10 Tips for Preparing Attachments for Seasonal Storage

In this blog, you will find 10 helpful tips for preparing your attachments for seasonal storage. Whether it be winter or summer, these tips apply to both. 

• Visual Check for Damage/Repairable Items

  1. Nothing is worse than getting ready for a job and finding out the hard way that there is wire wrapped around the bearing spindle and all the oil leaked out last winter…before you know it, the bearings are all fried internally. Doing a year end check can help catch damage that may not have been noticed while working and give the owner time to address the problem during the off season.  
     
     

• Check Oil

  1. On all attachments with bearing spindles, this is a great time to check and add or replace 80w/90 oil as needed.
  2. This is also the perfect time to relieve pressure in the lines if the owner has not already. Attachments can build hydraulic pressure from temperature changes and become very difficult to connect. 
  3. This is a great time to grease all the zerks on the attachment as well. Fresh grease, in addition to providing lubrication, will also help push dirt and debris from the moving joints and give a barrier against corrosion. 
     
     

• Clean Attachment

  1. A good spray down with a pressure washer can remove excess dirt build up, salt, grease, etc. There is no reason to leave an attachment dirty as it is put away for the year. The added bonus is that when the next working season comes around, the time will already be spent and the owner can get right to work.
     
     

• Prep and Paint

  1. A good can of black rust prevention spray paint is about ten dollars. A little time, prep with a wire brush, a good cleaning from a degreaser, and some primer + paint will keep an attachment from corroding during the off season. Remember to wear rubber gloves when touching prepped metal surfaces because finger print oil is corrosive.
     
     

• Replace Safety Decals

  1. All the damaged decals should be replaced as needed. Virnig has them all available for order.
     
     

• Clean/Protect Couplers

  1. Wipe down the couplers and click them together or cover in a way that the elements cannot get to the tips (most popular trick is zip lock bags and zip ties or tape). Almost all the foreign contamination in a hydraulic system comes from hydraulic couplers. Leaving them out in the elements is a guarantee for eventual failure.
     
     

• Replace wear parts as needed

  1. It seems like common sense, but a lot of people do not do this. Replace teeth, blades, cutting edges, etc. to new so that when the next working season arrives everything is ready to go!
     
     

• Store inside or covered

  1. The absolute worst thing that an owner can do is to store their attachment uncovered in the elements. A dry environment is essential for storage and will extend the life span of the attachment significantly.
     
     

• Store off the ground

  1. This goes along with #8, but storing the attachment off the ground will keep it dry and clean. Even something as simple as a pallet can make a big difference in preventing moisture from corroding an attachment. 
     
     

• Check and change oil in the machine if needed

  1. Finally, why go through all this work if the owner is not going to bother to change the dirty oil on their loader and run it through their attachment? Hydraulic systems should be clean, and seasonal change is a great time to address the oil.