FIELD INSIGHTS
Thoughts from the field on heavy equipment, mining, quarrying, wear, operations, business, and the decisions behind them.
More than two decades around this industry have taught me that some of the most useful lessons don't come from a brochure or a boardroom. They come from machines, operators, mechanics, customers, suppliers and sometimes from getting things wrong.
This is where I share some of those observations, along with industry developments and ideas I think are worth paying attention to.
High Abrasion Is Not a Tooth Specification
Total tooth weight does not show how much steel remains useful. Learn how wear pattern, discard point and tooth profile reveal real GET value.
How Much Machine Time Should a Tooth Change Take?
A reusable hammerless pin may reduce tooth-change labor and stopped-machine time. Here is how to measure the current process and decide whether conversion is justified.
What Does a Bucket Tooth Really Cost? Five Factors Behind Cost per Operating Hour and Cost per Ton
The purchase price of a bucket tooth is only the starting point. These five factors show what a GET system is really costing per operating hour and, when the records support it, per ton.
How Can a Quarry Test an Alternative GET System Without Converting the Whole Fleet?
Converting a bucket without a clear incumbent baseline proves very little. Here is a practical way to test an alternative GET system on one machine, measure what matters and decide whether another conversion is justified, or whether the current system should stay…
Seguir con lo mismo también tiene un coste
Seguir con el sistema actual puede ser la decisión correcta. Pero, si no medimos lo que realmente hace en la máquina, quizá no sea una decisión: puede ser simplemente la fuerza de la costumbre…
Ground Engaging Tools (GET): What They Are, How They Wear and Why the Application Matters.
GET is one of the most abused and often underestimated systems on an excavator or loader. Understanding how it wears, what affects its performance and what the application is actually demanding is where better decisions begin…
Is Your GET Actually Performing? What to Look at Before Changing Systems.
Wear life alone doesn't tell the whole story. Tooth utilization, adapter condition, bucket protection, changeouts and operating hours all help show whether a GET system is actually doing its job…
Smarter Mining Decisions Start With What the Operation Is Actually Telling You
Purchase price is easy to see. What a component is actually costing the operation can be harder to recognize. Better decisions start by looking at what is happening in the field, not just what appears on the invoice…
Mining Momentum: How U.S. Policy Shifts Are Creating New Opportunities
More domestic mineral production doesn't only mean new mines. It can mean higher utilization of existing fleets, more pressure on maintenance and suppliers, and new questions about the resilience of everything required to keep producing…
More Than a Part Number: Why the Application Matters More Than the Catalog
A part number tells you what fits. It doesn't necessarily tell you what works best. The machine, material, application and expectations of the operation still matter long after the catalog gives you an answer…