1230WALK-BEHIND TRENCHER

stopimg title="keepCool_img1" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: left" alt="keepCool_img1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/1_KeepCool_260x195(1).jpg" border="0" />Catastrophic tornadoes and floods have grabbed recent headlines, but each year one weather phenomenon kills more people than tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and lightning combined: heat.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an average of more than 1,500 people in the U.S. die each year from excessive heat—yet it is the most preventable of weather-related deaths.

If you work in construction, summer is one of your busiest times of the year because it’s typically the driest season and offers the most hours of daylight. But the sun providing all that productive daylight can be the biggest jobsite hazard you face all year. No matter how tough you are or how used to the heat you think you are, excessive heat can bring down anyone who doesn’t take the necessary precautions.

The following information applies to anyone who is employed in an outdoor profession—construction workers in particular—but also applies to those who work in hot factories and anyone who spends time outdoors exercising, gardening, or laboring in any capacity during the summer months. (This is general information. More specific information can be found in the sources cited below.)

Know Your Chemistry

Our bodies dissipate heat by varying the rate and depth of blood circulation, and by expelling water through the skin and sweat glands. When we reach the danger zone, when our blood is heated above 98.6 degrees, we begin to pant—we’re literally “working like a dog.”

Sweating alone does little to cool the body, unless the sweat is removed by evaporation. But high relative humidity inhibits evaporation. When you’re checking the forecast for tomorrow, pay close attention to the heat index: the combination of relative humidity and air temperature. For example, if the air temperature is 96° F and the relative humidity is 65 percent, the heat index is 121° F. This is the heat your body really feels.

Heat disorders involve a reduction or collapse of our bodies’ ability to shed heat by circulatory changes and sweating, or a chemical (salt) imbalance caused by too much sweating. When heat gain exceeds the level the body can remove, or when the body cannot compensate for fluids and salt lost through perspiration, the temperature of the body's inner core begins to rise, bringing on various degrees of heat-related illnesses.

stopimg title="keepCool_img2" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-RIGHT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: right" alt="keepCool_img2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/2_KeepCool_260x195.jpg" border="0" />Ranking Heat Disorders

The severity of heat disorders is relative to a person’s age, weight, fitness, medical condition, and degree of acclimatization to the heat. For example, heat cramps in a 17-year-old may translate as heat exhaustion in someone who is 40, and heat stroke in a person over 60. Common heat disorders include:

• Sunburn. Along with being painful and irritating, sunburn can significantly retard the skin’s ability to shed excess heat. The best solution for sunburn is prevention, by applying sunscreen throughout the day.
• Heat cramps. Symptoms are painful spasms, usually in the muscles of the legs and abdomen, often preceded by profuse sweating.
• Heat rash. Also known as prickly heat, heat rash can occur in hot, humid environments where sweat is not easily removed from the surface of the skin by evaporation. Serious heat rash can be so uncomfortable that it inhibits sleep and impedes a worker’s performance.
• Heat exhaustion. Symptoms include heavy sweating, weakness, headache, fainting, vomiting, and skin that is cold, pale and clammy. It is possible to have a normal temperature with heat exhaustion.
• Heat stroke or sunstroke. This is the most serious health problem for workers in hot environments. Heat stroke occurs when sweating stops and the body can no longer rid itself of excess heat. Symptoms include an excessively high body temperature (106° F or higher); mental confusion or delirium; convulsions; hot, dry skin; strong and rapid pulse; and possible unconsciousness. Make no mistake: heat stroke can be fatal, and victims need immediate medical attention.

Prevention: The Best Solution

The number one method of avoiding heat disorders: avoiding heat. But for construction workers in the summer, this is simply not possible. So, here are some tips for staying cool and staying alive, beginning with the most obvious:

