Shop Talk Blog

You’re halfway through a job, the sun’s beating down, and suddenly your machine grinds to a halt. The final drive gave out again. This not only disrupts your work but also leads to costly repairs and potential project delays. It is frustrating, expensive, and all too common.

Final drives are supposed to last. When they don’t, it is not just bad luck. More often than not, there is a reason behind the failure. And if you do not know what caused it, you are likely to face the same problem again. 

In this Shop Talk Blog post, we will look at the most common reasons final drives wear out sooner than they should and what you can do to prevent it from happening on your next job.

• Dr Mac's Notebook: Basics of Mechanical Stress
• Metal Hardness and Your Final Drive Motor
• 4 Horrifying Final Drive Failures

A sudden hydraulic line blowout is more than just an inconvenience—it can shut down your jobsite, delay your project, and cost you in lost time and fluid cleanup. Whether you’re an independent contractor relying on a single machine or a rental business trying to avoid customer complaints, understanding how and why blowouts occur is essential. 

This Shop Talk Blog post will not only help you recognize the risks, but also empower you to spot the warning signs early and take simple steps to prevent disaster before it strikes. Your proactive role in this process is crucial.

Here are a few more blog posts you might find helpful:

• Hydraulic Hoses and Final Drives
• 5 Things to Avoid Doing with Hydraulic Hoses
• Exploring Hydraulic Connectors

Did you know that a single leak, dripping one drop per second, can result in the loss of 420 gallons of oil annually? And that over 100 million gallons of fluids could be saved every year in North America ifexternal leakage from hydraulic machinery and other lubricated equipment were eliminated.  And a small leak in your final drive is not just a nuisance—it’s an early warning sign of bigger trouble. Leaks mean critical fluids are seeping out, and damaging contaminants can make their way inside.

In this Shop Talk Blog post, we’ll discuss the causes of leaks, the symptoms to look out for, and why it's essential to address leaks as soon as possible.

Here are a few other Shop Talk Blog posts to take a look at:

• Maintaining Skid Steer Final Drives for Optimal Performance and Reliability​
• How to Check and Change the Gear Oil in a Final Drive Motor
• Advancements in Hydraulic Motor Design: Clearances
  
  

A skid steer loader only takes a second to turn from a helpful tool into a deadly hazard. Compact and powerful, these machines are worksite essentials but also have serious risks. In 2024, multiple workers lost their lives in tragic skid steer accidents, each one a stark reminder of how quickly things can go wrong.

This blog post explores eight fatal skid steer incidents reported to OSHA in 2024, including rollovers, crushing injuries, and drownings. By examining these real-world tragedies, we aim to highlight standard danger zones and offer insights into how such accidents can be prevented in the future. Whether you're an operator, supervisor, or safety manager, understanding these risks is the first step toward making your job site safer.

Here are some other blog posts you might find helpful:

• Safe Hydraulic System Maintenance Practices You Should Follow
• Skid Steer Safety and Lift Arms
• Man Killed in Bobcat Skid Steer Loader Accident
• Unusual Excavator Accidents
  

Finding a high-quality, cost-effective replacement can be challenging when one of your final drive motors fails. At Texas Final Drive, we get it -- you need to keep your equipment running without breaking the bank, and that’s why our reman final drive motors are the wise choice.

In this post, we’ll cover three reasons why choosing a reman final drive motor from Texas Final Drive is the best decision for your business: no expensive tariffs, made in America, and environmentally friendly.

Here are a few other blog posts you might find interesting:

• Rebuilding a Track Drive
• Maintaining your Excavator Final Drive
• 5 Things You Should Know About Floating Face Seals

It’s Not Just Your Equipment That Overheats

It’s not even 10 a.m. and your shirt’s already soaked through. The sun’s beating down, the air feels like soup, and there’s still eight hours to go. You’ve got work to do—but the heat isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s dangerous.

Most folks know that equipment can overheat in the summer. But what about you? Your body’s working just as hard as your machine—and if you ignore the signs of dehydration, heat exhaustion, or even heat stroke, you’re gambling with more than downtime. You’re putting your health (and maybe even your life) on the line.

Let’s talk about how the heat hits you—and how to stay safer on the job—in this Shop Talk Blog post.

Here are a few other blog posts that might be helpful:

• Heat and Hydration
• Taking Charge of Your Safety: Precautions Against Heat When Working Outdoors

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