Best Practices
Keep Your Compact Wheel Loader Running Strong
Preventive maintenance on equipment is incredibly important and can significantly extend its life. We've put together these five ways that you can take your preventive maintenance to the next level and get the best performance possible from your machine.
1. Keep it cool
If your compact loader has an A/C system, you'll need to periodically check the compressor belt tension and its condition, refrigerant charge, and the cleanliness of condenser fans and the recirculation filter. If cooling effectiveness drops and these maintenance steps don't resolve the problem, the system may need additional service.
2. Take care of the axles
Axles and tires carry the load. Axle maintenance is simple; make sure the mounting bolts to the chassis and wheel rims are retorqued as required in the owner's manual. Change the axle oil; it's the only way to purge contaminants and replace the necessary additives in the axle oil. Use a high-quality oil as recommended in the manual for these simple oil changes.
3. Use the correct products
Machinery is very exacting and any old products can destroy them. For example, there are currently four categories of diesel engine oil (CH-4, CI-4, CJ-4 and CK-4) for engines designed to meet various non-road emissions standards. You must use the correct oil for the engine or you can destroy your machine. You'll find the oil category plus other information, including viscosity, in the API "donut" on the oil container.
The same goes for coolants. The chemistry of each type is designed to provide maximum protection for the metals used in specific cooling systems, such as copper and brass, or aluminum. Do not mix coolant types.
4. Choose the right lubricants
There are numerous choices in hydraulic fluid and grease based on application type, thickener, consistency, and more. Check the owner's manual and the manufacturer's website for current product recommendations. Using the wrong product can result premature failure.
5. Be clean
Cleanliness is important. Because loaders normally work in extremely dusty conditions, keeping hydraulic oil clean is especially challenging. Since the compact loader is a Jack-of-all-trades, it can have many attachments on the front end. Contamination can come from the environment (dust, dirt, mud, water), from within the machine's systems (wear metals, seal particles) and from an attachment. Reversing fans, swing-out coolers, water separators, and filters should be kept clean and serviced.
Always check the owner's manual for the proper way to maintain your equipment. It's also a good idea to check the manufacturer's website for the most up-to-date information.
Contact our team with any questions about wheel loader maintenance!