Anyone who owns or has worked with loaders or other heavy equipment knows that the winter months are especially rough on your equipment. The colder temperatures, snow, and ice can slow down or even stop projects if the equipment is not properly maintained. Here are 6 winter maintenance tips for keeping your loader running smoothly during these cold months.
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1. Start Your Maintenace Early
The earlier you start preparing for winter, the less likely you are to have issues once the temperatures drop. Before winter sets in, run a full inspection of your loader: check the fluids, tire pressure, hydraulic hoses, and look for any damage to the machine.
2. Perform Regular Engine Maintenance
Many of the issues that can arise during the winter months originate in the loader’s engine. Air and fluid leaks are more common in winter and can lead to the breakdown of the engine. Performing regular maintenance checks on the engine can help prevent many issues and catch small issues before they can turn into engine failure.
3. Keep Your Equipment Clean
Snow, ice, mud, salt, and debris can build up on your loader and cause damage if not removed. Salt and other chemicals lead to erosion and contaminated systems. Cleaning your equipment regularly can help protect the body and prevent erosion and contamination.
4. Use Season Specific Fluids
Certain fluids such as oil and fuel are meant for specific temperatures. Standard fuels and other fluids may not be able to handle extremely low temperatures and can start to gel up if not kept warm enough.
5. Keep the Equipment Moving
Loaders and other pieces of equipment that are kept idle or unused for an extended period are more likely to break down or struggle to start. Ways to prevent this are to keep the loader running longer and perform harder tasks while in use. If you are not planning on using it for several weeks, or at all over the winter, take the time to start it and let it run long enough for it to warm up to burn off any excess water build-up in the engine and prevent the fluids from freezing.
6. Make Changes to the Way You Operate
One of the best winter maintenance tips is to adjust the way you operate your loader. Adjustments that you can make to help your loader perform are allowing your loader to warm up for a longer time, slow down and drive carefully, and don’t push the equipment beyond its capabilities.
Your loader is an important and expensive piece of equipment, so you want to make sure that you maintain it to the best of your ability. Following these winter maintenance tips can help you keep your loader or other equipment running smoothly during these cold months. If you find a part that needs to be replaced during this maintenance, trust that Loader Parts Source has what you need to get your loader back up and running. Contact us today for help finding the parts that you need.