• Drink plenty of fluids. Your body needs water to keep cool. Drink water even if you don't feel thirsty. Proper hydration actually begins the day before a long, strenuous day in the sun. Before increasing your fluid consumption, consult a physician if you (1) have epilepsy or heart, kidney, or liver disease; (2) are on a fluid-restrictive diet; or (3) have a problem with fluid retention.
• Do not drink alcoholic beverages. Alcohol dehydrates your body. Enough said.
• Limit caffeine intake.
• Do not take salt tablets unless specified by a physician.
• Put less fuel on your inner fires. Foods that are heavy in protein increase metabolic heat production and also increase water loss.
• Dress as lightly as possible. You need protective clothing, of course, but consider light-colored fabrics, such as cotton, that breathe.
• When possible, take longer breaks than normal in a cool, shaded area. A rested worker is a more productive worker.
• Know the symptoms of heat illnesses. Use a buddy system to keep tabs on your fellow workers.
• Acclimate yourself to the heat. You can “get used to” the heat, to some degree. Workers, especially those who follow the advice above, can eventually develop some degree of tolerance. However, new employees and workers returning from an absence of two weeks or more should have a five-day period of acclimatization: 50 percent of the normal workload and time exposure the first day, gradually building up to 100 percent on the fifth day.

stopimg title="keepCool_img3" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px solid; BORDER-LEFT: 0px solid; WIDTH: 260px; PADDING-LEFT: 10px; HEIGHT: 195px; BORDER-TOP: 0px solid; align: left" alt="keepCool_img3" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/3_KeepCool_260x195.jpg" border="0" />Supervisor Obligations

There are precautions every employer should take when temperatures are high and the job involves physical work.

• Understand the signs of heat stress and permit workers to interrupt their work if they are extremely uncomfortable.
• Provide training about the hazards leading to heat stress and how to prevent them.
• If possible, schedule the heaviest workload for the coolest part of the day: early morning or late evening, when the sun is less intense.
• Make sure your workers have easy access to cool water—a minimum of one quart of water per hour, per worker.
• Schedule frequent rest periods with water breaks in shaded or air- conditioned areas.
• Routinely check on workers who are at risk of heat stress due to protective clothing and high temperature. Pay close attention to those who are at risk because of age and physical condition (including obesity and diabetes).

When A Fellow Worker Is Ill From The Heat

• Call a supervisor for help. If the supervisor is not available, call 911.
• Have someone stay with the worker until help arrives.
• Move the worker to a cooler/shaded area.
• Remove outer clothing.
• Fan and mist the worker with water; apply ice (ice bags or ice towels).
• Provide cool drinking water, if the worker is able to drink.

For more information about preventing and treating heat-related illness, consult these articles:

• “Heat Wave: A Major Summer Killer,” [http://www.noaawatch.gov/themes/heat.php] by the NOAA
• “Protecting Workers From Heat Stress,” [http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3154.pdf] by OSHA
• “Protecting Workers In Hot Environments,” [http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=FACT_SHEETS&p_id=167] by OSHA

Sources for this article:

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (noaawatch.gov)
• Occupational and Safety Health Administration (osha.gov)

The efficiency of any machine depends on the efficiency of each of its parts. In the case of digging systems, one defective part—a stripped bolt, worn tooth or inferior sprocket—can mean the failure of the entire system.

The Ditch Witch organization manufactures the most efficient, most durable digging systems on the market today. High-quality chains, forged head shaft sprockets, and superior digging teeth are designed to work together as a system to provide unparalleled trenching performance.

stopimg title="61c" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="61c" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/61cstopimg4Teeth: Too hard can be too brittle.

Ditch Witch digging teeth are made from a high-grade steel manufactured exclusively for The Charles Machine Works, Inc. After evenly applying tungsten carbide across the tooth face—we apply more tungsten carbide than any of our competitors—we then heat-treat the tooth with a special three-step process which makes the tooth harder without making it brittle. Independent tests show that Ditch Witch digging teeth last 29% longer than those of other manufacturers.

stopimg title="61a" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="61a" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/61astopimg4Chains: Can they handle the stress?

All digging chain is made from sidebars, pins and rollers. But the way Ditch Witch components are put together is what separates these chains from all others on the market. Ditch Witch chains are engineered with the proper tolerance to handle the stresses created by the toughest digging conditions.

The Ditch Witch Shark Chain II is the latest major innovation in digging design. The Shark Chain II is effective in most soils, from dirt to chunk rock, and is up to 35% more efficient in cleaning the trench than the original Shark Chain. The patented new design also creates a curved trench bottom to cradle the pipe or other service in the trench. Shark Chain II can be used on nearly every brand of pedestrian trencher.

stopimg title="61b" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="61b" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/61bstopimg4Sprockets: The little things make the difference.

