How to Maintain a Heavy Duty Excavator Brush Cutter

At Rut Manufacturing, we understand that you need equipment that’s ready and willing to work as hard as you. However, at the end of the most challenging job sites, you can’t just leave your equipment full of brush, limbs, or debris. To preserve and protect the integrity of your equipment, it’s essential to perform annual maintenance on equipment like your heavy-duty brush cutter.

If you’re in the construction industry, landscaping business, or own personal property, chances are you operate a heavy-duty brush cutter on most of your job sites. Considering how hard your brush cutter works, it’s essential to properly clean and maintain it – the difficult part is knowing what and when you should perform maintenance. Today, we’re taking a closer look at how to maintain a heavy-duty excavator brush cutter so your attachment stays in peak condition.

Maintaining a Heavy-Duty Excavator Brush Cutter

When it comes to maintaining an excavator brush cutter like our heavy-duty brush eliminator, there are a few steps to complete before and after use. If you don’t have a clean and well-oiled brush cutter to start with, you’re guaranteed to face some setbacks on the job. So, the question is, what maintenance should be performed on your brush cutter daily?

While every job site is different, your attachment needs are the same. Before you jumpstart your next project, follow these maintenance routines to better protect and care for your brush cutter.

• Review the landscape.
  • Before getting to work on your excavator, it’s essential to review the terrain and see if there are any obstacles in your way. Remove unwanted barriers and objects that could potentially damage your skid steer so that you can navigate the area with ease. Anything potentially harmful could damage your blades and motor.

 

• Check your brush cutter.
  • Every job is different, and as a result, your excavator will be pushed to its limits on individual job sites. It’s essential to scrutinize your brush cutter before work, and see if there is any debris, limbs, grass, or other obstructions in the brush cutter.
  • Grease and change the oil in your attachment as needed so your skid steer can operate at full capacity.

 

• Inspect the blades and bolts.
  • After long periods of use, your blades tend to wear out and grow dull constant use. Depending on how often you use your excavator brush cutter, establish a blade changing routine every few months or weeks. This helps protect the integrity of your machine and ensure high-performance ratings. Additionally, inspect all the bolts and nuts to ensure nothing has come loose from the previous day’s work.

 

• Check the hydraulic flow.
  • Before you get to work, check the hydraulic flow range of your excavator compared to your brush cutter. A machine that can only operate in standard flow or low flow will not be compatible with a high flow machine. Our Brush Eliminator has 10-25 GPM of hydraulic flow.

 

Once you’ve checked your machine and are ready to get to work, be sure to keep the following in mind while you’re on the job.

 

1. Don’t push your brush cutter too far.
   1. Your brush cutter is built to go the distance, but don’t push it beyond its limits. After you’re familiar with your brush cutter’s capabilities, you should know what it is and isn’t capable of doing.
2. Maintain your speed.
   1. Consistency is critical when it comes to your brush cutter, so be sure to operate your machine at a consistent speed.
3. Be observant.
   1. Depending on your industry, chances are there will be others working around you, or other pieces of equipment nearby. Be sure to look around and make sure you’re operating in a safe location, and aren’t too close to others.

 

The most important thing to consider before operating your excavator brush cutter is whether or not it’s the right size and configuration for your workload. Not all brush cutters have the capacity to cut, clear, and manage complex terrain. If you pick the wrong attachment, it’s bound to face some wear and tear on complicated jobs. That’s why it’s essential to make sure you’ve invested in the right brush-cutting attachment. 

At Rut, we understand that every job site is different, so you need a brush-cutting attachment durable enough to handle the toughest challenges. That’s why we manufacture products like the Brush Eliminator so you can combat dense brush and vegetation with ease. Unlike many brush cutters, our Brush Eliminator can handle jobs ranging from small pathways to large clearings. You’ll be able to complete the most complex job sites in a fraction of the time and won’t have to worry about your machine’s performance or response time. For all the facts on our incredible product, read our Product Spotlight all about the Brush Eliminator. 

With these everyday maintenance tips, you’ll be able to preserve the integrity of your skid steer in no time.

 

Seasonal Maintenance Suggestions

Besides a daily maintenance routine, there are a few seasonal maintenance steps that can help protect your excavator brush cutter year-round, and prolong the life of your excavator. 

If you don’t plan on using your attachment for a few months, store your heavy-duty excavator brush cutter in a dry place where it won’t be prone to weather damage. Even though we design our equipment to handle challenging terrain and dense vegetation, it’s still prone to damage in severe weather. Too much water, snow, or wind could compromise the blades and motor of your skid steer brush cutter. That’s why seasonal storage is the best way to preserve your attachment.

Before placing the brush cutter in storage, be sure to oil and grease your machine accordingly. This way, your attachment stays in pristine condition, regardless of the temperature.

With these everyday maintenance tips, you’re bound to get the results you’ve been looking for without the risk of excavator damage.

Want to learn more about excavator attachment maintenance? Review our guide, Everything about Excavator Attachments, to see how you can care for your excavator and its attachments.