The environment of construction sites is complex, with dust everywhere and rough ground, which makes the service life of diesel forklift for construction a headache for bosses — frequent breakdowns and soaring filter replacement costs not only affect the construction period but also make the equipment depreciation rate far exceed expectations. In fact, as long as you master scientific maintenance skills, you can effectively solve the problems caused by dust and extend the service life of diesel forklift for construction by more than 30%. The following 5 practical tips are specially designed for construction site scenarios to help you maintain the bottom line of equipment life.
Tip 1: Clean the air filter daily to build a solid "breathing defense line"
Dust is the "number one killer" of diesel forklift for construction. In particular, once the air filter is blocked, it will cause insufficient air intake of the engine, reduce power and accelerate wear. Ordinary maintenance may clean it once a week, but in dusty construction sites, you must insist on "daily cleaning": use compressed air to blow the filter from the inside out (avoid reverse dust blowing), and replace it with a new filter once a month (50% shorter than the period recommended in the manual). A construction site case shows that the engine failure rate of diesel forklift for construction that adheres to daily cleaning has decreased by 40%, and the frequency of filter replacement has actually reduced — because timely cleaning avoids damage caused by excessive blockage of the filter.
Tip 2: Check the cleanliness of hydraulic oil weekly, with mandatory replacement every 200 hours
Gravel and soil on construction sites are easy to mix into the hydraulic system, causing cylinder wear and movement jamming. Ordinary maintenance replaces hydraulic oil every 500 hours, but for diesel forklift for construction, this period is too long. It is recommended to extract hydraulic oil with a sampling bottle every week for observation; if turbidity or impurities appear, filter it immediately; force the replacement period to be shortened to 200 hours, and replace the hydraulic oil filter at the same time. Practice in a concrete mixing plant has proved that this can double the service life of the hydraulic system and avoid shutdown losses caused by cylinder leakage.
Tip 3: Straighten the forks monthly to avoid "hidden deformation"
Diesel forklift for construction often carries heavy objects such as steel bars and formwork. Uneven stress on the forks is prone to slight deformation, which seems not to affect use, but in fact will increase the frame stress and lay hidden dangers of fracture. Ordinary maintenance may wait until the forks are obviously bent to handle them, while professional maintenance requires monthly inspection with a straightening instrument: place the forks horizontally, measure the deflection, and immediately straighten them with hydraulic equipment if it exceeds 3mm. This small action can extend the service life of the forks by 2 years and avoid safety accidents caused by sudden fracture.
Tip 4: Deep clean the cooling system quarterly to prevent high-temperature "strike"
Construction site dust will cover the radiator, leading to poor heat dissipation of diesel forklift for construction, especially prone to boiling in summer. In addition to daily cleaning of the surface, the radiator should be disassembled and cleaned quarterly: rinse the gaps between the cooling fins with a high-pressure water gun to remove oil sludge and catkins, then check the tightness of the fan belt. Comparative data from a construction site in a high-temperature area shows that forklifts with deep cleaning have 70% fewer high-temperature shutdowns in summer.
Tip 5: Regularly lubricate key parts to block dust intrusion
Parts such as the mast slideway and chain of diesel forklift for construction will be eroded by dust if insufficiently lubricated, leading to accelerated wear. It is recommended to "clean + lubricate" these parts every week: first use a brush to remove surface dust, then apply high-temperature resistant grease (avoid ordinary butter melting and leaking when heated). Adhering to this for a long time can keep the smoothness of mast lifting for more than 3 years and reduce efficiency losses caused by jamming.
Ordinary maintenance VS professional maintenance: A "3-year watershed" in service life
Under ordinary maintenance, the average service life of diesel forklift for construction is about 5-6 years, while equipment with the above professional maintenance can reach 8-9 years, working 3 more years. More importantly, professional maintenance can keep the equipment at an efficient operation rate of more than 80% during use, avoiding the dilemma of "frequent maintenance in youth and early scrapping in old age".
If you are troubled by the short service life of diesel forklifts at construction sites, in addition to mastering maintenance skills, it is also important to choose a device with "durable genes". Hengwang's diesel forklift for construction has optimized the air filter structure (dual-stage filtration design) and strengthened the hydraulic system seal (to prevent dust intrusion) for construction site scenarios. Combined with professional maintenance plans, it can further extend the equipment life. Fill in the information below to contact us, get the exclusive maintenance manual and equipment quotation, and make your diesel forklift for construction truly a "durable money-making machine"!
