CORNERSTONE - The Associated General Contractors of New York ...

AGC NYS CORNERSTONE Winter 2011
50
Benefits of End- of-Season
Evaluations
Jim Norstad
Milton Cat
The end of earthmoving season is a good time to make
sure that the machines that you’ll be counting on next
spring will be ready to deliver when you need them to.
A well-done machine evaluation allows you to budget correctly
for maintenance, repairs and parts; it’s a useful tool for
deciding whether to repair a machine, trade it, or budget for
a new one, and it provides great value as documentation at
selling time.
Some equipment owners may assume that machine evaluations
are for “the big guys”. The question should be turned
around – can a two-machine contractor afford to begin a season
without knowing with certainty that his equipment is going
to perform for him, or without a firm figure in mind for
making sure it will?
At the other end of the spectrum, many large companies find
it advantageous to have machine evaluations performed by
their dealer; chances are their dealer has more knowledge,
depth, and years of experience than their own people do, as
dealer technicians are continuously trained by the manufacturer
on the latest technologies. A dealer also brings objectivity
to any given machine and that can be key.
A closer look at a good evaluation:
In general, machines with 6,000 - 8,000 hours are good
candidates for an evaluation. Cab, frame, body, booms and
l i f t arm are carefully
looked at to see
wheth- er the gauges
a r e working properly,
and to identify
leaks and check for
loose joints, cracked
booms and cracked or
chafing hoses. All fluid
cavities are sampled
and an- alyzed and filters
for each system
are cut open, inspected
for debris and replaced
by new ones.
Next comes a thorough inspection of all systems; powertrain,
hydraulics, cooling and electrical, done by running the machine,
checking cycle times, transmission, hydraulic pressures
and temperatures for all systems against specifications.
A complete evaluation typically is done at the customer’s
location and takes four to six hours performed by both a service
technician and parts and service sales rep (PSSR). Another
two to three hours are needed for the PSSR to prepare
a final report, accompanied by a line item quote detailing
the cost to make repairs. Then, the decision is the machine
owner’s, but whatever route they choose, they’ll take it with
confidence.
Builders Supply
Est. 1968
4701 Veterans Hwy
Holbrook, New York
631-585-7171
www.GTSBuildersSupply.com