Daily Maintenance and Checks
At 7:40 in
I Rented a $150,000 Bobcat Forestry Mulcher—Here’s What Nobody Tells You | DANGEROUS!
What happens here
After setup, focus shifts to essential daily maintenance points. The main fuel tank (diesel) is checked and should be full when rented, requiring the operator to refill it upon return. The DEF (Diesel Exhaust Fluid) tank is also pointed out, which consumes approximately 5 gallons every 3 days. The machine has a touch-screen display that will alert the operator if the air filter is clogged, which is common during mulching due to dust and debris. Operators should stop, let the machine cool, and then remove the air filter housing to clean the filter element, ideally with a backpack blower or air compressor, and reinstall it. Additionally, operators must regularly clear debris from the top screen of the radiator to ensure proper airflow and cooling, even though the machine has a reverse-flowing fan for self-cleaning. Overheating or fire from debris is a significant risk with mulchers.
Goal: Perform essential daily checks to ensure machine longevity and prevent breakdowns.
Tools and materials
- Air Filter — Main air intake filter for the engine
- Backpack Blower — Cleaning the air filter element and radiator screen
- Bobcat T86 Compact Track Loader Bobcat — The machine requiring maintenance
- DEF — Refilling the DEF tank
- Diesel Fuel — Refueling the machine