Shop Talk Blog

Your final drive is just one of many components that make up the hydraulic system on your machine. All those components share the same hydraulic fluid. If contamination enters at one point in the system, you run the risk of it causing damage to other parts of the system. That’s why it is so critical to you do your best to prevent hydraulic contamination. In an ideal world, you would only open up the hydraulic system in a clean environment -- but we realize that isn’t always realistic. Here are some practical hints and tips to help you prevent hydraulic contamination.

Here are some other blog posts on similar subjects ...

• Hydraulic Contamination Issues in Newer Machines
• Types of Hydraulic Contamination that Affects Final Drives 
• Generated Contamination and Final Drive Motors

Did you know that cycle time on a machine can increase by about 20% before the operator notices it? And one of the major causes of increased cycle times is hydraulic contamination. Contamination affects more than just your attachments, though -- it will impact the performance of your hydraulic final drive motors. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss how newer machines are more sensitive to hydraulic contamination and what measures you can take to protect your final drives.

Bearings, axles, and gears inside a hydraulic final drive motor can be seriously damaged by abrasive contaminants in the lubrication or hydraulic fluid. However, many people don’t realize that all final drives generate contaminants as part of their regular use. In this Shop Talk Blog post, we are going to discuss generated contamination in your final drive motor, as well as how to keep that contamination to a minimum.