Excessive shock is a key factor in sprocket, teeth, and chain wear. Ditch Witch sprockets are unique in that they are hammer-forged and induction heat-treated, creating a harder surface that lasts longer and a softer core that better absorbs shock. The Ditch Witch manufacturing process is superior to that of many competitors, who cast their sprockets. This creates the possibility of impurities or air holes forming inside the sprocket, which can cause it to fail.

Ditch Witch sprockets also have longer teeth and are more tapered to fit the roller better, which helps both components last longer.

Maintenance: The three cardinal rules.
Your Ditch Witch dealer also offers ProLine digging systems designed specifically for more than 65 trencher models produced by other manufacturers such as Case,® Vermeer,® Bobcat,® and Burkeen®. But no matter what brand you use, always remember the three cardinal rules for digging systems:

   1. Replace sprockets and digging chains at the same time—replacing one without the other will cause premature aging of both parts.

   2. Replace worn digging teeth.

   3. Maintain the proper tension on the digging chain—refer to your operator's manual for the correct tension.

Your local Ditch Witch dealer can help you determine the right digging chain and teeth configuration for your application. Whether it's a cup chain, Shark Chain, or an alligator chain, your dealer has the experience to help you determine what tool works best for you.

For a better understanding of the unique Ditch Witch manufacturing process, ask your dealer for a copy of a DVD on building superior-quality digging teeth, chains, and sprockets.

Published in the Spring 2006 issue of The Underground.

stopimg style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_1.jpg" alt="RentalMgtFeature_1" title="RentalMgtFeature_1" />All of a trencher's mighty horsepower, incredible traction, and reinforced steel frame mean nothing without a well-operating digging system—the one feature that makes a trencher a trencher. With digging systems, one defective part—a stripped bolt, worn tooth or cracked sprocket—can mean the failure of the entire system, and every rental company knows how costly this kind of downtime can be.
A trencher's rapidly rotating steel, tungsten-carbide teeth are designed to pulverize any type of dirt, mud, and even rock. But wear and tear eventually occurs, and sooner than many rental fleet owners are aware. Without timely maintenance on its digging system, the trencher becomes less productive. Not paying attention to digging system maintenance over the long term will actually impact the entire trencher—from performance to trenching productivity.

Marty Piel, Parts Training Specialist at the Ditch Witch® organization, likens the use of overly worn digging teeth to a "dull-axe effect." "If you're chopping wood with a dull axe, you feel the shock right up through your arm and into your shoulder," Piel explains. "It's the same with dull digging teeth: the shock is transmitted from the digging chain through the attachment and up to the operator's station. This is one reason it's so important to keep a properly maintained chain on your digging boom. It's not just the production of the digging system itself; you're saving wear and tear on the entire trencher."

stopimg style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_2.jpg" alt="RentalMgtFeature_2" title="RentalMgtFeature_2" />Rules to trench by.

Piel says there are three cardinal rules for properly maintaining digging systems, no matter what brand of trencher you own.

1) Always replace sprockets and digging chains at the same time. Replacing one without the other will cause premature wear of the new component.

The shock load can cause a chain to stretch. As the chain stretches, the sprocket teeth that were designed to fall directly between the chain's rollers begin to strike those same rollers and wear them down prematurely. Worn chain rollers will begin to resemble an hourglass or apple core. Digging chains should be replaced before wearing through the roller to the chain pin.

2) Replace worn digging teeth.

As teeth wear, shock load can increase on the chain. Generally speaking, as the tungsten-carbide cutting edge wears away, the teeth begin to become dull and transmit shock to the digging system. Also, the more the cup of the tooth is worn away, the less capability the tooth has to carry dirt out of the trench.

3) Maintain the proper tension on the digging chain.

Improperly adjusted digging chain can result in premature wear on the chain and sprockets. The chain should be tight enough so that it doesn't slip off the sprockets but loose enough to keep from binding. Chain tension depends on the size of the trencher. Refer to your operator's manual for the correct tension.

