Just realized I've been ignoring a simple check on my dozer for months

I was talking to a guy at the fuel stop near the I-5 project, and he asked if I was greasing my track adjuster rams every single day. I said maybe once a week, and he just shook his head. He told me he saw a ram blow a seal on a Cat D6 last month because it was dry, and the repair bill was over $3,000. It hit different because I've been rushing through my morning checks to get on site faster. Now I'm spending an extra five minutes to hit every grease point, no matter what. Anyone else have a small check they used to skip that bit them later?

3 comments

3 Comments

scott.mia1mo ago

That D6 story is rough. What other daily checks are people letting slide until it's too late?

cameron7241mo ago

Honestly people overstate the risk of skipping daily checks. Most systems have built in warnings long before a real failure happens. Obsessing over every little thing just burns you out for no good reason.

reese1771mo ago

Yeah, the final drive oil check on my excavator. Used to just glance at the sight glass from the cab. One day it was milky, full of water. Cost me two days of downtime and a full fluid flush. Now I get out, wipe the glass clean, and actually look at the color and level. Takes 30 seconds.