Introduction
Compact excavators are gaining huge popularity due to their high power and versatility but small size. Whether you buy new compact track loaders, crawler dozers, wheel loaders, excavators, or old ones, an inspection is always recommended.
Note that properly inspecting your compact excavator helps in better decision-making.
In this blog post, you will learn about several inspection points for a compact excavator. Make sure you read this post until the end for a better understanding.
Important Points Of Mini Excavator Inspection
Dents, Bends, Or Cracks
Cracks, bend, or dents are never a good sign, especially when you find them between the stick and bucket. It can also be a bad sign when found between the boom and stick. The existence of cracks, bends, and dents show that your mini excavators are affected badly.
If it is a new excavator and you found these damages, you should ask the manufacturer for another excavator. If it is an old excavator, it shows the mini excavator is overused without maintenance.
Leaks
Signs of leaks are mostly found in the hydraulic pump compartment of heavy equipment. You should check that space and inspect for leaks during the mini excavator inspection. You should check all cylinders, lines, and hoses. You can also check for leaks in the swivel joint, swing bearing, and slew ring. If you find any leaks, you need to repair them for the safe operation of your excavator.
Broken Or Inaccurate Hour Meters
The hour meter is an essential part to be checked. You have to check if it is working properly or not. It should give accurate readings so that you can use the excavator effectively. If it is not operating, then you should check the control pedals. You may find signs of wear and tear on the Control pedals.
In the case of a used excavator, if you find too much wear on control pedals, the mini excavator contains more operating hours logged than noted.
Scalloping
You may find signs of scalloping between the bucket teeth of mini excavators. There may be half-mooned shapes. Scalloping leads to the bucket having reduced cutting force and digging depth. It doesn’t mean that you have to replace the bucket.
Lifespan
If you are buying new construction and mining equipment, you should ensure that it contains 10,000 hours as a lifespan. On the other hand, a used mini excavator should have at least 8000 hours. According to experts, if you are Buying a used excavator, you should look for the one manufactured in the last three years. Moreover, it should have at least 8000 hours. This will help you take advantage of new technology and save your costs.
Visual Inspection
Visual inspection is the most important and basic type of mini excavator inspection whether you buy a new or an old excavator. In the case of a new excavator, you must ensure that this little Digger is manufactured properly and well painted. On the other hand, visual inspection of old excavators can help you determine whether they are well maintained.
If you find signs of cracks in visual Inspection, it indicates that the equipment is comprised.
Repair Welds & Connection Points Inspection
The next Inspection process is to inspect connection points and repair welds. You have to check the critical stress points for inspection of repair welds in compact excavator models. At this point, you may find some serious structural issues covered by paint. Next, inspect connection points at the boom, stick, and bucket.
You must ensure that the bucket, stick, and boom connection points are solid. They should not have any kind of movement. The bushings and pins should also be tight.
If lubrication is lacking at those points, then there must be a lack of accuracy.
Don’t forget to check for cracks around the connection points since they can be very dangerous for mining equipment operations.
Tracks
The next thing is the inspection of tracks. Tracks play an important role in the operations of your mini excavators. In the case of a used compact excavator, you must ensure that the tracks are working well.
If you need to replace those tracks, it may cost you somewhere between $400 and $3000.
If you find 50% wear on the tracks, you must replace them. You should also check treads for signs of wear and tear. If found, it can be really expensive to repair them.
Hydraulic Leaks
Since your excavator runs through hydraulic power, there can be hydraulic leaks. These leaks can also affect fuel efficiency. The Hydraulic leaks can be checked from the final drive seals during mini excavator inspection.
It can be inspected by looking for any leaking fluid behind the sprocket or on the track.
Finally, you also need to check the condition of the sprockets. It has to be ensured that the teeth are not pointed but flattened.
Undercarriage Inspection
The undercarriage of wheeled excavators is also important in mini excavator inspection. You should check for large dents, excessive wear, rust, and repairs on the undercarriage. If these damages are found, your mini excavator lacks proper maintenance.
Note that undercarriage plays an essential role in the operation of your Machine.
According to an expert, the undercarriage of a mini excavator is responsible for 50% of maintenance costs. Therefore, you should take care of it properly.
Engine Inspection
Cracked lines or worn belts in the engine can tell that it is not well maintained. Engine leaks are the most expensive to repair. Therefore, you should spend some time inspecting the leaks in your heavy construction equipment engines.
If you find the presence of soot, it indicates the need for a major engine overhaul of case excavators.
On the other hand, if you find dark & thick oil in the engine, it indicates the poor maintenance of your machine. You should not forget to check the corrosion on your engine’s battery.
You can also take help from this video:
Conclusion
Inspection can help you decide whether you buy a mini excavator or a used Excavator. Buying used construction equipment can be great if you know how to inspect it properly.
There are several high-quality compact excavator brands in the market, such as Hitachi, John Deere excavators, and bobcat.
Also, if you need a compact excavator with high quality and affordable price, kindly please contact us, and you will get the one you wish for.