Maintaining your concrete equipment is incredibly important. It will ensure that your equipment is in working order, so you’re always ready to be out on site. Ride on Trowels are used on wet concrete, so they need more care than some other types of equipment. They tend to get extremely dirty which can cause a whole host of issues down the road.
We were speaking to some of our team in the service department, and they highlighted a few very key things to do, to help you properly maintain your Ride on Trowel.
CLEAN WELL AFTER USE
This may seem like common sense, but you have no idea how many Riders come into our facility, caked in concrete, to get serviced. Obviously, it is very important to clean off the concrete as soon as you can. The longer you let it sit on the unit the harder it is to get it off. This will end up costing more money, and taking up more time. There are products, such as Liquid Hammer, that are used in these cases, but it is not good for your machine to have dried concrete all over it.
Dried concrete in any moving parts can cause damage to your Rider, resulting in unexpected maintenance costs. We suggest that right after your done on the slab, take a pressure washer to the Rider and get as much of the concrete off as you can. For a better clean, use a product like Liquid Hammer on site, as soon as you’re finished, before the concrete has a chance to harden onto your equipment. This will ensure that you keep all moving parts clean and ready for the next slab.
If you are a Rental / Hire Shop, you may be renting out these trowels longer term, we recommend educating your customers on how to proper care for the equipment after use, to keep the machines as clean as possible. Furthermore, letting them know that not following the cleanliness guidelines will result in an additional cleaning charge. This will help ensure 2 things,
1) That your customers will take better care of the equipment.
2) Cover any extensive cleaning costs.
ENGINE MAINTENANCE
Although it may seem like logical, some don’t realize how important proper engine maintenance is. Keeping your engine tuned up will help your Rider run properly, ensuring maximum production, as well as avoiding extensive maintenance and breakdowns.
When doing routine maintenance on your engine, make sure you’re using good gas (has not been sitting) and fresh oil. There is nothing worse than running your engines without enough oil or without clean oil. Your engine is one of the most expensive components to your Rider, and without proper care it could end up being a very expensive fix. Depending how often you use your trowels will determine how often you need to maintain the engine components. Check with the engine manufacture about what they recommend for proper maintenance.
GREASE & OIL
There are many components on your Rider that use oil and grease. Keeping these parts functioning properly, will ensure that all moving parts are moving well, otherwise you can end up with some pretty expensive repair costs. Refer to your manual for full instructions.