Monthly Archives: May 2015

Caterpillar 140K Motor Grader is the ultimate choice of many

Be it flattening the road or leveling a piece of land, a motor grader is the equipment one will vouch for. One can put the motor grader for many other uses as well. For instance, this particular equipment can be used extensively for agricultural purpose and simultaneously has shown great performance in the construction segment. A grader is a machine that has a long blade at the front of it which is used to level the land. Ideally, a grader is equipped with a single blade in the front. However, some construction companies use double blade graders. These types of graders have 2 blades situated in the front of the front axle. The motor grader is also known as “Blade”.

Construction companies have huge requirement of good graders. For them, good leveled roads mean fast work. It becomes very difficult for the workers to work on crooked roads as it may lead to accidents and this is why it is a must to have leveled roads. Simultaneously, other heavy equipment working on the construction site may have a tough time working due to improper roads. Therefore, getting the roads repaired becomes their first priority. Heavy equipment manufacturing companies are aware of the varying needs of the clients and thus they always bring technologies that will lessen human effort and increase productivity.

But out of the many models manufactured by various heavy equipment manufacturing companies, one specific model that has caught the attention of many is none other than Caterpillar 140K. This particular grader seems to be the ultimate choice specifically with users who like to use CAT equipment. The overall length of the equipment is 28.6 feet with around 2464 mm tire width. The total height of the machine is 3131 mm and the wheelbase is 6169mm. The important feature in the machine is its blade base which is 2561 mm. This means that it will not take long for the machine to level a very bumpy piece of land. The maximum power of the grader is 185 hp with a displacement of 10.3 liter. The total fuel capacity is 105 gallon and the fluid capacity for the cooling system is around 10 gallon.

It has 8 front gears and 6 reverse gears. Concurrently, the maximum forward speed is 27.4 miles per hour and the maximum reverse speed is 21.6 miles per hour. The machine is fitted with hydraulic systems that benefits the equipment is every possible way, thus increasing its efficiency and productivity and lowering the fuel consumption. By launching the K-series and replacing the H-series, Caterpillar has tried to reach to customers at all levels. This machine is not only meant for big construction companies but can also fit the budget of medium sized companies and to certain extent small companies as well. Though the H-series model was doing extremely well but had few issues pertaining to the sustainability which has been perfectly taken care by the new model. Cat 140K can be the grader that all can rely on as far as its performance and sustainability is concerned.

Where should a Cat Diesel tech seek advice from?

In the construction and heavy equipment industry, it is very simple to get advices from people. However, you never know how far those advices are accurate and will work for you. So, before you start looking for any advices, it becomes quite instrumental that you find out the right set of people who can advise you on things. People who know about the subject you would be asking and if at all they do not know much about it, they will be frank and tell you to check it from someone else. There are many people who just for the sake of giving advices give you any wrong recommendations which turn out to be dangerous for you. There are people who have set up their office and consult others on various issues. Well, one can’t know anything and everything to consult others. Therefore, you should be aware of such thugs and go to the right place in case you need any consultation. Other than that, in today’s world where internet has brought all of us so close and has made the world a small village, it makes no sense to approach a person directly without checking things on net.

Create a forum and invite people to give advices:-

People love to give advices on things they know and at times even on things that they do not know much about. The best way to get some solid advices is to create a forum ad put up the question you want to know. You will see people flocking in to answer your question. As long as the question does not request others to give their business tactics, they will be more than willing to tell you know what you want to know. A forum will allow experts and intellectuals belonging to the construction and heavy equipment industry to come at a common place and speak on the topic in question. They can give you ample of options that you may have not even heard of. Having experts in your forum will always help you to develop your knowledge about the particular sphere an make you more competitive and a person who has an edge over others.

Simple search it on the net:-

At times you may just want some simple answers and may not require lot of opinions on a given subject as that might confuse you further. In such a situation, it is recommended that you simply search for it on the net. Internet can provide you distinctly what you are looking for and you may ignore the rest. As a matter of fact, it makes no point in getting confused with multiple options and we all expect a straight and simple answer to our questions.

Take advices from your colleagues and peers:-

When you are in trouble, you always depend on someone who is trustworthy. You can do the exact same thing here. If you are eagerly looking for something, you can depend on people with whom you have been working for years. They will be the right choice for you when you need them the most.

