EQUIPMENT: Year-Round Routine

Harrison Gilkeson understands the importance of year-round trencher maintenance if for no other reason than the machines can’t be useful when out of commission.
 
“A trencher needs to go out and do the job during the day,” says the in-house mechanic for Hoerr Nursery, a full-service nursery and landscape company based in Peoria, Ill. “Companies can see a big loss in labor dollars if they’re not able to do that.”
 
The price of walk-behind trenchers ranges from $10,000 to $15,000, and trencher attachments cost from $4,500 to $6,000. The machines are generally specific to underground applications, like burying electrical wires and down spouts, installing drains and drain tile, digging footings and edgings around landscape beds. Because they’re fairly specialized, few contractors have a machine that can step up if their trenchers break down. This makes year-round maintenance vital to a trencher’s long-term productivity. “Trenchers have a lot of moving parts and are very high-maintenance machines,” Gilkeson says. “When they go down, there aren’t a lot of machines that can back them up.”
 
Every landscape company has its own way of maintaining its equipment. It’s a solid business practice because it prevents problems before they start. “It’s important for contractors to keep a trencher in good working condition by following the manufacturer’s recommended operating guidelines and maintenance routines,” says Greg Lawrence, product marketing manager for The Toro Co., Bloomington, Minn. “Keeping the trencher serviced and in shape, as well as operating it as it’s designed to be used, will ensure operators get the maximum usage out of it, day in and day out.”

IN THE HOUSE. Hoerr Nursery has always had an in-house maintenance crew of two to three mechanics to keep all of the company’s equipment in working order. While having an in-house maintenance crew isn’t viable for every company, Gilkeson says if outsourced equipment maintenance dollars exceed $30,000 a year, company owners should consider having a staff on hand. “Our company has such a large profile of equipment – from pickup trucks to trenchers – it mandates an in-house staff,” Gilkeson says. “We can’t be held hostage waiting in line at a dealership when something goes wrong.”
 
Planned Environments, in Concord, Calif., also has an in-house maintenance crew to service its equipment, including its two trenchers. “In California, our trenchers are used all year, so it’s just most cost effective to have a mechanical crew on staff,” says David Wolkenhauer, president.
 
Tools needed for trencher maintenance include general handheld tools like open-ended and angled wrenches, as well as a basic set of automotive tools. A flow meter, used for checking a trencher’s hydraulic pumps, is one of Gilkeson’s “luxury” tools, which cost about $700. Wolkenhauer also makes sure to have a grease gun, wrenches and a socket set on hand for daily trencher maintenance.

SEASON BY SEASON. Currently, Hoerr Nursery has four 35-horsepower combination trenchers with pipe and wire pullers, and a few smaller 11-horsepower units that just pull pipe. When tackling preseason trencher maintenance, Gilkeson’s motto is, “If it shakes, it breaks.” Tightening all of a trencher’s many moving parts is essential to get the machine ready for spring. In addition, pay close attention to hydraulic pumps and hoses.
 
During preseason maintenance Gilkeson checks the machine’s chain and replaces it when needed. In addition, he checks the tires and fills them with foam instead of air, which adds more weight to the machine, improves pulling capabilities and prevents flats, he says. He changes the oil, inspects the fuel line and tests the battery and alternator. Every two years, Gilkeson and his crew disassemble each machine to inspect every part. “If we do a good job with preseason trencher maintenance we can make it two years without having much trouble,” Gilkeson says. “We usually see the machine once or twice during the season after they start up.”
  
Midseason maintenance includes one or two oil changes, hose inspections, tightening movable parts and replacement of what Gilkeson calls “consumables” – parts like blades and chain teeth. The depth of this maintenance depends on the season’s workload and weather conditions. “Drier times of year are harder on trenchers than wetter seasons, because more pressure is required of the machine to get the job done,” Gilkeson says, adding July is Peoria’s driest time of year.
 
The landscape maintenance crews play an important role in midseason equipment upkeep. They’re primarily responsible for greasing the trenchers daily and – most importantly – reporting any problems that come up to the mechanical staff. If they’re able, crew members also conduct minor maintenance like blade replacement or chain realignment while on the job site.
 
To wrap up the season, landscape crew members fill out a form indicating any problems or potential problems mechanics should tend to before the start of next season. At this time, preseason maintenance starts over again. Gilkeson spends from $500 to $1,000 a year to maintain each trencher. Most of the company’s trenchers are used about 15 hours a week, primarily for irrigation services and installing downspouts.

DAY IN, DAY OUT.  California’s lack of seasons means Wolkenhauer’s trenchers need to be in working order every day. Used for irrigation 90 percent of the time and drainage the other 10 percent, the machines are particularly vital at the start of each project. “Our trencher use varies drastically depending on the job,” he says. “They might be used full-time for a few weeks at the start of a project and then might sit for a few weeks.”
 
Daily maintenance includes greasing and tightening all moving parts. Crews are required to check the chain tension and teeth, the oil and filters and tire air pressure. All other maintenance needs are determined by the trencher’s hour meter, which comes standard on most machines, Wolkenhauer says. Once the meter reaches 100 operation hours, he and his crews know it’s time to change the oil and the oil and air filters.
 
Wolkenhauer estimates spending $2,500 to $3,000 per year maintaining his company’s two trenchers, and agrees a preventive maintenance program gets the most out of each machine. In the 10 years Planned Environments has been in business, he’s only had to replace one trencher.
 
Most of the trenchers at Hoerr Nursery are at least 15 years old and in great working condition. Like Wolkenhauer, Gilkeson credits the company’s preventive, comprehensive maintenance program. His reputation for such a program precedes him when trading in equipment at his local commercial equipment dealer, and he’s almost always guaranteed a 20 to 25 percent return on his investment.
 
“A good maintenance routine absolutely contributes to a long life for these tough machines,” Gilkeson says. “They should be around long after I’m gone.” LL