Shop Talk Blog

The Official Blog for Texas Final Drive

Technician or Mechanic? In the Heavy Equipment Industry

by Dr McCaslin | Dec 12, 2016 |

Final drives, Heavy Equipment 101

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2 Comments

What is the Difference between Technician or Mechanic?

When someone says the word “mechanic” we usually conjure up an image of a hard-working laborer with stained, rough hands holding a wrench and wearing a dark uniform while working on an automobile or other large piece of machinery.

A "technician," on the other hand, often makes us think of an individual in a clean uniform using electronic equipment to diagnose some complex pieces of machinery. 

Very Real Dangers of Reactive Maintenance of Final Drives


Your final drive is what keeps much of your heavy equipment moving.  Without the ability to move across the ground, your equipment won’t do you very much good.  That’s why it is important to avoid having a reactive maintenance plan when it comes to this key piece of equipment.  In this article, we are going to discuss the dangers of failing to maintain a final drive and what you can do to keep it running as long as possible.

 

18 Tips to Help Minimize Operating Costs for Skid Steers


Your skid-steer represents a significant investment for your fleet. The key to getting the most out of your investment includes:

  • minimizing operating costs,
  • reducing downtime, and
  • extending its life. 

Included here are some simple maintenance and operating tips to help you minimize the costs related to your skid steers...

 

 

 

 

 

3 Things You Should Know about Gear Oil for Final Drives


Gear oil is a special type of highly viscous lubricant that is well adapted for use in differentials and transmissions, including final drives.  Gear oil, also referred to as gear lube, is the lubricant for the planetary side of a final drive.  In this Shop Talk blog post we are going to discuss three things you should know about final drive gear oil.


Here are some additional Shop Talk blog posts you might find useful:


Heavy Equipment, Telematics, and the Internet of Things IoT

You’ve probably heard of the Internet of Things (also known as "IoT" for short), but did you know it is the concept behind telematics?  The goal of this blog post is to give you some insight into concepts and technology behind telematics, starting with the Internet of Things.


2-Phase Testing and Quality Assurance for Hydraulic Motors


Pneumatic and Final Drive Motor Testing

One of the key features of quality assurance is thorough testing of the final drives and hydraulic motors that we both repair and re-manufacture.  In this blog post we are going to outline certain aspects of our pneumatic and hydraulic testing program. 


 

Need more information about final drives?  Check out these posts from Texas Final Drive Shop Talk Blog:

Final Drives: Re-Manufactured versus Rebuilt

Rebuilt VS. Re-Manufactured Motors

You have seen final drives, travel motors, and hydraulic motors advertised as “rebuilt” or “re-manufactured.” You might have assumed that this refers to the same thing, but, in reality, they are very different.  In this blog post, we are going to look at the difference between a rebuilt final drive and a re-manufactured final drive.


Here are some other blog posts you might find helpful ...

 

Most Common Failure Items on a Final Drive

Final Drive Motor Failure

There are certain items on a final drive that are more likely to fail than others.  They will cause damage to the motor, if left unchecked.  Routine maintenance of these items will not only prevent damage but greatly extend the life of the components of the final drive motor.


Here are a few more blog posts that you might find helpful ...

Effectively Cleaning a Final Drive

Love for Machinery

No technician with any love for machinery wants to open up a final drive for evaluation and find it caked in dried mud, debris, and rust.  In this article, we are going to go over our procedure for cleaning a final drive before its disassembly.


The final drives that we receive for evaluation, repair, or re-manufacturing are definitely not in like-new condition.  In fact, most of them look like this Rexroth final drive from a Bobcat T140/T180/T190.


Here are some other Shop Talk Blog posts you might enjoy:

5 Reasons a Final Drive Can Lack Power

Lack of Power in Your Machinery?

Lack of power is a common complaint when a final drive or travel motor is in need of service.  It reveals itself when your machine is unable to climb a steep grade or it keeps steering to one side.  There are six potential causes behind a lack of power, and not all of them are the fault of the final drive.


Here are a few other Shop Talk Blogs you might enjoy!

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