Save Your Life by Wearing Safety Vest at Construction Sites

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Safety vests are seen prominently at the construction sites worn by road flaggers, road workers and emergency personnel. They have to perform their job with heavy equipment in all conditions. The vests are designed to make the wearers more visible to others and hence keep the workers safe. According to the report of Occupational Safety And Health Administration, the reflective material of the safety vest should be sewn all over it to make the workers more visible both day and night. The vests are light-weighted, the loop and hook closure at the front side and the side strap of elastic aid to keep the wearers at ease in any situations.  It is made of fabric of bright neon colour containing a reflective tape that reflects the light of the car headlights.

The fire and emergency rescuers wear ANSI 207-2011 safety vest. These vests are generally known as public safety vests. The workers put them on over safety equipment which can be taken off quickly in the circumstance of complication.

Uses of safety vests

  • The reflective high-visibility safety vests are the first choice of the machine operators as it helps them to be detected and hence others can avoid colliding with them.
  • It also helps to maintain the traffic where it is at its minimal.
  • Putting on a safety vest while performing at huge-traffic areas help to reduce road accidents.
  • Its visibility also enables the wearer at the construction site to make out in foggy or dark conditions.
  • On big construction areas, where a worker is stranger to the other, the vests assist them to welcome a visitor.
  • In case any accident occurs on the site, safety vests make it easier for the emergency employees to locate the injured workers in an uneven landscape.
  • The padding of the vests protects the user from all types of injuries.
  • The vest also provides the worker with warmth making him comfortable in adverse weathers.
  • It is designed with two big sized pockets which are sewn on the interior side of the vest for cartable storage.

Which is better- Air Vest or Traditional Safety Vest?

There is an ongoing discussion about which is better- Air Vest or Safety Vest. At present, both of the brands have an accessible synthesized vest consists of the characteristic of both the safety vest and the air vest. However, modern air vests are designed in such a way that most of the workers working at a construction site prefer to use air vest to traditional safety vests. Development of safety vest set out in some accidental situations is underway, but these kinds of vests are not available commercially.

Maintaining a high-visibility vest is of first concern for different construction employees and this necessary safety equipment provides the employers the chance to assist their colleagues to stay secured and more visible at the job site.

Therefore, in conclusion we can say that safety vests are major safety equipment in a construction company. So, the workers should not forget to put on the vest before going out to work.

 

 

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How to Maintain Heavy Equipment Parts

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Are you a heavy equipment operator? Do you have an adequate knowledge about the construction equipment parts? Then you have selected the correct one as here in the following, you will get to know the secret tips of how to increase the longevity of the heavy construction equipments.

Heavy equipment characteristically refers to the industrialized paraphernalia that is used by the farming, mining and construction companies. Some of the highly-demanded heavy equipment (parts) are loaders, attachments, planters, dumpers, trailers, tractors etc. The weighty equipment manufacturing firms usually procure these pieces from the reputed mechanical stores. A machine is worthless without its adjoined parts. The routine chart of proper maintenance helps the driver to run the machine hassle-free for a long time. The manuals of the heavy equipment manufacturing organizations help the prospectors to know the features of the machine parts. In those instruction booklets, the heavy equipment drivers can also get to know the quick guidelines of repairing the minor problems of the machine parts.

Strides to Remove the Frozen Pins from the Heavy Equipment

Pins are usually utilized to hold the pieces of the heavy machinery together. Sometimes the machinists observe that the pins are rusted over time. This corrosion causes the pins to be jammed in the joint of the two parts. Removing the rusted pin from the heavy equipment is a physical strenuous job for the operator. Therefore here are some of the tactical points that help the driver to free the frozen pin very easily.

  • First the machinist should discharge all the perfunctory and hydro mechanical pressures carried by the frozen pin. The technique of releasing these two pressures counts on the type of machine being mended.
  • Inundate all uncovered areas of the pin with corrosion piercing oil. The drivers should permit the oil to sit on the pin for a whole day.
  • Then the operator should scour the exposed areas of the pin with a wire brush so that the oil enters the holes of the pin properly.
  • Then in the next step, grasp the cranium of the pin with a cylinder wrench and after that remove the cotter pin with the help of pliers.
  • Slant a sledgehammer at the bottom of the large pin and drag the pin by the assistance of the pipe yank.

