One of the most important responsibilities of equipment maintenance is recognizing common mistakes and learning how to avoid them. With the various components that make up hydraulic systems, there are plenty of mistakes you can make when operating, inspecting, or repairing your equipment.

Fortunately, a little knowledge and practice can help you remain aware of these blunders and take good care of your machines. Create a better maintenance routine for your heavy equipment by learning about these common hydraulic equipment mistakes you should avoid.

Changing the Oil at the Wrong Time

As with any vehicle, it’s crucial to keep an eye on the level and quality of oil in your hydraulic system. Changing the oil too frequently is a waste of time, money, and materials. Therefore, you should base your system’s oil changes around the hours of service and the quality of the oil rather than a fixed time period.

On the other hand, waiting too long to change the oil in your hydraulic equipment can damage parts and lower the overall lifespan of your machine. Oil degrades over time due to heat, water, and contamination. If your base oil degrades or your oil additives run out, you’ll want an oil change to keep your system running smoothly. The responsibility is on operators to monitor oil quality and change fluids as needed.

You can also use oil analysis to avoid premature degradation of oil and lengthen the time between oil changes. By looking for depleted additives, excessive water saturation and oxidation, particulate levels, and causes of excessive heat in the system, you can fix problems that are harming your equipment’s oil quality and prolong the effectiveness of every oil change.

Using the Wrong Oil

It’s not enough to change the oil at the right time; you also need to choose the right type of oil for your equipment. Hydraulic oil serves your machine in many ways: it acts as a lubricant, prevents oxidation, and helps transmit power throughout the system. Using oil with a viscosity that’s too high or too low can damage your equipment, cause overheating and increased friction, and lead to excessive power usage.

High viscosity hydraulic oil doesn’t sufficiently lubricate the system. This increases friction between moving parts and therefore causes the machine to use more power to function. As a result, the equipment is less efficient and more expensive to run.

Low viscosity hydraulic oil, on the other hand, isn’t thick enough to completely protect parts as they move against each other. This leads to increased wear and causes components to break down and fail faster than they would in a healthy, efficient system. Moreover, contamination occurs faster in low viscosity oil, which means you'll have to change fluids more often.

Changing Filters at the Wrong Time

Another common hydraulic equipment mistake to avoid is changing the filters at the wrong time. Just like with hydraulic oil, replacing filters too often is unnecessary and wasteful. However, changing filters too infrequently can cause harmful clogging and contamination of fluids.

A clogged filter causes hydraulic fluid to bypass the filter entirely, which means particles and contaminants are free to enter the system. These contaminants can wear down parts and lower the efficiency of the system, leading to costly damage and repairs in the long run.

How do you know when it’s time for a filter change? Operators should keep an eye on the machine’s flow and pressure. Pressure restrictions or flow drops can indicate that a filter is clogged and ready for replacement.

Installing Filters In the Wrong Location

It’s also important to install filters correctly in your hydraulic equipment. When you place filters in useful areas, they protect the system by keeping particles from contaminating the oil and damaging various components. However, there are some filter locations—namely, pump inlets and drain lines from piston pumps and motors—that only serve to hinder your system’s operation.

Filters at the pump inlet restrict the intake of fluid and prevent the pumping chambers from filling completely. This reduces performance and causes excessive wear to pistons and gear pumps. The reservoir at the pump inlet should not contain contaminants, so placing a filter in this location is both unnecessary and harmful to your system.

Likewise, a filter at the piston pump or motor drain lines unnecessarily restricts oil flow and can cause problems like increased wear and tear, inefficiency, and even system failure.

Running an Overheated System

It’s never a good idea to operate an overheated system. When your hydraulic equipment gets too hot, the viscosity of the fluids drops. As previously mentioned, low viscosity oil cannot properly protect the different parts and components in your system. This leads to wear and tear, extra contamination, and other issues that can severely damage your machine. Additionally, an overheated system can cause seals and hoses to fail.

Note that an overheating system is an indicator of other problems in your hydraulic equipment. If your machine continuously overheats, be sure to inspect the overall system for other issues and necessary repairs.

Not Learning About Your Hydraulic System

When operators know how to care for equipment and identify minor issues, it’s much easier to stay on top of repairs and maintenance. Even basic education about how your hydraulic system works and how to take care of it will benefit yourself and your employees immensely. Invest in training and education for your hydraulic equipment operators so you can avoid common mistakes and keep your machines in great condition.

Limiting Yourself to OEM Parts

When it comes to equipment maintenance, it’s essential to have reliable parts and components. When your system needs a replacement part, you want a high-quality piece of equipment that will serve your machine for a long time. Original equipment manufacturer (OEM) parts come directly from the manufacturer that made your machine in the first place, but they aren’t your only option when shopping for replacements.

Dependable aftermarket parts uphold the manufacturer’s standard without the cost of a name brand. Moreover, aftermarket equipment parts are often more widely available and faster to obtain than OEM parts. By stocking aftermarket parts for your hydraulic system, you can eliminate machine downtime and preserve the durability and performance of your equipment.

When you need aftermarket heavy equipment parts for the biggest name brands in the industry, turn to Tractor Zone. Our dedicated staff will help you navigate heavy equipment parts for Volvo and other brands so you can find the exact piece you need for your machine.