It may seem like a lot to keep track of, but Piel says being religious about maintenance will pay big dividends. "The time you invest in maintaining your digging system is nothing compared to the damage your equipment can suffer—not to mention loss of productivity—if you don't," he says.

stopimg style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_3.jpg" alt="RentalMgtFeature_3" title="RentalMgtFeature_3" />What to look for in digging system components.

All digging systems are made up of teeth, sprockets, sidebars, pins and rollers. But it's the way these components are put together that determines their durability. The ideal digging system is one whose components are engineered to work and wear together.

"Ditch Witch digging systems have always been engineered to maximize the overall life and productivity of each component," says Piel.

Sprockets.
When looking for replacement sprockets, there are several factors to consider. First, it's a good idea to choose those that are engineered with proper mud relief. Buildup of spoils can cause a chain to stretch and prematurely wear all digging system components. Piel says Ditch Witch sprockets are manufactured with mud relief between the teeth to allow spoils to escape.

Another desirable quality of sprockets is a longer tooth. Sprockets with longer, tapered teeth enter the well between the rollers easier and deeper to have minimal contact with sidebars and rollers.

Chains and teeth.
There are dozens of chains designed specifically for different types of soils, so it's important to understand the predominant soil types in the regions where your equipment is operated. If you know your customer is going to be digging in soft soil, for example, a four-pitch, cup-tooth chain would be the ideal choice. A two-pitch, cup-tooth chain—designed for medium to hard soil—would not be necessary. Conversely, using a four-pitch chain in place of a two-pitch chain in hard or rocky soils could be extremely detrimental to your digging system as well as the trencher itself.

Digging chain is categorized three ways: by tensile strength, by pitch (two-pitch, four-pitch, or alternating sidebar), and by type (cup, combination, alligator or Shark Chain®). Ditch Witch chain is available in tensile strengths of 33,000 up to 225,000 pounds. Chain spacing refers to the number of chain pins between sidebars. Two-pitch chain has a sidebar on every station, four-pitch chain has a sidebar on every other station, and alternating sidebar chain has one sidebar at each station on alternating sides of the chain. On raised rivet chains, the chain pin is positioned higher on the sidebar, putting more steel on the sliding surface and heel, which are the main wear areas of the chain's sidebars. This design increases the life of the digging chain.

Piel says a welded, low-profile chain such as a Shark Chain or Shark Chain II® can be good choices for general-purpose trenching or where trenching conditions are diverse. With a low-profile chain, the sidebars are only about half as tall as a normal digging chain, so the teeth are positioned closer to the chain or the boom it rides on. In general, the closer the teeth are to the boom, the smoother the cut. "Those teeth act like a lever; anything they catch will cause the chain to kick back," says Piel. "A low-profile chain reduces kickback, which reduces wear on the heel (the bottom backside of the chain sidebar) and shock load to the unit."

A lot of thought has been put into the design of digging systems. Taking a little time to consider all of the variables and develop a regular maintenance schedule can dramatically extend the life of your equipment fleet.

stopimg title="RentalMgtFeature_1" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="RentalMgtFeature_1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_1stopimg4All of a trencher's mighty horsepower, incredible traction, and reinforced steel frame mean nothing without a well-operating digging system—the one feature that makes a trencher a trencher. With digging systems, one defective part—a stripped bolt, worn tooth or cracked sprocket—can mean the failure of the entire system, and every rental company knows how costly this kind of downtime can be.
A trencher's rapidly rotating steel, tungsten-carbide teeth are designed to pulverize any type of dirt, mud, and even rock. But wear and tear eventually occurs, and sooner than many rental fleet owners are aware. Without timely maintenance on its digging system, the trencher becomes less productive. Not paying attention to digging system maintenance over the long term will actually impact the entire trencher—from performance to trenching productivity.

Marty Piel, Parts Training Specialist at the Ditch Witch® organization, likens the use of overly worn digging teeth to a "dull-axe effect." "If you're chopping wood with a dull axe, you feel the shock right up through your arm and into your shoulder," Piel explains. "It's the same with dull digging teeth: the shock is transmitted from the digging chain through the attachment and up to the operator's station. This is one reason it's so important to keep a properly maintained chain on your digging boom. It's not just the production of the digging system itself; you're saving wear and tear on the entire trencher."

stopimg title="RentalMgtFeature_2" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="RentalMgtFeature_2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_2stopimg4Rules to trench by.

