5 Tips To Prepare Your Equipment For Spring

After sitting idle during the winter months, your machines may need a bit of TLC to ensure they're in top shape for another season of hard work. By following these five essential tips for readying your heavy equipment for renewed projects in spring, you'll be able to eliminate downtime, protect your investments, repair any damage, and improve job site safety.

The first step in preparing your equipment is to perform thorough maintenance tasks before putting your machine back to work. This includes:

• Changing filters.
  Clogged or dirty filters can reduce efficiency and increase contaminants in your equipment’s system. Be sure to change or clean your filters as needed.
  Replacing hydraulic and engine oils. To ensure clean and efficient system operation, replace both hydraulic and engine oils in the spring. Check with your manual to ensure you're using the right type.
  
  
• Checking the coolant. 
  Run the engine and inspect the appearance of your machine’s coolant to ensure it is free of impurities and reflects its as-new colour. Make sure you get the appropriate grade of coolant for the weather in your area.
  
  
• Lubricating machine components. 
  After a season in storage, your machine’s moving parts may be a little stiff. Apply lubricant to any major components to ensure that every part of your engine and equipment is capable of performing its full range of motion.
   

Always update your maintenance logs as you go so that you have a record of which tasks were performed and when.

After bringing your equipment out of storage, make sure to give it a thorough wash, inside and out, so that you remove any dust, dirt, and grime that has gathered over the winter. Dirt and grime buildup can also contaminate fluids and damage parts, making it essential to clean the equipment. A simple wash creates a safer, more comfortable environment for machine operators and goes a long way to ensuring your machine performs the way it should.

Cleaning your equipment's interior and exterior will also make your fleet look professional and reassure clients that you have quality machinery to execute the job.

It’s good practice to review your machine’s paperwork during the spring season. Your owner’s manual will have information specific to the make and model of your equipment, including seasonal maintenance recommendations and the types of products you should use.

If you haven’t done so already, make sure to keep the owner’s manual somewhere that you can easily locate. You should also consider making a binder for all owner manuals or downloading digital copies to a folder on your computer. You can even use your owner’s manual as the place where you keep notes on the maintenance performed and repairs done on each piece of equipment you own.

Check your machine’s warranty requirements and complete all the necessary tasks before use to secure warranty coverage. It's also a good idea to check your insurance policy to make sure it covers the machine's scope of work and accessories.

If your equipment wasn’t used much or at all over the winter, you’ll want to ensure your equipment starts correctly and that all components are in working order. Check that basic features like lights, wipers, and flashers aren’t broken, and that your brakes are still in good condition.

If you’re experiencing issues with your machine, stop by your Finning dealer and let us have a look. Our Certified Cat® Technicians will get you back to work as soon as possible. We do repairs and rebuilds on equipment like excavators, dozers, motor graders, wheel loaders, articulated trucks, and more. Avoid unnecessary downtime, save time and money, and get back to work sooner. Book your service today.

Tire performance is crucial. Tire pressure can have a substantial impact on your machine and your work. It affects fuel consumption, driving experience, and the likelihood of compacting soil—especially at the start of spring when the terrain is often muddy.

Check your owner's manual to find the correct pressure levels and adjust your tires accordingly. You should also inspect the tread on your tires and make sure they’re not too bald for operation. Finally, take a look at your rims and tighten any loose lug nuts.