We know this is the busiest – and most profitable – time of year for lawn care businesses. This means more wear and tear on spray rigs. It’s an unfortunate truth of the industry that the season when you have the least time for maintenance is also the season when you need it most.
Routine maintenance is still the single best way to ensure that your rigs are ready for your busy season when it starts and keep performing all summer long and into the summers to come. Here’s a quick review of the most important steps you can take to safeguard these valuable assets.
1) Check the oil: Yes, some of these items are obvious, but they’re still important. If the oil level is low, or if you notice that the oil appears to be getting darker or has debris floating in it, you know what to do.
2) Inspect the spark plugs: If your rig won’t start on the first attempt or seems to be running sluggishly once it gets started, the problem may be the spark plugs.
3) Prepare for pump repairs: If you repair your pumps yourself, review your inventory of maintenance parts and repair kits and order more as needed.
4) A weekly bath: A busy schedule is a good problem for a lawn care company to have, but more spraying means more corrosive chemical residue building up on your rigs. Spray them down frequently and wash them thoroughly once a week. This simple step alone can add years, if not decades, to the useful life of your most important equipment.
5) Examine your air filters regularly for dirt and clogs. A new one every year is the absolute minimum. Change them more frequently if your rigs spend a lot of time on dirt roads and driveways or in other dusty conditions.
6) Inspect hoses and belts for unusually advanced wear and tear, as well as cracks and leaks caused by dry rot or other deterioration. If you find that you need to tighten a belt, make sure to leave about half an inch of slackness.
Lifetime support is just a phone call away
When you buy from Graham, you get comprehensive support for the life of your rig. Call (770) 942-1617 and we’ll help you with troubleshooting over the phone. Outside business hours, leave us a message and we’ll get back to you the next business day. If it turns out you need a part, we offer same-day shipping on any order placed before 3:00pm Eastern Standard Time. Orders placed later in the day will ship as soon as possible, usually the next business day. When your part arrives, call us again if you have any questions about installation. We’re committed to your success, which means getting your rig back on the road fast.