While backhoes are a staple in many large fleets where they are cared for by a full-time fleet manager, they are equally – if not more so – widespread among owner/operators and smaller businesses where the person operating the machine is also the one performing maintenance on it, hauling it, site foreman, lunch gofer, etc.

Even in those large fleets, where they may have “a guy” who performs all the maintenance, there are actions that operators can take in their day-to-day activities that will have a long-term effect on the health and performance of the machine.

CASE is passionate about our customers, and no one in the organization spends more quality time with them than the professionals at the CASE Customer Center in Tomahawk, Wisconsin. A state-of-the-art facility sitting on about 500 acres in the North Woods, the CASE Customer Center offers hands-on personalized training, product demonstrations and maintenance training opportunities to customers from all over the world.

Here are their thoughts on some of the most frequently asked questions in Tomahawk.

While the practice of fluid analysis has been around for some time, it has become more and more important in recent years due to the proliferation of advanced engine, transmission, hydraulics and fluid technologies in today’s construction equipment, which place much higher demands on fluid performance.

While this trend is primarily due to the high tolerances and extended fluid change intervals of today’s advanced machine systems, fluid analysis is a tried-and-true machinery management practice that can play an important role in a contractor’s business, regardless of whether the equipment is late-model or high-hour. Analyzing engine oil, fuel, hydraulic fluid and coolant can provide valuable insight into the condition and overall health of the engine, transmission and hydraulic systems, and can be used to diagnose potential issues before they become a problem on the job site.