With falling temperatures comes the end of paving season in many parts of North America. Even if you aren’t in an area where it’s time to put equipment in storage for a few months, you can benefit from some best practices in routine maintenance on vital machines.
Let’s look at the milling machine, or cold planer. Make sure you read the owner’s manual to get the right tips for winterizing the water pump systems. Then give this piece of equipment a thorough exam.
- Look at all the systems including gauges. Test the flow and drainage of all pumps and motors. Get any and all sludge out of the fuel tank now, then level it off with fuel so there’s no room for condensation to form.
- Look at the cutting tools. If any are worn, you could have problems with holders. Fix this now so it’s resolved before spring comes around.
- Look at the maintenance schedule. Is it almost time for the 500-operating-hour maintenance items to be performed? There’s no time like the present! Don’t forget that you want to disconnect the ground strap from the battery before you’re all done.
- Look at the decals and warning symbols. Replace any that are damaged or unreadable.
- Look at the parking space. If you’ll stage the mill for any length of time, you want it under cover where it can stay dry. Lower the legs and bring the drum close to the ground, but not against dirt or wet grime.
Look at your company policy. Your team may have additional steps to lock up equipment for the next few months.
Sign up to receive more tips like this in your inbox every Monday to keep your crew sharp.