Shop Talk Blog

When a final drive has been pulled from a active machine, it is going to be a mess -- caked over with dirt or clay, smeared with gear oil and maybe the aftermath of a hydraulic leak, perhaps rusty in a few spots, and definitely in need of a good cleaning before it is opened up. In this Shop Talk Blog post, our topic is cleaning up that final drive inside and out. This should especially be of interest to hydraulics shops that may see quite a few final drives passing through their shop for maintenance on a regular basis.

There are big bulldozers, and then there are the undisputed monster bulldozers. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to take a look at the world's biggest production bulldozers, comparing them side-by-side in terms of horsepower, dimensions, weight, and more.

We know that some of our readers like to work on their own final drives, and some of you may work in a hydraulics or heavy equipment maintenance shop where you encounter final drives on a regular basis. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we present four tips from final drive motor pros that you can put into practice the next time you have to work on a final drive hydraulic motor.

Mining - whether it involves coal, metals, or minerals - is a tough industry. The equipment used in mining needs to be equally tough, and the working conditions for mining equipment pose a rather unique combination of problems when it comes to hydraulics. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to talk about the issues involving the use of hydraulic components in mining equipment.

Hydraulic motors keep your fleet running -- whether you've got a full-size excavator with a track drive motor, a compact track loader with a final drive motor, or a skid steer loader with a propel motor. When any hydraulic motor fails, the rest of the machine won’t move. Here are three major things that fleet owners need to know regarding hydraulic motor failure.

Gehl is a well known manufacturer of agricultural and construction equipment.  Their impressive product lineup includes skid steer loaders, track loaders, articulated loaders, compact excavators, asphalt pavers, and telescopic handlers. Today, Gehl equipment is a common sight on work sites across the US -- but how much do you know about its history? In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to journey back through the history of Gehl and learn how it grew to be a leader in compact and heavy equipment.

Experts estimate that up to 50% of your maintenance costs and 20% of your CTL / MTL original cost comes from the undercarriage alone. Obviously, the undercarriage is important - but what exactly is it? Hint: the final drive is a part of it! In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss the term undercarriage as it applies to compact track loaders and multi-terrain loaders, including what parts are included in the undercarriage and what purposes they serve.

Although hydraulic filters are not a common topic, they are an important part of your hydraulic system. Failure to use them correctly can impact every component of your machine, right down to your final drive motors. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to talk about some important things to remember about filters in a hydraulic system.

At Texas Final Drive, our new and reman/rebuilt final drives are covered by warranty. Our warranty, and warranties in general, are meant to cover defects in the company's products. That said, there are things that customers can do (or fail to do) that void the warranty. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss five ways to void your final drive warranty so that you can make sure they don't happen with you.