How to Unsoiled Heavy Equipment When the Parts Are Rusted?

  • First the heavy equipment operator should power off the machine and remove the battery so as to prevent from any sort of accident.
  • Separate the tarnished machinery parts from the apparatus and uncontaminated it with a special type of mineral.
  • Take undiluted white coloured vinegar in a bowl and put the rusted equipments parts in it for 24 hours.
  • Use naval jelly on the corroded pieces and wash them with warm water. Finally reconstruct the equipment and coat it with required amount of grease.

Some of the famous heavy equipment component suppliers are Komatsu Heavy Equipment Parts, Kobelco Heavy Equipment Parts, Daewoo Heavy Equipment Parts, and Caterpillar Heavy Equipment Parts etc. These firms deliver excavator undercarriages pieces, ripper teeth, scarifier teeth, steel floor plates etc.

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Electronic Logging Device- Making Things Easier In the Construction Area

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Concerns about the safety are an integral part of the construction arena. Since the nature of the work is somewhat hazardous, construction company authorities have to be extra careful about maintaining safety at construction sites. It is keeping this aspect of the entire deal in mind that construction companies have come up with the electronic logging devices.

Electronic Logging Device- What Is It All About?

The construction area has come up with the electronic logging device in order to maintain and improve the safety quotient at construction area and driving in general. No more do truck drivers and heavy equipment operators need to resort to the manual mode of entering information in order to keep things going. With the government explicitly defining a particular HOS or hours of service regulation, more and more number of vehicle owners are opting for the electronic logging device including the arena of construction. This device has been designed to record the status of the equipment as to how long it has been running and how much time is left for its last run and things like that. Not only does this ensure optimum utilization of the equipment, but also ensures safety that may otherwise have been hampered due to overload on the part of the equipment.

Electronic Logging Device in the Construction Industry

The use of electronic logging devices in the construction industry has proved to be highly advantageous for those involved in the arena. The very fact that they do not have to manually maintain a record of things is perhaps the best part of the entire deal one could think of.

  • The electronic logging device allows heavy equipment operators and truck drivers to enhance the safety score of the concerned construction organisation along with providing a safer work environment for the employees. The device has been designed in manner so as to provide alerts and reports on the engine, speed and mileage of the equipment so that the equipment operators are well aware of the hazards.
  • One can be assured of significant reduction in the error percentage what with the records being entered and saved in the digital format. This means you save a considerable amount of time which would have otherwise gone into exhaustive paperwork and there is also the fact that you are never going to lose data with this system.
  • With the electronic logging device keeping track of the heavy equipment and truck drivers, one can be completely assured of improvement in the errant behaviour of the drivers. And with improvement in the driving skills, one can be sure of prevention of penalties.

Therefore, it can be easily concluded that proper driving of the heavy equipment and construction trucks contributes in quite a significant way to the entire gamut of the construction business. And the use of electronic logging device has definitely made things much easier for the ones involved in the area.

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Renting heavy equipment in 2015

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Setting up a construction company has never been an easy task especially for people who do not have anybody from their family into this industry. Knowing the tricks of the trade can be a very difficult job and on top of it procuring heavy equipment can take you on a royal ride. Buying heavy equipment will eat away most of your investments and you will be left with hardly anything to take care of your business expenses. This is the problem which many newbie are experiencing and when they realize that things are going out of their hands, they wind up their business. This brings an end to their dream of establishing a construction company.

Now for people who have heavy equipment that are mainly lying idle as they are out of business for few months, they are not sure what they can do with those machines. It hurts to see them doing nothing and getting rusted remaining out in the sun. Here we have 2 set of people with 2 different requirements but both associated with each other. In other way, both of them can help each other by the later one giving the machine on rent and the former paying a said sum of money on each and every month for a defined period of time.

The year 2015 will give a lot of opportunities to people falling under these 2 spheres. What we have noticed in the last few years is people do not want to spend more on buying heavy equipment. They are more comfortable in hiring them from the guys who possess them and once they complete the work, they give it back to them with some minor wear and tear.

Go online to search for guys willing to rent heavy equipment:-

It may not be easy to hunt for guys who rent their machines to others. Either you should know people who are in the business of renting their machines or you need to hook up with an some one that deals with renting heavy equipment. The next best option is to go online and check sites that deal with renting heavy equipment. These sites may not charge you anything as they ideally bill the guy who gives the machine on rent. So you do not have to bother about the expense part. Just check the equipment they have put online and the rent they are demanding. If possible, try to contact the party and see if they are willing to negotiate and bring the rental down.

