Technical


Machinery checks


Extending the life of machinery


Nigel Church M


odern grass machinery must be reliable and deliver consistent levels of performance, be it on a golf course, in a park or street scene mowing. The pressures on


time and output are growing, and with that can come the acceptance that daily and weekly maintenance is simply not going to get done. If operators are told to get out of the yard in the morning, and are not allowed back in until the end of the working day, then cleaning and maintenance duties will be neglected. There may be a short-term gain (albeit marginal), but the longer-term results are higher operating costs, more repairs and downtime and, of course, a shorter working life for the machinery.


Operator Daily checks


The most basic level of maintenance procedures must be the operator’s daily checks. These will vary from machine to machine, and the amount of work or ground conditions the


116 I PC APRIL/MAY 2017


Nigel Church is a Product Trainer with Cutting Edge Training, an operating division of Ransomes Jacobsen. A well- known and highly respected figure within the industry for over 40 years, he began his career as an apprentice at Ransomes, Sims and Jefferies in 1970 and has worked in the UK and Europe. In this article, he looks at extending the life of your machinery by adopting correct maintenance procedures


machine is working on will affect what has to be done. However, they are an essential part of operating a reliable and efficient fleet of machinery.


Washing and cleaning: You can’t carry out routine maintenance checks on machinery that is covered in mud and grass. To do this correctly, the machines have to be washed and cleaned, so the operator can actually see what they are doing and note anything which needs attention.


Washing and cleaning is essential, and failing to do this can be very expensive. Every year machinery catches fire, mainly caused by grass build-up under decks and seats, or around engines and exhaust systems. It's not a waste of time, but an essential part of the regular maintenance of the machine.


Radiator checks: The radiator may well require cleaning from grass and other debris. This can


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