Shop Talk Blog

Every rental company owner knows the feeling: the phone rings, and it’s a frustrated customer. The skid steer they rented just stopped moving, or a mini excavator won’t track straight anymore. It’s not just one job interrupted—it’s your business reputation on the line.

In this Shop Talk Blog Post, we’ll break down exactly why Texas Final Drive is that partner, already trusted by rental business owners across the country to keep their fleets running, their customers satisfied, and their profits protected.

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might be interested in:

• FAQs About Remanufactured Hydraulic Final Drive Motors
• Maximizing ROI From Compact Equipment: A Smart Business Owner's Guide
• 6 Cost-Saving Ways to Manage Fleet Maintenance

In the rental industry, uptime is everything. When equipment breaks down mid-rental, you’re not just dealing with repair costs—you’re scrambling to make things right for the customer, trying to locate a replacement, and hoping the bad experience doesn’t turn into a negative online review. Every machine that goes down unexpectedly means lost revenue and potential damage to your credibility.

Replacing your final drive motor is a high-stakes decision affecting your equipment, schedule, and bottom line. But with the correct information and supplier, you can get the job done right the first time. You can't afford to make the wrong decision when it comes to replacing your travel drives.

Gear oil is easy to overlook—until something goes wrong. A noisy final drive, worn planetary gears, or sudden power loss can all point to a single cause: lubricant failure.

Many don’t realize that gear oils are engineered fluids, not just oil. They’re packed with chemical additives that do far more than reduce friction—they help your equipment run cooler, cleaner, and longer. These additives reduce wear, prevent corrosion, fight sludge, and help the oil survive extreme pressure and temperature. Without them, even top-tier base oil won’t cut it.

This Shop Talk Blog post covers what gear oil additives do, how they work, and why they're essential for protecting your final drive motor gearbox. And whether you operate compact track loaders or full-sized excavators, knowing what’s in your oil helps extend service life and avoid costly repairs.

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might be interested in:

• 3 Things You Should Know about Gear Oil for Final Drives
• Gear Oil Part 1: How to Troubleshoot Gear Oil Problems with Your Final Drive
• Gear Oil Part 2: How to Check and Change the Gear Oil in a Final Drive Motor

You’re halfway through a job—maybe clearing land, moving dirt, and making real progress—and suddenly, your skid steer or mini excavator starts acting up. Perhaps it’s slowing down, losing power, or making a noise you know it’s not supposed to make. That sinking feeling hits: something’s not right.

If you’re like most independent contractors, every hour your machine is down is money lost. You don’t have time to sit around guessing at what’s wrong, and you definitely don’t want to throw parts at a problem, hoping for the best. Ignoring these warning signs could lead to a major breakdown, more downtime, and significantly higher repair costs.

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might find interesting:

• Maximizing ROI From Compact Equipment: A Smart Business Owner's Guide
• Debunked - Four Final Drive Myths
• Tips for Extending the Lifespan of Your Compact Track Loader's Final Drive

When your final drive fails, we know that it’s far more than just a mechanical issue—it’s lost time, delayed projects, and severe stress on your bottom line. But a failed final drive doesn’t always mean you need a brand-new replacement. At Texas Final Drive, we specialize in remanufacturing final drives—taking what’s broken, rebuilding it to OEM or better standards, and giving it a whole new lease on life.

In this Shop Talk Blog post, we’ll discuss what happens behind the scenes when a “dead” final drive comes into our shop.

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might find helpful:

• A Masterclass in Maintaining Your Final Drives
• Reman Final Drives in a Greener World
• Maximizing ROI From Compact Equipment: A Smart Business Owner's Guide

If there’s one thing we know here at Texas Final Drive, it’s how we wish people would maintain their final drive motors. That’s why we’ve come up with this comprehensive guide to final drive motor maintenance. It touches on more than just the final drives, though, because issues such as track tension and even a dirty undercarriage can impact the performance of your final drives and cause premature wear.

Skid steer loaders, compact track loaders, and mini-excavators typically use petroleum-based hydraulic fluids. How much do you know about the hydraulic fluids you work with every day? Let's see if we can share something you don't know yet!

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might find of interest:

• Terminology for Final Drive Motors, Part 1
• Maintaining Skid Steer Final Drives for Optimal Performance and Reliability​
• Hydraulic Hose Fittings: A Beginner’s Guide

Hydraulic systems are vital to your compact equipment, including SSLs, CTLs, and mini excavators. Hydraulic hose fittings, including those that connect final drives to your system, are key components that ensure the efficient transfer of hydraulic fluid and power. 

Whether you're a seasoned professional or just starting, mastering the knowledge and skills associated with hydraulic hose fittings is important. This Shop Talk Blog guide covers everything you need to know, from understanding the types of hydraulic hose fittings to best practices for installation, maintenance, and troubleshooting.

Here are a few other Shop Talk blog posts you might find of interest:

• Causes of Hydraulic Hose Failure
• Guide to Hydraulic Hose Failure
  

If you work in construction, landscaping, forestry, or agriculture, you know the importance of keeping your equipment in top shape. Final drive motors are essential for many machines, and when they fail, you're left with a tough decision: repair, buy new, or go with a remanufactured motor.

Below, we answer some common questions about remanufactured hydraulic final drive motors to help you make an informed choice.

Here are a few Shop Talk Blog posts you might find helpful:

• Reman Final Drives in a Greener World
• Reman Bobcat T190 Final Drives
• Differences Between Reman and Used Final Drive Motors

1. What is a remanufactured final drive motor?

A remanufactured final drive motor is a used one that has been completely disassembled, cleaned, inspected, and rebuilt with new or reconditioned parts. It’s restored to meet or exceed the OEM performance and reliability standards. Think of it as getting a professionally restored classic car—old but running like new.

If you use a skid steer, you’ve probably wondered whether wheels or tracks are better for your machine. Each option has its own set of pros and cons. The choice depends on your job, budget, and work environment.

In this Shop Talk Blog, we’ll help to break it down so you can decide what’s best for you.

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts you might find interesting:

• World's Largest Skid Steer Loader
• 11 Useful Stats About Skid Steer Loaders
• Tips for Purchasing a Used Skid Steer Loader