Operating Hydraulic Equipment In The Extreme Cold

Operating hydraulic equipment in the extreme cold requires a bit of extra care. The cold here in central Ontario has been unusual. As a resident of Barrie for many years I have to scratch my memory for a year where we have seen this kind of cold. And it has been province wide. I say to people as we discuss things that this is Ottawa cold. When operating hydraulic equipment there are some things that you can do: Make sure you’re dressed for the conditions. The cold will frustrate you when switches are frozen and levers need to be carefully moved so as to not break them. Try not to put too much pressure on control valve levers. These will bend and possibly break during cold operations. Select a circuit where the oil can cycle to warm up the components. This can be a boom lift circuit that is easy to use. Try all of the functions prior to lifting any loads. In most cases, undocking the crane will be a part of this process. Use rotate circuits wisely. Try them on low speed. There have been times as reported by customers where the circuit jams because the spool jams and away we go for a ride! Make sure to check that the emergency stop works Periodically when operating. The oil will generally be warm enough if you have had the PTO engaged for several minutes. It’s the cylinders, control valve, and the hydraulic motors that you want to get freed up. Spools and shifting the spools and solenoids can be frozen and need a bit of work to warm them up. As always, battery maintenance will be important. If nothing else, keep a can of penetrating oil available. Our favourite is Crown KP-53 for general lubrication. It will “wet” any existing greases or lubricants or dielectric products you have already used. This will help corrosion resistance at the terminals. Hopefully some of these tips have been helpful. Many boom truck operators and crane operators may know many of these tips. Good luck – and spring will come soon – I promise! If you need good lubricating products, call Megan here at the shop, She has several different lube a boom (lubeaboom.com) products for crane lubrication. At Crane Tech we save you money. We work as hard as you do! Using Crane Tech keeps your workers safe. if you are in Oro, Guthrie, Dalston, Little Lake, hillsdale, horseshoe valley, Jarrett, Waubaushene, Wasaga beach give us a call. We inspect cranes, auto hoists, elevating lift platforms, bridge cranes and Bucket Trucks to name a few. Remember that the Crane Tech Inspection team can conveniently inspect all of your lifting equipment at the same time. One call for all of your lifting equipment! Crane Tech inspects and maintains your Hoist Lifting Equipment. Call us at 705-734-0012. See us on Instagram. On the web www.craneservices.ca. We know your equipment best!