A Guide to Keeping Your Mini Excavator Running at Peak Efficiency

Keeping your mini excavator in top working condition and following a manufacturer’s recommended safety checklist should be done in tandem. Ignoring one with have a negative effect on the other. You also must operate the machine safely. Regardless of the make or model you choose, a mini excavator is one of the most versatile pieces of construction equipment you can use. From clearing a lot for residential use to trenching at the site of a new office complex, a mini excavator is designed to get the job done.

Here are some safety and maintenance-related tasks to keep in mind when inspecting your machinery and using it at a job site.

Before you start work:

• Check to make sure you or your company has a permit to operate the excavator onsite.
• Check for excessive wear, damage, or cracks on the bucket. Rust is a sure sign that major components or accessories need to be replaced, sooner rather than later.
• The bucket cylinder and linkage may over time show signs of excessive leaks, damage, or wear.
• The stick will take a beating daily, so watch for cracks and other damage.
• The boom cylinders also are susceptible to damage including cracks and leakage.
• Check underneath the mini excavator for signs of leakage, cracks, or pieces of debris which may pose a risk to tires or rubber tracks.
• Look for cracks to the car body.
• Steps and handholds should not exhibit cracks, dents, or other signs of damage.
• For batteries and hold downs, keep them free of dirt and other debris, and make sure bolts and nuts are properly tightened.
• Check the air filter to make sure it is clean and free of restrictions.
• Windshield wipers, though made of high-strength rubber, need to be inspected for cracks and splits.
• Maintain windshield wiper fluid levels.
• Maintain the engine coolant level.
• Avoid operating the machinery in extreme temperature conditions.
• Do not operate your mini excavator during inclement weather, such as high winds, rain, or when you hear thunder or see lightening.
• Are all gauges and controls working as expected?
• Check the radiator for blockage or leaks.
• The hydraulic oil tank needs to be inspected for fluid levels, leakage, and damage.
• The fuel tank, while protected, should be inspected for signs of wear, including cracks or leakage.
• Charge the manufacturer-supplied fire extinguisher to ensure it is charged and damage-free.
• Make sure the coverings for all lights are clean and not damaged; light bulbs need to be in working order.
• Drain the fuel-water separator as recommended.
• Overall, check the excavator for lose or missing nuts, bolts, guards, and bumpers.
• Make sure mirrors adjust as needed and are crack-free.
• For the engine compartment, it is recommended to inspect for signs of wear including leaks, cracks, or other damage on the swing gear oil level, engine oil, all belts and hoses, and make sure the compartment itself is free of all debris.

When You are Ready to Start Working

Now that you have followed any manufacturer recommended safety protocols, it is time to inspect the jobsite and remind yourself of other steps to take as necessary.

• To properly operate the excavator, you must be inside the cab. Check for damage on the seat, seat belt and mounting, indicators and gauges, the horn, backup alarm, lights, and the overall interior.
• Your mini excavator should only be operated by one person at a time.
• Do not transport co-workers or anyone else in the bucket or when they may be hanging onto steps or side rails.
• Check the ground carefully. You may be tasked with clearing the area of debris, but driving over or through rocks, construction materials, tree stumps, or other debris can compromise your mini excavator’s operating efficiency. Remember, heavy machinery is durable but not indestructible.
• Test the steering wheel and brakes. If you cannot navigate the ground or stop as needed, then you will not be able to complete assigned work.
• Know your excavator’s maximum load capacity and do not exceed it.
• Mini excavator operators run the risk of being hit by flying debris or handling dangerous objects, so be sure to wear the rights clothes, safety goggles, gloves, and boots.
• Do not drive the excavator close to others on the jobsite, including co-workers or bystanders.
• Make sure the work path is clear of other workers, bystanders, animals, or anything else that would get in the way.
• Whenever possible, drive along a flat route on the jobsite and know where you are going between your start and end locations.
• If the ground is slippery or steep, use the boom to help move up and down. When moving up a steep slope, make sure to extend the arm and boom; if needed, you can then pull the machine up by lowering the bucket and retracting the arm. The bucket can be lowered to the ground if you are driving down a slope, as this will provide more stability until you reach level ground.
• If you are tasked with digging a trench, first place dirt under the tracks to ensure you are on a level surface. This will reduce the change of cave-ins.
• Watch out for unexpected inclines, slopes, holes, or pits that may be hazardous.
• The excavator should only be operated by one person – the driver in the cab.
• Do not leave the machine running while inspecting it.
• Do not attempt to make repairs while the excavator is running.
• Do not attempt to remove or install accessories while the excavator is running.
• Do not drive the excavator if you are in any way impaired or feeling ill.
• Be on the lookout for downed power lines, or utility markers that indicate the presence of buried utilities.
• Make sure you have enough clearance if navigating under power lines, bridges, tree limbs, or other structures.
• The excavator’s boom and bucket should be extended when moving up or down uneven ground; this ensures you can quickly grab the ground if the machine starts to tip.
• The blade can be used for extra support when navigating on uneven ground Be careful when rotating above the track when the arm is completely extended.
• Avoid tip overs by operating the excavator on firm ground, and from a horizontal position.
• Dirt or construction debris that is extracted while digging should be deposited at a location away from the dig site.
• Become familiar with the machine’s operator manual and, if possible, keep a copy in the cab.
• Drive slowly when navigating uneven terrain, or near co-workers, bystanders, or any obstructions.
• Never dig underneath the excavator. This will surely increase the odds of a cave-in or the machinery tipping over.
• you are backfilling a cave-in, make sure the excavator’s tracks are positioned at a 90-degree angle to the target area, with the propel motors to the rear of the machine.
• Avoid dropping or throwing loose materials when loading trucks by keeping the excavator bucket or cab stationary.
• Do not clean the excavator’s bucket by hitting it against another object or the ground.
• When you are finished for the day, make sure the excavator is off, the cab door is locked, the arm and boom are secure, and the keys are in a safe location.

