledgeable staff is equipped to help you with the part you may need.
