Are you working on a large construction project with a good amount of heavy equipment? Are you worried about possible heavy equipment components breaking down? You’ll want to know a place that has all the parts you need in supply, whether new or used, like bucket pins or used CAT parts and services that will be able to repair them for you. Considering that in 2011, North America was named the second largest market for construction equipment — globally — and that the market was responsible for almost 26 billion dollars in revenue, it’s clearly important that construction sites can have easy access to what they need when they need it. America continues to be a constantly growing country with new infrastructure or older infrastructure that needs repair or updating.
What Sort of Equipment Falls Under This Category?
It can range from large to small — anything from bucket pins and bushings to backhoes and excavators! The Caterpillar was the largest producer of construction machinery in 2012 and they produced engines, skid steer loaders, and off-highway trucks. Things like gear pumps, cartridge valves, oil filters, and all kinds of engines are also included in this category as well. Many manufacturers will offer a wide variety of replacement parts or new parts on their websites or in their physical stores. If you’re looking for a specialized part however, you may have to go to a few different kinds of manufacturers.
What Should You Be Prepared For With Your Equipment?
Much of construction equipment has an average life expectancy of around 15 years, which of course, depends on how frequently it’s used and with what intensity. You of course want to keep your equipment as well maintained and looked after as possible — indeed, about three quarters of total fluid power failures are because of contamination problems. One remedy for this is investing in hydraulic filters, which can help that from being an issue. The expense of looking after your materials now can save you a bundle later on down the road.
You always want to make sure that the people who are using the machinery know how to use it as well. This can be another way that equipment can break down or fail before its time. Around 35% of equipment failure is due to user error — and unfortunately, this type of failure is not included in the warranty, which means it can be much more expensive to replace or repair. User error also opens up the risk of someone getting hurt — never a good thing in any line of work.
Additionally, be careful with replacing heavy equipment parts — sometimes having a new part in an old system can cause more problems than it solves. Old bucket pins in an old system, for example, can cause extra wear. In any case, it’s best to get an expert’s opinion — so be careful where you get your equipment replaced or repaired. Make sure they’re reputable!
Do yourself a favor and be prepared for emergencies by knowing where to get extra parts and how to take care of your existing ones!
