You have borrowed or bought a mini excavator for the upcoming gardening work and now you want to really get started? Before you do so, you should observe a few safety instructions and familiarise yourself sufficiently with the operation of the excavator. Be sure to ask for the manual and read it through before using it for the first time. Simply getting on the excavator and driving off can go very wrong and if you are not confident in one or the other, it is better to leave the work to trained persons. We have summarised the most important safety rules here. We wish you safe driving with the excavator!
Stability - avoid breaking away
The first step in working properly with the excavator is to stand the excavator. The excavator should stand on a stable, level surface. After days of rain, the ground may be soggy and the excavation work should be postponed – Why? If the excavator is sideways or head-on to the pit that is to be excavated, and then at a close distance too, the excavator may break away due to the soggy ground. Of course it is annoying if you then have to postpone the work and eventually, but safety should always come first.
Dealing with slopes
As a beginner, you should not drive on slopes steeper than a maximum of 15%. This can also cause tipping or other problems. It is better to ask trained or skilled people for such work. Can the excavator also drive through water? It can be done, but then it will probably be the first and last time. The excavator should manage small puddles without any problems. Pits in which the water is higher than half the height of the chain should not be driven through. The water can enter the bearings this way and thus damage the excavator. In addition, be aware that if the water is murky, you will not be able to see the correct depth of the puddle.
Avoid injuries
Before starting the excavation work, secure the working and turning area of the excavator. During the work, you should also make sure that there are no persons in this area. Especially with beginners, it can happen that the operation is not yet so familiar and oops – the excavator arm has moved too fast or in the wrong direction. Bystanders could thus be accidentally hit with the excavator arm and even there you don’t really have to ask yourself who loses this argument.
Engine - full throttle = more power ?
The question can be answered quite easily: No! The engine should not run permanently at full throttle, because full throttle does not equal maximum power. The only thing that is increased disproportionately are the fuel costs, while the effect is zero. In addition, you should never operate the excavator in an enclosed space or at least provide sufficient ventilation so that the exhaust gases can be drawn off well.
Park the excavator properly
You are done for the day or want to take a lunch break? However, simply leaving everything behind is not the right way to finish your work. Before you switch off the engine, place the bucket and the blade on the ground, so you can continue to work with the excavator at a later time with peace of mind.