Ultimately, mini excavator safety is the responsibility of the person operating and maintaining it. We can sum up safety and maintenance by reminding you of seven key points to keep in mind:

• The most reliable safety feature of a mini excavator is the person operating it. If that is you, then you are responsible for understanding all facets of how the machine operates from an end-user perspective. You may not know how to build the engine, but you should at least know how to change the oil.
• Always rely on your local utility company to survey property before you begin work. A trained professional will come out and place different coloured markers around the job site to indicate the presence of buried gas, electric, cable television, and water and sewer lines. It can be a matter of life and death to know the location of buried utility lines.
• Remember to never undercut – the habit of using the bucket to dig the ground in the area where the excavator’s tracks will be moving. This could result in a cave-in or increase the chance of a tip-over.
• Follow all the manufacturer’s recommended safety and maintenance procedures. Taking the time to top of oil and fuel levels will ensure the excavator can run efficiently when needed.
• Exercise job-site safety. No one should be in the direct path of a moving excavator, or when its boom or bucket are in operation. Also remember that no one should be in a trench if you plan on digging any further.
• Do not overwork your excavator by exceeding its maximum load capacity.

Finally, always know where overhead power lines are located before starting work. If the excavator meets an overhead or downed power line, the safest thing to do is stay in the cab and call for help from the local utility company and police or fire department.

Be Proactive When Taking Care of Your Excavator

If you regularly use heavy machinery – and, yes, a mini excavator still qualifies! – then you know that downtime means lost revenue. Downtime between the end of a job and the beginning of the next is one thing, but being unable to take on new work because of mini excavator maintenance issues is a whole other ball game. We cannot overstate the importance of maintaining your excavator after the work day is done, but you would be surprised how many “professionals” neglect the criticality of proactive maintenance. If you or a fellow construction professional has experienced downtime because someone ignored a manufacturer’s recommended maintenance schedule, then you need to pay attention to the small details more often. A simple, yet effective proactive maintenance strategy comes down to three things:

• Understand what your business needs are, and align them with machine capabilities.
• Pay attention to daily workload and follow your manufacturer’s maintenance schedule.
• Know your equipment, and understand its maintenance needs.

You obviously know your business better than anyone else, but ensuring it grows and generates profit also means understanding your business needs and what equipment will help meet your objectives. To do this, ask yourself common sense but sometimes overlooked questions: What kind of work will my company be doing? Will we focus on average homeowner-level projects, or go for large-scale jobs like office building construction? What sort of ground conditions will we have to navigate? Will

Follow a Regular Maintenance Routine

we be mostly digging into the ground, or also breaking concreate and moving heavy debris? The answers will help you decide what kind of mini excavator to buy or lease, and what sort of accessories are needed for each job.  Maintenance plays a key role depending on your daily workload, and how gruelling it is on your machinery. Working on a jobsite where you will be driving on or moving debris like broken concrete, steel I-beams, or spilled chemicals will chew up your tires and rubber tracks. Tires will typically last 600 to 800 hours, while rubber tracks are often good for up to 1600 hours. Between jobs, check for tire punctures or cracks in rubber, and keep the excavator’s undercarriage clean. A successful proactive maintenance plan also means you know your equipment inside and out. Besides understanding how to use the boom or drive forward or back, you also must be aware of today’s requirements for emissions-compliant engines, what type of lubricants to use, when diesel particulate filters need to be swapped out, and so on. The more you know, the more you can keep your mini excavator in top working condition. Each day, you should be aware of the following: fluid levels, the condition of the air filter, pivot pins, tire air pressure, and tension levels for your rubber tracks. It also is a good idea to keep a log of daily safety and maintenance checks, as this is sometimes required for warranty work from the manufacturer.