From heavy to compact, excavators are designed to take on the harshest environments and perform the most difficult jobs. In rugged terrain, dirty mud, and large load operation throughout the year, you should regularly maintain your excavator to prevent accidental shutdown and maintenance.

Here are five tips to keep your excavator working at its best all year round:

1. Maintain and clean your undercarriage

Working in dirty, muddy terrain can cause landing gear to pile up. Clean the chassis regularly to remove dirt and debris to prevent unnecessary wear and tear on the excavator. When inspecting the landing gear, look out for damaged or missing parts and oil leaks.

2. Check your tracks

Check that your tracks have the right tension. Tracks that are too loose or too tight can cause excessive wear of tracks, chains and sprockets.

3. Change out your air and fuel filters

When you operate an excavator outdoors, debris can accumulate in the air, fuel and hydraulic filters of your machine. Cleaning and replacing filters regularly can help your excavator run longer.

4. Drain water separator

Check that all levels are at recommended levels daily. Before operating your excavator, check engine oil and hydraulic oil levels to ensure it works well throughout the day.

5. Drain water separator

When excavators spend the night outside, condensate often builds up in the engine. To prevent corrosion by turning trapped water into steam, drain your water separator daily.