Piel says there are three cardinal rules for properly maintaining digging systems, no matter what brand of trencher you own.

1) Always replace sprockets and digging chains at the same time. Replacing one without the other will cause premature wear of the new component.

The shock load can cause a chain to stretch. As the chain stretches, the sprocket teeth that were designed to fall directly between the chain's rollers begin to strike those same rollers and wear them down prematurely. Worn chain rollers will begin to resemble an hourglass or apple core. Digging chains should be replaced before wearing through the roller to the chain pin.

2) Replace worn digging teeth.

As teeth wear, shock load can increase on the chain. Generally speaking, as the tungsten-carbide cutting edge wears away, the teeth begin to become dull and transmit shock to the digging system. Also, the more the cup of the tooth is worn away, the less capability the tooth has to carry dirt out of the trench.

3) Maintain the proper tension on the digging chain.

Improperly adjusted digging chain can result in premature wear on the chain and sprockets. The chain should be tight enough so that it doesn't slip off the sprockets but loose enough to keep from binding. Chain tension depends on the size of the trencher. Refer to your operator's manual for the correct tension.

It may seem like a lot to keep track of, but Piel says being religious about maintenance will pay big dividends. "The time you invest in maintaining your digging system is nothing compared to the damage your equipment can suffer—not to mention loss of productivity—if you don't," he says.

stopimg title="RentalMgtFeature_3" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="RentalMgtFeature_3" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/RentalMgtFeature_3stopimg4What to look for in digging system components.

All digging systems are made up of teeth, sprockets, sidebars, pins and rollers. But it's the way these components are put together that determines their durability. The ideal digging system is one whose components are engineered to work and wear together.

"Ditch Witch digging systems have always been engineered to maximize the overall life and productivity of each component," says Piel.

Sprockets.
When looking for replacement sprockets, there are several factors to consider. First, it's a good idea to choose those that are engineered with proper mud relief. Buildup of spoils can cause a chain to stretch and prematurely wear all digging system components. Piel says Ditch Witch sprockets are manufactured with mud relief between the teeth to allow spoils to escape.

Another desirable quality of sprockets is a longer tooth. Sprockets with longer, tapered teeth enter the well between the rollers easier and deeper to have minimal contact with sidebars and rollers.

Chains and teeth.
There are dozens of chains designed specifically for different types of soils, so it's important to understand the predominant soil types in the regions where your equipment is operated. If you know your customer is going to be digging in soft soil, for example, a four-pitch, cup-tooth chain would be the ideal choice. A two-pitch, cup-tooth chain—designed for medium to hard soil—would not be necessary. Conversely, using a four-pitch chain in place of a two-pitch chain in hard or rocky soils could be extremely detrimental to your digging system as well as the trencher itself.

Digging chain is categorized three ways: by tensile strength, by pitch (two-pitch, four-pitch, or alternating sidebar), and by type (cup, combination, alligator or Shark Chain®). Ditch Witch chain is available in tensile strengths of 33,000 up to 225,000 pounds. Chain spacing refers to the number of chain pins between sidebars. Two-pitch chain has a sidebar on every station, four-pitch chain has a sidebar on every other station, and alternating sidebar chain has one sidebar at each station on alternating sides of the chain. On raised rivet chains, the chain pin is positioned higher on the sidebar, putting more steel on the sliding surface and heel, which are the main wear areas of the chain's sidebars. This design increases the life of the digging chain.

Piel says a welded, low-profile chain such as a Shark Chain or Shark Chain II® can be good choices for general-purpose trenching or where trenching conditions are diverse. With a low-profile chain, the sidebars are only about half as tall as a normal digging chain, so the teeth are positioned closer to the chain or the boom it rides on. In general, the closer the teeth are to the boom, the smoother the cut. "Those teeth act like a lever; anything they catch will cause the chain to kick back," says Piel. "A low-profile chain reduces kickback, which reduces wear on the heel (the bottom backside of the chain sidebar) and shock load to the unit."

A lot of thought has been put into the design of digging systems. Taking a little time to consider all of the variables and develop a regular maintenance schedule can dramatically extend the life of your equipment fleet.

