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10 ways to make your equipment last longer

6th, April 2022

10 ways to make your equipment last longer

Keeping track of your construction equipment and keeping it up to standard, although can seem daunting and time-consuming, is essential to reaching its full lifetime potential, as well as saving you time and money and helping keep machine operators safe.

It’s easy to just let your equipment look after itself and, once it’s worn out or broken, discard and replace it. However, regular maintenance and spending time on equipment will benefit you in many ways, and operators don’t like using a tired piece of equipment that no one can be bothered to maintain.

Our Top 10 Checklist

1. Read the User Guide

Aside from obviously having a lot of experience with our own equipment and how our customers use them, we use a lot of other various plant equipment in our manufacturing, workshop and office facilities, so thought we’d put together and share a checklist of some easy things that we ourselves find useful to remember:

2. Use the Correct Equipment For The Job

Using the right piece of equipment to carry out a task will avoid unnecessary wear and tear on machinery, as well as assist with completing the job in the best possible way. Suppliers usually should consult with you and advise if you are buying the best piece of equipment for the job on hand, as well as offer bespoke designs and sizes to correctly cater to your needs.

3. Know Your Machinery

Before using a piece of equipment, ensure you, and all other operators, know how it works and what it is for. Carry out a test run if possible. You should also be aware of the age of the equipment, expected life span, warranty information and any known issues and fixes. This will ensure it is used in the correct way to prevent breakages and for safety, and you will know what to expect of it and if it doesn’t meet these expectations.

4. Inspect Regularly

Regular inspections on equipment can point up inconsistencies and issues that may not be noticed in day-to-day use. Repair or replacement can then be arranged before the issue gets any worse and causes damage to the equipment or becomes unsafe. Depending on the nature of the equipment, it may be mandatory to thoroughly examine regularly by a qualified engineer. These inspections and organised can usually be advised on by your supplier or the manufacture.

5. Carry Out Regular Maintenance, Using a Schedule

If something goes wrong, if is usually imperative that it is fixed quickly and correctly. Regular servicing can avoid unnecessary large outlays. We find that creating a simple maintenance schedule to note what has been maintained when, and when it is next due, is a really useful thing to do to help keep track of upkeep. It can also help control regular inspections.

6. Replace Parts When Needed

With equipment that is being used a lot, smaller parts will wear and need replacing to keep it running to the best of its ability. It is best to change them as soon as they need replacing, as this will often prevent damage or wear to other parts. It’s good to keep a small stock of popular parts that you use of a lot of, so you have them to hand to prevent equipment down-time.

7. Clean After Use

Cleaning equipment after using, especially equipment being used for concrete, or muck and waste, will prevent built-up of excess in moving parts, which can cause breakages or loss of movement. A quick rinse down at the end of a shift, while the waste is easy to remove, can save a lot of time the next day.

8. Repair and Refurbish, Rather Than Replace

When your equipment starts looking and tired and doesn’t quite work as well as the day you bought it, it is tempting to go with the easy option and replace it. However, some suppliers will offer a repair and refurbishment service to get it back into top form. Depending on the piece of equipment, this will often consist of repairing any breaks, switching out any worn replaceable parts, a complete clean and repaint, and finally testing to ensure it is safe and compliant. This saves you some money on equipment that has been designed to last under heavy use.

9. Store Correctly

Storage is important when it comes to looking after equipment, especially smaller pieces of equipment that can easily get lost or damaged on a busy construction site. The majority of hard-wearing equipment is weatherproof and designed to withstand harsh conditions, however, it will usually last longer if looked after and stored in its correct, safe, visible position.

10. Use Quality Equipment

As famously quoted by Warren Buffett “Price is what you pay. Value is what you get.” As with anything in life, you get what you pay for. If you are willing to spend a little more for a superior quality piece of equipment, the likelihood is that you will still be using it long after you would an inferior piece. Quality is also safety, so by using better equipment the operator will be less at risk of danger.