When operating any piece of turf maintenance equipment, one of the most important things to do for your machine is giving proper maintenance to the equipment itself. A key component in this is proper lubricating. Most machines have bearings or bushings that receive lubrication via grease fittings, which need to be greased regularly. Bearings can fail if they are not greased properly. A good rule to follow is to apply the lubricant once a day.
Apply Lubrication After Each Wash
If you wash your machine after each use, the best time to apply grease is immediately after washing. There should be no concern about applying too much grease. When cold water gets onto the warm components of your turf maintenance equipment, the metal expands, and water gets into the bearing by leaking past the rubber seals. If the water is not eliminated from the bearing via greasing, rust will form and cause bearing failure.
In order to grease the equipment properly, two or three pumps of lubricant should be applied to the bearing. This is to prevent damage due to too much hydraulic pressure. It will also keep from having a mess to clean up from the old grease that will be excreted.
Remember to Check Filters and Fluid Levels
Another important maintenance point is to change your fluid and filters. The manufacturer’s recommended intervals are good to follow, but change them as often as you can afford. Shorter intervals are better than going long amounts of time in between changes. On days when your machine is not working on your turf, consider having your oil changed. Refills and checks on fluid levels should be performed daily. If you find your fluid consumption is high, you may have a leak. Get it fixed before it gets too costly, as hot oil can damage your turf.
Fuel and air filters will get dirty very quickly in dry or dusty conditions. If the filter is dirty, less air gets into the engine which leads to poor fuel economy. Bacteria or dirt build-up in diesel fuel can clog up the filter, which will make your engine stall. Air filters should be checked weekly. If the conditions are remarkably dry and dusty, the checks should be performed daily. Fuel supply lines should be tested regularly, and the fuel filters should be replaced when they get clogged.
