Contractors and owners of earth moving vehicles usually have to work really hard to make sure that the operating cost of their equipment is manageable. In terms of owning and operating costs, bulldozers offer the most variation.
If you want to save some money you should invest only after doing proper research. You want to find a heavy machinery brand that is affordable but doesn’t compromise on quality and performance. Another thing that you should factor in when making a decision about which bulldozer to buy is the nature of the project that you will be working on. The equipment that you choose should be able to take on the challenges of the job at hand.
Maintenance
If you are trying to reduce the operating costs of your dozer, you should make maintenance your priority. With proper maintenance you can increase the uptime of your equipment which really should be your main goal, instead of cutting costs.
Following are a few tips that you may find useful in reducing the ownership and operating costs of your equipment.
Keep an eye on the undercarriage
It’s essential that you select the right undercarriage for your equipment. Make sure that the undercarriage is properly maintained so you can achieve lower operating costs per hour. You will see that different parts of your machine’s undercarriage will wear out as time passes. Chances are that the pins and bushings will be the first ones to go but they will be followed by the shoes, rollers and links soon after. Now the question arises, what can you do or rather what should you do in that situation. Should you have them replaced right away? But if you end up replacing different parts of your undercarriage every time, it will drive up the operating cost of your equipment as well as increase the amount of downtime.
There isn’t a single solution that will work for everyone. There are operators out there who tend to run their pins and bushings to the very end. But there are also operators who prefer to replace them with a lifelong pin and bushing assembly. But you should remember that the decision that you make for one part or component will also have an impact on your choices for the other components of the dozer.
Preventative Maintenance
When it comes to increasing the life of equipment having a set maintenance program in place from the start helps a lot. You will see that a properly thought-out preventative maintenance plan is quite beneficial for your dozer. Although preventative maintenance doesn’t account for more than two to four percent of costs on your bulldozer it will increase the uptime of your machine even if it doesn’t trim costs. And ultimately increasing the uptime and life of your equipment should be your main goal. Whenever you start looking for heavy equipment for sale you should also start preparing a customized maintenance plan for that piece of equipment. Another thing that you should do is practice condition-based maintenance for your dozer. Of course, this doesn’t mean that you need to wait it out until a component is at its limit to replace it. But what you should do is use advanced monitoring systems so you are able to spot any issues before they affect the performance of your dozer. This way not only will you be able to save directly but you will also have more time to replace the equipment and parts. Since you will be alerted early on, you will have more time to schedule the downtime as well.
Equipment Operators, Productivity and Fuel
Almost 75% of dozer operating costs can be attributed to fuel and wages. These costs are dependent on the nature of the project you are working on and the type of dozer you are using. There isn’t much you can do about these factors, but what you can do is try to maximize productivity.
Fuel consumption is inevitable when there is work getting done, and the more you work the more diesel / fuel you will be consuming. So, what you have to do is try to work efficiently to avoid unnecessary fuel consumption.
You will find that there are operators who have had advanced training and are familiar with dozer techniques which allow them to increase the amount of work without it impacting the costs. Having operators who know what they are doing makes all the difference, someone familiar with dozer techniques will know that it’s better to spend more time moving material then to waste it blading air. You will see a significant increase in production simply by incorporating such techniques.
Another factor that impacts productivity is operator comfort. You need to choose a dozer which has a comfortable cab and controls that make it easier for the operator to focus on work. Since the operator will be spending most of his time in the cab, if it isn’t comfortable he may struggle with concentrating on the job.
Prioritize Safety
Remaining productive requires you to prioritize safety when working with heavy equipment like dozers. If you are not careful when working with a dozer you may end up getting into an accident. At a construction site, even small accidents may turn out to be seriously damaging to the work site, or the equipment itself, rendering it useless for the day. It is important that you maintain high levels of safety to avoid any such incidents.