In these times of high inflation and labor costs, contractors are looking for ways to save some money. In this episode of The Dirt, Bryan Furnace talks with Chevron Lubricants Senior Engineer Shawn Whitacre on one way contractors can cut costs, by increasing the time between oil changes on construction equipment.
The current standard oil-drain interval is 250 hours. However, Whitacre explains that if done responsibly, those interval times can be increased to up to 500 hours without putting your equipment at risk.
This can often be done without special tools or conducting a used-oil analysis program.
Though oil analysis may not be required to increase oil-drain intervals, Whitacre explains the many benefits of examining oil, especially when it comes to predicting maintenance needs to ward off a catastrophe.
Oil analysis can be intimidating for smaller contractors, conjuring up images of high-paid technicians in white lab coats and safety goggles. Whitacre, however, demystifies the process, which is not nearly as complicated as it sounds. He tells how contractors can simply and quickly perform oil analysis, which has the potential for significant payback.
At the end of the day, it’s all about becoming more cost-efficient and reducing profit-draining downtime. It will also increase the overall life of your equipment, while saving money along the way. Besides, increasing those oil-drain intervals can rack up some sizable savings over time.
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