Inspect the equipment before taking it on rent:-

Once you have identified the equipment, the next thing you can do is inspect the machine before you sign on the dotted line. Take a mechanic along with you if you are not the person who understand much about the machine and do a thorough inspection. Only if the mechanic is content with the equipment, you should go ahead with the deal.

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The do’s and don’ts before auctioning heavy equipment

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It has always been a challenge to heavy equipment owners when it comes to auction their heavy equipment. The main reasons for this could be not maintaining the equipments and keeping it in a state where it may catch rust. The rust on the machine slowly and steadily eats away a good portion of the machine and one fine day, the owner realizes that the machine requires immediate attention of a mechanic. The result of this is that the owner then has to shell good deal of money on getting the rusted part repaired and if there is any harm caused to the vital part of the machine, then it may become all the more expensive for him.

As a result of this entire episode, the owner is also setting a price tag which is most possibly high on the scale. This means that the owner will want to fetch a good price for the machine if ever he/she wants to put it on auction. There are few important pointers that an owner might want to consider before he/she decides to auction the equipment.

Decide the price of the equipment:-

An owner may want to consider the price of the equipment after taking few things into deliberation. For instance, the overall life of the equipment and how many years will it perform with the same pace. The wear and tear on the equipment is another crucial factor that the current owner may want to consider. Also, if the equipment has met with any past accidents and which part of the machine has been recently replaced. After taking into account all these factors, the owner should decide the price of the stuff.

Always check the price of the item getting sold by other competitors:-

This is another important thing that the seller just can’t avoid to ignore. He/she needs to keep a keen check on the price of item getting sold by other competitors. He/she may underestimate the price of his item and therefore he needs to know at what price other competitors are selling the same item. Also, he/she needs to check their configuration. He/she just can’t afford to compare apples with oranges. At times, the seller may also overestimate the price of his product. This comparison check will help him/her to keep his feet grounded and list the item on auction with the correct price tag.

Check the venue of auctioning and if proper advertisement has been done to gather potential buyers:- 

While preparing the format of the auction, it’s very important to mention the venue of the auction very clearly in the advertisement. Alternatively, one also has to see that the advertisement is made in some reputed newspaper, internet, and publication with good circulation. This will allow more exposure to the item and a good number of people may turnout for the auction. Ideally, such auctions happen in a fete which is exclusively meant for such work. The seller only needs to book a place for himself in that fete. He will find potential prospects turning in for the auction.

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One must keep in mind before leasing out heavy equipment

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We usually get to see companies looking for sellers or leasers who are will to sell or lease their heavy equipment but they very rarely find givers in the market. At the same time, there are many people who have heavy equipment in their possession that are lying idle as they are out of projects or because they simply do not have any use of those equipment. What ironical is that they just like to keep the equipment with them instead of leasing them out to prospective takers. They often have the fear that the buyers/takers will make extreme rough use without taking proper care of the equipment. This will result in early wear and tear of the machine and they have to eventually sell it off as scrap.

In order to counter the fear of theirs, we would be focusing on few pointers that will protect the interest of the leasers and also help them to make some money.

Make your terms crystal clear in the advertisement:-

Setting up your expectation is the first thing you must do before you let out your machine to anybody. If you want them to use your machine in a particular way, then it has to be in that way and no other way or else, the person using it will be liable to pay you for the damages as well. You also have to be very specific with your terms. There should not be any scope for ambiguity and your terms should be crystal clear to the reader. If you still get calls from people, it means that they have read and understood your terms and are ready to accept it. In case, you want to pass this message to them verbally, you can talk out to them while you meet them for the deal. This will give you a message to them that you do care for your machine and if they do not comply by your terms, they will have to face the music.

The rental part should be agreed on by both the parties:-

You should know how much you can expect as rent on a monthly basis. The amount should be mentioned very clearly in the contract. If you are ready for any sort of negotiations then that also should be mentioned in it. However, if you want to stick to the price you have decided then that should be it. You can state that people willing to take the equipment on lease should have no problem with the rental amount. They may check the item and if they find it to be appropriate then make no negotiation with the rent as that will not be acceptable.

