Leaks: the obvious problem that still gets missed
Hydraulic leaks aren’t just messy—they’re a reliability problem. A small weep at a fitting can become a burst hose when the machine heats up and pressure cycles all day.
Start at rub points, clamps, cylinder seals, and any place a hose is flexing constantly. Fixing a leak early usually costs less than a contaminated system later.
Slow functions: pressure, flow, or both
When an excavator feels weak or slow, it’s typically pressure loss, flow restriction, or an issue with the control side (valves, pilot pressure, sensors depending on the machine).
Start simple: check filters, check fluid level, and look for overheating. Then you can move into pressure checks and isolating which circuit is acting up.
Overheating: the problem that cascades
Hot hydraulics shorten seal life and accelerate wear. Overheating can come from restricted coolers, fan issues, incorrect fluid, or components bypassing internally.
If you’re seeing heat plus slow operation, don’t keep running it “until the end of the day.” That’s how small problems become rebuilds.
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