Hydraulic systems on heavy equipment are not cheap. Making sure your systems are in perfect shape is the key to not having to pay for expensive repairs or even component replacements. The primary way of caring for these critical systems is via preventive maintenance.
Preventive maintenance for hydraulic systems consists of several different tasks, but the most important and most frequently overlooked one is fluid maintenance. Changing your system’s fluids and filters at the recommended intervals—and using the recommended materials—can save you hours of troubleshooting, repairs, and replacement costs.
First, be sure to change the fluids and filters on your hydraulic systems at the manufacturer’s recommended intervals. A commonly overlooked caveat to this is to note that many manufacturers recommend changing fluids and filters at certain points on the calendar or after a specific number of hours of operation, whichever comes first. If your crews are operating multiple shifts, or you have a machine that is performing double duty at more than one job site, you may very well be past the recommended hours number well before your get to the “every x months” interval.
Next, using the manufacturer’s recommended products is also, well, recommended. Though many times off-brand versions may be available, frequently there are specific chemical compositions for hydraulic fluids or specific fit requirements for filters that should not be ignored in the name of saving a few dollars. The cost of repairs for fluid that breaks down too quickly or filters that don’t fit and allow particulate into sensitive internal components will be far outweighed by the costs of eventual repairs.
Texas Hydrostatics employs only hydraulic system maintenance pros. If you are looking for a company to help with your hydraulic system’s maintenance, contact Texas Hydrostatics today.