Simple tips to maintain your Ground Engaging Tools

Ground engagement tools are specifically designed metal tools that are attached to earthmoving machines and engage with the ground the most. Ground engagement Tools, also called GETs are presented in many different forms and are used for different purposes. These tools will extend the time your machines will last you but they also need to be taken care of. In this article, you can read what can affect your GET.

What influences GET's lifespan?

Climate and terrain

Climate affects GETs as any other tools made from metal. GETs will wear out faster in a humid environment and will last you longer in more temperate locations. Rocky terrain will also affect your GETs way more than soft soil.

Type of mined material

You must always consider what metals will affect your Ground Engaging Tools the most. Abrasiveness is one of the main impacts on your tools. Common examples of highly abrasive sites would be gold mining sites, one of the least abrasive sites is a coal mining site.  

Operator's skill

Last but not least is your operator's skill. Technical mistakes made by an operator can cause wear to GET and shorten the lifespan. Operators should not only know how to operate the machine correctly but also visually inspect the equipment on their daily walk around the machine. They have to check for:

• Damaged or missing retainer bolts or pins

• Any loose or missing hardware or components

• Cracks on edges or welded joints

• Excessive or uneven wear or damage to buckets, tips, edges and adaptors

• Missing adaptor covers

Incorrect choice

Carefully choosing GETs will increase the performance of your machines and lower their maintenance costs. Some bucket teeth may only last a couple of weeks at mining sites but the same teeth will serve you years on other sites. You should always consider the above points when buying new GETs. Proper preparation will save you money and save your machines from unnecessarily frequent repairs.  

Save your budget on machine repairs

Replace worn parts immediately as they will compromise the performance and may be a reason your machine broke. It's advised to always have a spare GET and to ensure all the operators know how and when to replace them to mitigate possible downtime.

If loose hardware is found, It must be tightened or replaced immediately. Otherwise, you risk damaging machines or their parts, as well as damaging bolt holes which can make it impossible to attach tools tightly in the future.

Never use cutting edges, end bits, tips, or wear plates beyond their service life. They are cheap and easy to replace compared to the machine's parts we attach them to. Edges, end bits, and tips can be rotated to achieve maximum wear life, and keep them sharp and even.

By staying on top of maintenance and conducting routine inspections, you can analyze wear patterns and benchmark to identify operator errors or determine if the wrong tools are being used for the terrain.

Save your repair money and order our tools. Yassian will provide you with premium quality steel GETs. Contact Us to find GETs that suit your purposes the best.