The upgrading of North America's last mile networks with end-to-end fiber is continuing at a robust pace, with fiber to the home (FTTH) arriving at more than 1.6 million households over the past year, bringing the total number of FTTH subscribers to 3.76 million, according to a study released today by the Fiber-to-the-Home Council.

The study, by RVA Market Research (www.rvallc.com), pegged the annual growth rate for fiber to the home in North America at 76 percent, the highest of any country or region in the world.

The updated deployment statistics were announced at the FTTH 2008 Conference & Expo, which is being held this week in Nashville, Tennessee.

The study also shows fiber to the home networks now passing 13.8 million North American homes, up from 9.55 million a year ago, and that the number of homes receiving video services over FTTH more than doubled over the past year, from slightly more than one million in September 2007 to nearly 2.2 million today.

Meanwhile, the overall "take rate" - the percentage of those offered FTTH service who decide to subscribe - went up for the fifth straight six-month period, and now stands at more than 30 percent.

"This continued growth in the number of connections and in the take rate is evidence of what consumers think about fiber to the home - it is fast becoming the technology of choice for receiving high-bandwidth Internet and superior video services," said Joe Savage, President of the FTTH Council. "In addition, we are continuing to see enormously high customer satisfaction rates for FTTH services when compared to other types of broadband and video providers."

The study also found that average data download speeds for FTTH subscribers continued to rise - to 7 megabits per second from 5.2 Mbps a year ago - as providers increased available bandwidth in their service offerings. This compares to a median real-time Internet download speed of 2.3 Mbps among all Internet users, as determined by the Communications Workers of America in their recent Speed Matters survey of more than 230,000 people.

Mike Render of RVA LLC, who authored the study, noted that the sustained high growth rate for FTTH connections is disproving many of the claims that skeptics made about the technology just a few years ago. "They said FTTH would never work for overbuilds, in rural areas, in multi-tenant buildings or in places where there was already competition to provide these services. They said no one would ever need or pay for 7 megabits of download speed. And now we are finding that those concerns are not panning out."

A presentation containing the underlying data for the study can be downloaded from the FTTH Council website by clicking here.

If your machine's hydraulic system isn't working, neither are you. Here are some common causes of hydraulic system breakdown and steps you can take to avoid them.

stopimg title="SK650_1" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="SK650_1" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/SK650_1stopimg4Contamination

An estimated 75 percent of all hydraulic system failure is due to contamination, so change filters regularly. If filters become dirty too frequently, examine them. Metal shavings can indicate that a pump, motor, or other upstream component may be failing. Resin or sludge—type material usually means oxidation of the fluid, often caused by low fluid levels or damaged seals.

Use clean tools and equipment, and always thoroughly clean hydraulic components before you remove, repair, or reinstall them. When you disconnect a hydraulic line, cap the end to keep contamination out while you're servicing the system. When you put the system back together, always install a new filter.

stopimg title="SK650_2" style="padding-left: 20px;" align="right" alt="SK650_2" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/SK650_2stopimg4Low or Dirty Fluid

Low fluid levels can cause everything from sluggish cylinder operation to catastrophic pump cavitation, so check the fluid regularly (with the engine off and the fluid cool) and maintain the proper level. Always use the right fuel for your system.

Murky or cloudy fluid usually indicates water or air in the system. Water can come from condensation, and excess air can be a result of low fluid levels, a damaged seal, or a crack in a suction hose.

Other System Components

Sometimes the obvious causes of hydraulic system trouble get overlooked. Try these preliminary checks:stopimg title="SK650_3" style="padding-right: 20px;" align="left" alt="SK650_3" src="/uploadedImages/Left_Nav/Press_Room/Job_Related_List/SK650_3stopimg4

•  Check the hydraulic fluid level with the engine off and the fluid cool.
•  With the engine stopped, check for leaks around seals, castings, and hydraulic connections.    
•  Check for kinks in hydraulic lines.
•  Check for a plugged or damaged fluid cooler or fluid filter.
•  Check the electrical connections to solenoid valves. The problem may not be hydraulic after all.

When in doubt, you can always find factory—trained technicians at your Ditch Witch dealership, professionals whose only business is keeping Ditch Witch equipment healthy.