How to Use Ground-Engaging Tools Without Using Them Up

Wheel loaders

Use first gear when loading. Approach the face with the bucket at a 90-degree angle to minimize corner loading. Keep the bucket low to the ground when entering the pile, and after engaging the pile, raise the bucket before curling it.

Buckets load best and wear least when they enter the pile with their base edge parallel to the floor. Maintain the bucket leveler, and don't override it. A heel-down bucket attitude reduces penetration; wears GETs unevenly; and increases cycle times, bottom wear, fuel consumption, and possibly tire wear. A nose-down attitude increases penetration, but also causes excessive wear on the top and inside of the bucket. Additionally, it may increase tire damage by leaving behind rocks on the pit floor.

Dozers

Start with the blade angled forward for penetration. As the blade fills, roll it back so that the material is carried, not rolled. Lift the blade slightly as it is rolled back to minimize wear on the GETs and their attachment hardware. Minimize corner loading to reduce wear on the end bit and to prevent undue stress in that corner.

Rippers

Start with the shank rotated rearward for maximum penetration. After initial penetration is achieved, rotate the shank forward (toward the belly of the machine) until the engine begins to stall, and then drop it back slightly. Never turn or back up with the shank in the ground. Never use the shank to stop the tractor. Never rip without a shank protector.

Rip in first gear at speeds of 1 to 1½ mph. Ripping at higher speeds, even in soft materials, can generate high heat at the ripper tip, which dramatically reduces tip life.

Motor graders

A combination of speed and down force creates wear. Keep speeds below 6 mph where possible, and never exceed 10 mph. Avoid excessive downward pressure. Use the accumulator to absorb shocks.

Maintain constant cutting-edge thickness by using a fixed blade angle. Angle the blade forward for initial penetration or when improved penetration is required. For most cutting applications, the top of the moldboard should be just ahead of the cutting edge. Rack the moldboard all the way back to carry, spread or comb material.

Wheel dozers

Unlike track-type dozers, wheel dozers are designed to roll material, not carry it. The back of the blade should be perpendicular to the ground, while the sole plate should be parallel to the ground. The GET should sit flat on the ground.

Tipping the blade back will cause the material to be carried, not rolled, and will wear the back of the sole plate. A blade-back attitude can reduce GET life and may damage the moldboard and hardware. Rolling the blade forward will increase penetration, but it will also wear the front of the sole plate and may damage the corners of the moldboard.

The most skillful operating practices won't change the fact that GETs are sacrificial parts designed to wear and they must eventually be replaced. Inspect them daily, watching for:

• excessive wear, bending or bellmouthing in corners
• cracked or worn-through areas at weld joints on the bucket and at the adapters
• badly bent or broken-through corner gussets
• missing tips and retainers
• worn adapters, especially adapter straps and noses
• missing or loose bolts
• wear or scalloping at the base edge.

Never operate equipment without the GET in place. Many owners store spare bucket teeth or other parts on the machine if possible, and they teach operators or make other personnel on site responsible for replacing lost or broken GETs.

When tips adapters, corner bits, edges or wear plates are ready to be reversed, rotated or replaced, they should be done immediately.

Wear patterns should be analyzed to identify and correct improper operating habits. Combine inspection information with analysis of replaced GETs to make sure you're using the right kind of tools. These products are engineered for specific applications, and variations in the length, thickness, shape, alloy, and hardness can mean the GET designed to work very well in some conditions won't last long at all in your conditions. Equipment dealers located near where your machines are operating can often help select the right GETs for the environment.

Improved operating techniques can greatly reduce GET wear and damage, as well as the accompanying costs. Combine smart operating with some basic maintenance, and you'll have an easy and inexpensive boost for your bottom line.