Grease: the key to looking after your digger

The Allways Hire Business Toolbox is a series of articles on topics that are important to our customers and their businesses. Our Equipment Maintenance Series recognises that as well as hiring our machines, you have your own fleet too. These articles are full of tips to help you take care of your equipment.

In our fourth article we’re taking a close look at the role of grease in excavator maintenance. The team at Allways Hire are proud to be experts in maintaining our fleet of machines to the highest standards. We often get asked questions about how to use grease in machine maintenance. Here are the most common ones answered, so you can benefit from them when you maintain your own equipment.

Q: What is the best grade of grease to use?

A: We use EP-2 lithium-based general-purpose grease for all our excavators. Most manufacturers recommend an EP2 Multi Purpose Grease for construction equipment. If you are working in extreme conditions or in water we would recommend asking the manufacturer.

Q: I don’t have a lot of time to maintain my machines, what should I prioritise?

A: If you’re short on time, taking half an hour to grease the hardest working pivot points and check your oil levels is a good starting point. If you can at least keep your machine well lubricated you’re helping to protect it from damage until you next get the chance to do some more in depth maintenance.

Q: Can I over grease bearings?

A: Unfortunately it is possible to over grease a ball bearing. This can make a ball bearing fail prematurely. When you over grease bearings you risk overheating the bearing, which might “pop” the seal out then the dust and dirt can enter the bearing causing it to fail.

Q: How can I get the right amount of grease on ball bearings?

A: Add 2-3 pumps of grease to ball bearings unless the manufacturer specifies otherwise.

Q: How much grease do I put into my excavator pivot pins?

A: The ideal amount of grease for excavator pivot pins is to grease them until you see grease just starting to issue from the pivot point. Once you see that, try to avoid adding more otherwise you could attract dust and dirt to the area .

Q: I can’t get grease into my excavator pins. What should I do next?

A: If you can’t get grease to flow into your excavator pins we recommend working through the following:

1. Is the grease nipple or grease gun point damaged? If it looks like it’s damaged or is not working properly, try replacing it and adding grease to your excavator pins again.
2. Is the greaser channel or gallery blocked or restricted? If this seems to be the case you will need to remove the whole pin and clean the grease gallery before trying to add grease into your excavator pin again.

Q. How often should I grease the slew ring on my excavator?

A: The main slew ring on an excavator often has different maintenance periods so it pays to check the manufacturer’s recommendations to get the right frequency for your make and model. A number of manufacturers, including Yanmar, recommend greasing the slew ring every 50 hours.

Q. How do I grease the slew ring bearing on my excavator?

A: Park the excavator on flat ground for safety. To grease the slew ring bearing, grease the slew ring nipples then rotate the boom 45 degrees and grease again. Keep repeating until a full rotation has been done.

If you need a helping hand, try watching this video from Yanmar on how to grease the slew ring (or ‘turntable bearing’ as it’s known in the US).

Q: How often should you grease an excavator?

A: If you use your digger or loader every day then we recommend greasing the pivot pins every day. Making it part of your daily operational routine helps to prevent the machine from being neglected. If you use your machine less frequently then we recommend greasing your machine after every 8 hours of operation as the safest routine

Q: What pressure do Grease Guns operate at?

A: Most Grease Guns can produce pressures of over 10,000 PSI and up to 15,000 PSI.

Q: Are Grease Guns dangerous?

A: If not handled correctly then Grease Guns can be dangerous. Watch out for the grease leaking from the connections: the high pressure could easily penetrate your skin and eyes. Most Grease Guns have a coupling that is safer than the needle point that is sometimes used. If your Grease Gun has a needle point make sure the safety cover is always on when it is not in use.

Q: What PPE should I wear when handling grease?

A: A good starting point to determine the right PPE for any job is visiting the WorkSafe website. The team at Allways Hire always wear a minimum of safety glasses and protective gloves when greasing machinery. If you have to climb around the machine don’t forget to make sure the machine is turned off and that safety chocks and mechanisms are put in place before proceeding with greasing.

Hire an excavator from Allways Hire

Allways Hire offer a wide range of excavators for hire. Our range has been chosen so you always have the right digger for the job – no matter how big or small the task. We’re focused on servicing and maintaining our machines so you can be as productive as possible every time you hire. Check out our range of diggers and contact us today if you would like to explore which machine is right for your next job.