These clear messages from your end will not give the prospects any second chance to think and will be left with 2 options. If they like the stuff, then take it or else leave it. Making an agreement is very important in these cases where the period should also be clearly mentioned.

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Becoming A Successful Entrepreneur Lies In Your Ability To Learn New Things

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The word business sounds to be so lucrative to our ear which is why we all want to own a business. There we will not have any anybody to give orders to us and can do things as it pleases us. If at all, we need to leave a bit early, we have the privilege to do that and do not have to answer anybody for that. Overall, it may give you a sense of freedom, a fresh air to breathe and live life on your own terms. Well, all this sounds so good to hear but does it happen the same way in our practical lives? Well, that is a big serious question which probably a businessman or an entrepreneur may be able to answer. If we give a thought to the fact on how easy it is to run a business, we may find ourselves thinking for hours; because it is not at all easy to run a business. A businessman before starting up a business has to deal with many things and also has to sacrifice a lot of things which he wouldn’t have to do in case he had done a normal day job.

Most importantly, he has to keep himself present to new challenges and to learn to overcome them without hurting his finances. Alternatively, just learning about his business may not be enough but he also has to know a bit of the laws of the land. In order to start a business, one needs to know the government policies of the place and what are the procedures he needs complete to procure a license. Also knowing the time it may take for him to get the license plays mighty role in his business. Thus, he needs to keep himself abreast with few things inside the business as well as outside that will keep him going all the time.

Have a role model:-  Having a role model always helps in difficult times. You might want to make a distinguished person as your role model who is your favorite. A person to whom you respect for his work and also for the kind of attitude he has towards his work. Keeping him as your role model will help you remain motivated as you may feel that if he didn’t give up in a bad situation, so won’t you. You may just stick to your basics and work harder to get through it.

Always keep yourself open to learn new things:-  This attribute is essential in almost all the industry. Employers are always in hunt of employees who know the in and out of their domain. In order to know everything about your line of work, you have to keep yourself open to learn every new thing that comes in your way. For an entrepreneur, it becomes all the more important to keep himself abreast with any small update that concerns his business. He just can’t let them go away or it might prove fatal to his business.

Top heavy equipment repairs questions

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Undoubtedly, heavy equipment are the toughest machines and they do not wear off so easily. But they are also prone to issues that often crop up due to negligence on the part of the user. Firstly, we need to understand why any of the issues crop up in the first place and then how do we correct them. Heavy equipment unlike any other equipment are put to extreme difficult tasks and are also expected to do the work without causing any damage. On top of that, heavy work pressure and delivering the work in time becomes the most primary reasons why the owners of heavy equipment skip to give the machines for maintenance.  They feel that the machines is working fine which means that everything inside it is in order and the maintenance work can be postponed for few more days. What they usually miss is that the heavy equipment has gone through enough stress and will perhaps continue to do so before it is serviced, that will indeed take a toll on the machine. It is only when the machine starts developing some or the other problems that the owner realizes that he should get the machine checked by a mechanic.

Other than this, when the current owner lease the machine to another person, he does not instruct the new person categorically to maintain the machine at regular intervals. This becomes quite nasty for the equipment. The new user uses the machine according to his whims and fancies and therefore develops some issues in the machine. If the user is done with his project, he keeps the machine idle without trying to know if it has some internal damage and if he should be showing it to the mechanic or needs some minor repair work. It becomes the duty of the owner to say it very upfront to the user to get the equipment serviced from a good mechanic, to change the engine oil at regular intervals and if ever he feels that there is any problem with the machine or he has got any part of the machine damaged while working, then to get it fixed in no time.

Other than that, for people who wants to know what to do when the machine fails to operate in the way it used to, the best option is to join a forum where they can ask questions related to the repair of the machine. Heavy equipment can have lot of problems and it is inevitable to operate the heavy equipment for years with no problems keeping in mind the nature of work it has to do. Problems such as engine not starting during cold weathers are the most common questions that can be found in the forum. Some even ask about the viscosity level in the oil. Other top questions can be where to get the excavator repaired in Wisconsin or for that matter in some other states? How often should one maintain his machine? Questions like should one replace the faulty part of a machine with a new one and from where should he be buying them from are the top most questions that one would like to ask.

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