Forestry machines work very hard and therefore need routine maintenance. When they are not pushing away logs of large trees and scores of leaves on the floor off a solitary forest road, they need to be cared for. This can be achieved with dedication. In this article we will try to show you five ways to maintain your forestry machines. The machines may seem complicated, but these methods are regular and simple. Though maintenance will take up some of your time, it is useful in keeping the machines intact and running when they need to be used next.
1. Care for The Exterior Part of The Machines
On the exterior the machines are exposed to extremes of weather. This is why it is so important to look after the exterior of these machines. Salt spray can harm the components by corroding them. This can happen when the machines are being transported on highways on the backs of heavy load trucks. Other factors such as extremes of weather can also be a major cause of concern for forestry machinery. To find the faults is equivalent to avoiding the risks involved in an accident. If you keep your machinery secure you will not have to worry about replacing it from time to time.
2. Gels, Liquids and Lubricants
You need to replace the fluids in the machine from time to time. Start with gels such as coolant for your engine. It may so happen that cold or extreme weather freezes the gel inside the tube. This can cause pipes to burst. In some cases there are different fuels for summer and winter known as summer grade and winter grade fuels. Familiarize yourself and your team with this and let them work on it.
3. Warming Up the Machine
If your machine has been kept idle on used in the cold for a long time it needs to be warmed up before it can work again. If you use your machine without warming it, the full power main strain the parts. The steel will be brittle after a lot of cold. This can invariably damage and destroy the unit. While warming up the machine, it is important to ensure that there is no summer grade fuel left if the machine will be working in cold and harsh conditions. It is also necessary to use warming features already built in the machine if it has them.
4. Changing Tires and Ensuring They Are Suitable
There is a major difference between driving in the summer and driving in slippery, wintry conditions. When conditions are harsh your tires need to be specially equipped to deal with them. Some people simply cover their tires in chains to increase the grip they have on the snow. If you think that is manageable then that is fine or else you must invest in a pair of winter tires. You don’t want your machinery skidding off every time you are about to do a task.
5. Perform Periodic and Preventive Maintenance
You must carry regular checks on your machines. It is hardly wise to wait for a fault to occur before you work on a solution. Instead keep your maintenance team busy by working on the machines throughout the year and throughout the working period. Regular checks and mandatory inspections after a very heavy duty is necessary. Preventive maintenance also ensures that you can detect the possible accident before it even happens, hence saving your machinery from permanent damage.
Lastly caring for your forestry machines requires quite a bit of your attention. If you own these machines as part of an agency providing services, you should have a dedicated team for repair and maintenance. There should be schedules which must be followed. overall there should be somebody to supervise the entire process. This is a crucial part of the entire unit, especially one which is directly served by these forestry machines. So, take good care of your fleet. They will surely pay you back in the future in terms of returns and profits from their service.
