Cold weather has arrived, and the last thing anyone wants is for the winter frost to damage their expensive machines. With busy production schedules and tight deadlines, it can be easy to put winterizing industrial equipment at the end of your to-do list. That’s why it’s a good idea to have a plan in place to preserve your machines in frosty weather.

Winterize Your Industrial Vehicle

Your industrial equipment is a big investment and important to your company’s efficiency. 

Prepare Fluids

It’s recommended to change the oil in your machines before and after the winter season. Remember to double check the manual to ensure you’re using the correct oil with the right viscosity in your industrial vehicles. It’s also a good idea to have a higher oil to water ratio than you would in the spring or summer. If there is too much water, it could freeze in your engine, causing extensive damage to your important equipment.

Battery

Cold weather and freezing temperatures can be rough on batteries. Get your battery checked before and after winter by a certified battery technician.

Pro Tip: You may want to consider storing your industrial vehicle batteries in a safe place indoors when temperatures freeze.

Routine Maintenance

Industrial machine maintenance should be done regularly to avoid costly damages. It’s especially important to perform upkeep on your equipment before and after freezing weather.  You can take advantage of the offseason to check your engine and transmission to see if anything needs to be replaced or repaired.  

Clean Before Storing

If you plan on storing your industrial equipment through the winter; it’s mandatory to clean the exterior of your machines. When the warm sun is shining in the spring, and you’re ready to take the equipment out from storage; the last thing you want is to try and scrape old, dried, hardened mud from hard to reach places. Make sure you clean the undercarriage, engine bay and other uncovered areas before storing machines.

Preserve Industrial Equipment

It’s important to schedule a time to properly winterize your industrial machines to avoid unnecessary damage from cold weather.

What has worked best for you? Join the conversation and let us know how you preserve your machines through the winter.