An Overview Of Essential Excavator Operating Tips

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It's not enough to own the right excavator—you also need to know the right operating tips. Proper excavator operation ensures a safe and efficient work experience. It helps you get more out of your machine, reduces the chances of needing repair, saves money on fuel, and even extends the equipment's lifespan.

We've gathered up the following excavator operating tips. If you want more information or want to shop excavators for sale, chat with the experts at Bobcat Central. We have dealership locations in Northern California and Reno, Nevada. We also proudly serve those in Stockton and Sacramento, California.

Preparing To Operate An Excavator

A successful experience starts before you step into the excavator's cab. A few proactive and preventative steps can make all the difference.

Go Through The Necessary Training

Professional training is required to learn the essential excavator operating tips. This training will cover the basics such as how the controls work, what various features do, and the limits of the heavy equipment's capacity. It should also involve hands-on elements of training. This will help the trainee better learn and remember the proper steps. Plus, it provides an avenue for a professional instructor to catch any mistakes before they turn into habits.

Make Sure The Excavator Is Well-Maintained

You can use the proper excavator operating strategies, but you will still run into issues if the equipment has maintenance problems. These can be more minor, such as a machine that runs slower, or they can be more serious, such as a higher risk of an accident. Keep up with your excavator’s maintenance to ensure safe operation.

The owner's manual should provide information about what maintenance tasks are required and how often they need to be handled. Remember that you can always bring your heavy equipment to the professionals at Bobcat Central. Our service department can handle a range of maintenance tasks and get your excavator ready for optimal performance.

Conduct An Inspection Before Each Use

At the start of each work day, take a minute to look over the excavator.

For example:

Are the mirrors set properly?
Do any fluids need to be topped off?
Are the controls functional?

This quick inspection can catch an issue that could pose a problem during operation. It's better to catch red flags now than in the middle of a project.

When You're Ready To Operate The Excavator

After you have prepared yourself and the excavator for safe operation, there are a few key strategies to employ.

Scope Out The Surroundings

Each work site poses unique obstacles. This can be a side effect of recent poor weather, an area of exceptionally-difficult terrain, a section where there is a high amount of other workers, and so on. Always take the time to take in your surroundings and make note of any high risk areas. Be sure to adapt your task accordingly.

This can mean:

Positioning the excavator bucket bottom low and parallel to the ground when going down a slope
Going up a slope vertically instead of diagonally
Going slower over unpredictable terrain

Use Excavator Operation Best Practices

As much as possible, be sure to:

Take the route that goes over flat surfaces
Position the excavator bucket low to the ground during transport
Take gradual turns, not sharp turns
Keep the excavator steady

When You Finish Operating The Excavator

Once you are done for the day, find somewhere to park the excavator. Focus on finding a level surface and be sure the bucket attachment is on the ground.

Then, turn off the auto-idle switch and have the engine run at half throttle for a few minutes. This cools the turbocharger down. Before you shut the engine off, set the RPM to low idle. Finally, be sure to lock up the cab.

We hope you found these excavator operating tips helpful! For more ownership tips or to shop excavators for sale, reach out to the friendly staff at Bobcat Central. Our service department can replace equipment parts, repair broken systems, conduct maintenance, and tackle other tasks to keep your excavator running well. Whatever you need, our expert staff can assist. We operate dealerships in many areas including Reno, Nevada, and Stockton and Sacramento, California. We also serve those throughout Northern California.