MAINTENANCE - THE BEST WAY TO DEAL WITH A PROBLEM IS TO PREVENT IT
As we get into the middle of winter, we start to direct our focus on making sure our equipment is ready for the upcoming construction season. Although some of us have not slowed down, we still need to focus on the equipment. Without that we cannot fulfill our obligations to our customers, whether if we are a municipality, or a contractor.
Time to look at your Lumberjack®, and nozzles. This is the prime time to inspect the Lumberjack®. Things to look for is there a play in the head either front to back or side to side. Does it spin freely, is there any growling noise when you do spin it? If you experience any of these symptoms, it may need to be serviced. The last thing you want to happen, is getting out on a job site and the cutter stops working. This is not embarrassing, but causes the operator to become frustrated, so let us take the time to service the cutter. We have service kit available for each of the different Lumberjack® series. Included in the kit are step by step instruction on how to disassemble and re-assemble the Lumberjack®, we even include the tools necessary for the servicing. If you run into a question or a concern during the servicing, we are always available to take your call, to assist you with your questions.
As we look at the nozzles, we use to clean the pipes, we need to look at the inserts and the sleds or cages on which they are installed. As for the inserts in the case of Tier 2 and Tier 3 nozzles we should look to see if they showing signs or wear or have started to chip in the case of ceramic inserts, is there a groove starting to wear into the stainless-steel inserts, are they becoming out or round?
When you inspect the sleds or cages, are they worn to the point wear the nozzle is no longer sitting centered into the pipe, or there is sign of wear on the nozzle body in the case of the Jaws® nozzle.
As you do your inspection look to see if any of the inserts or jets are blocked, this will cause the nozzle to ride to one side of the pipe and will prevent you from cleaning the pipe correctly, as a result more time, fuel and water will be expended to complete the task at hand. If you notice they are blocked remove them and clear the blockage, either use a tip cleaner of is most cases compressed air will remove the obstruction. If you do use a drill bit use only the back side (the end that goes into the drill) never the drill side, this could cause scratches and nicks, especially in the ceramic inserts. Worn inserts should be replaced.
As for Tier 1 nozzles, if they show signs of wear, they should just be replaced. The cost of replacement inserts is minuscule to the costs of replacing the nozzle or the amount of resources used to complete the cleaning process. If you have any questions or need assistance, give us a call. Let us get ready for the upcoming construction season and be safe out there.