The Importance of Booking a Regular Bobcat Service

Making sure your Bobcat skid steer loader undergoes a routine Bobcat service in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations is essential. In this article, we look at why servicing is key to safe and effective performance, how often your machinery should be serviced and give a few tips on how else you can prolong the life of your equipment to make sure you get your money’s worth out of your purchase.

Health and Safety Legislation, and Other Considerations

If you’ve bought a skid steer loader, it’s critical that you know it’s safe to use at all times. That’s not just for your own safety, but in many circumstances is necessary to ensure you’re complying with Health and Safety legislation. If the skid steer loader is being used in a work context, for instance, then The Provision and Use of Equipment Regulations 1998 (PUWER) may apply. This places duties on employers, some self-employed people and anyone who controls work equipment to ensure that this machinery is kept ‘maintained in an efficient state, in efficient order and in good repair’.

Apart from safety reasons, servicing is also important to ensure your machinery is performing at its best and keeping productivity going. Environmental considerations are another factor. A well-maintained and frequently serviced machine is less likely to have a negative impact on the environment.

How Often Should You Have A Bobcat Service?

There are a number of factors that will impact on the frequency of servicing. These include the recommendations made by Bobcat as the manufacturer. You should also consider, though, how often the machinery is used and the environment it’s used in. If, for example, it’s kept outdoors for long periods and subject to extreme temperatures, then it’s likely to need more frequent maintenance than if you rarely use it and it’s stored inside in a waterproofed building.

Also consider who uses the machinery. If they’re not greatly experienced, it’s possible it will suffer more wear and tear than if it’s being used by an operator with lots of expertise.

Finally, think about what the impact would be of your machinery breaking down unexpectedly. If it’s likely to cause you and your work a major inconvenience, then it’s well worth having the equipment professionally serviced at more frequent intervals, to make sure it doesn’t let you down.

Prolonging the Life of the Equipment

Always make sure the piece of machinery you’re using is suitable for the task you’re using it for. Check specifications, such as the maximum weight the equipment is designed to bear; the types of materials it’s designed to carry; the depth you want it to dig and so on. If you use equipment that’s not suited to the task in hand, it’s more likely to need frequent repairs and maintenance.

Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for ongoing maintenance between services, like checks on fluids, lubricants and filters for instance. Carry out frequent visual checks on attachments like hoses, cutting edges and bucket teeth, so you know when to consider replacement; and also on tyres on skid steer loaders and the like.

And when you need a Bobcat service, look for a team of experts like ours at H J Kirk & Co. We have a wealth of experience in Bobcat repairs and maintenance, to help you keep your plant machinery running smoothly and for longer. We also offer skid steer loader hire throughout Shropshire if your machine does break down.