Owner guide

Mini Excavator Servicing Basics: Daily Checks and Regular Servicing

A mini excavator does not need much, but it does need it regularly. Five minutes of checks before you start and a service at the right hours will save you most of the breakdowns owners run into. Here is the basic routine, written for owners rather than mechanics.

Start with the operator's manual

Every machine has its own service intervals, oil grades and capacities, and they are in the operator's manual that comes with it. Use those numbers, not ones from a forum or a different brand. If you have lost the manual, ask us for another copy before you service the machine.

Daily checks before you start

Do these with the machine parked on level ground, the bucket on the ground and the engine off and cool.

• Engine oil: check the dipstick and top up to the mark with the oil the manual specifies.
• Coolant: check the level in the overflow bottle. Never open the radiator cap on a hot engine.
• Hydraulic oil: check the sight glass or level on the tank.
• Fuel and water: fill up at the end of the day to cut down condensation in the tank, and drain any water from the fuel filter or water separator bowl.
• Grease: grease the pins on the boom, arm, bucket and blade at the intervals in the manual. Fresh grease pushing out of the joint is what you are after.
• Walk around: look for leaks, damaged or rubbing hoses, loose bolts, worn bucket teeth and anything caught in the tracks.
• Tracks: check the tension and look for cuts or missing lugs.

What a regular service covers

The manual sets the hours for each service. In general, a service on a mini excavator covers:

• Changing the engine oil and oil filter
• Replacing the fuel filter and checking the water separator
• Cleaning or replacing the air filter, more often in dusty conditions
• Checking or changing hydraulic oil and filters at the intervals listed
• Checking coolant, belts, hoses, the battery and all the grease points
• Checking track tension and the condition of the undercarriage

The first service on a new machine often comes sooner than the later ones, so check the manual for when it is due and put it in your calendar on the day the machine arrives.

Keep a spare filter kit on the shelf

Filters are cheap compared with a day lost waiting for one. Keep a set of the filters your machine uses, plus the right engine and hydraulic oil, so you can service on time instead of when the parts turn up. If you are not sure which filters you need, send us the model and a photo of the filter and we will help.

Keep records

Write down the date, hours and what was done every time the machine is serviced, and keep the receipts for oil, filters and any mechanic's work. A simple logbook in the cab is enough. Records help when you sell the machine, and they matter for your warranty: our 2-year warranty asks that the machine is serviced at the intervals in the operator's manual, with receipts or a logbook to show it.

Do it yourself or use a mechanic?

Daily checks and greasing are owner jobs. Oil and filter changes are well within reach for many owners who are handy with tools. If you would rather hand it over, any qualified mechanic can service the machine, and our certified plant mechanics are BHS Equipment in Rocklea, Brisbane. Either way, keep the paperwork.

When to stop and call

• A warning light comes on
• Oil, coolant or hydraulic fluid is leaking
• The machine is noticeably slower, louder or hotter than normal
• A hose is split, rubbing through or weeping

Stop working if carrying on could make the damage worse, take a photo or short video, and get in touch. Under our warranty, hoses, bearings and seals are replaced free for the first two years.