Tales From The Field #2: ClearCaps

My experience with ClearCap Forklift Covers goes back 10 years now! I installed my first for a customer as a field technician for Norlift of Oregon, I was impressed with the ease of install and the overall low maintenance of the design. A few years ago, as an in house forklift tech for Travis Pattern (in Spokane, WA), it was the obvious choice to equip the entire fleet (50+ forklifts!) with ClearCaps, as the entire fleet is indoor and outdoor all year round. Now, it is my privilege to offer ClearCaps to my customers as Mobile Machinery Service, LLC!

I personally recommend ClearCaps to my customers, and all forklift owners, for their ease of install/removal, cleaning, and operator protection. When it comes to cost, ClearCaps are affordable, especially compared to an OSHA fine, of which I have never heard of one below $10,000.00!

This month, we are selling ClearCaps at 20% off on orders placed by October 6 2017!!!
Contact us for more details: (509) 939-0926 or sales@mobilemachineryservice.com

Thanks,

Tom Kassen
Owner/Field Technician

Here are a few "live" photos in the field taken at Sturdy Built Sheds in Clayton WA by Wobble Monkey Photography!

Something the promo pic's miss - how this design really works to remove rain and provide a clear view!

Nice and clear view!

Tales From The Field #1: LP Tank Issues

From time to time, I will use this space to relay issues that I find in my travels to help you avoid common and preventable problems - and hopefully save you money!!!

Lately, I have come across LP powered forklifts with power lacking issues, no other issues were found - the trucks would idle just fine, step on the accelerator and the engine would die. With no issues found engine side, it was time to check the LP tank itself. Picking up the tank from the truck cradle, it felt like there should be about a half tank left, you could even feel the liquid slosh inside the tank.

After a "quick pressure test" I was able to determine that the ratio of gas to liquid had reached a point where it was no longer effectively supplying the engine with liquid fuel. For comparison, think of an aerosol can turned upside down, the liquid dribbles out - turn it right side up and  attempt to use - and only the propellant gas comes out. LP engines require the pressurized liquid to run, the gas when combined with air going into the engine is too "lean" for the engine to run.

As this happened several times at one particular customer with a large fleet, I began to make a connection in regard to the questionable tanks. They use the typical DOT tanks for forklifts, and the tanks in question were past their recertification date!

DOT PROPANE TANKS ARE REQUIRED TO BE RECERTIFIED 12 YEARS AFTER THEIR INITIAL DATE - WHICH IS STAMPED ON THE COLLAR.

So, if you own your own LP tanks, ask your local propane dealer if they can recertify your tanks for you, or if you use a provider, ask of service tags to mark which tanks you believe are questionable.

For more information in regard to certification, here is a blog entry I found while researching for this blog, as well as the picture above: http://blog.hyundaiforkliftsocal.com/2011/09/be-safe-use-propane-tanks-that-are.html

Tom Kassen

Scheduled Preventative Maintenance

Introducing Mobile Machinery Service, L.L.C.s' Scheduled Preventative Maintenance program!

A comprehensive maintenance program is an extremely important part of equipment service life, regardless of the type or usage of the equipment. Our Scheduled Preventative Maintenance program is designed with the customer in mind, to minimize downtime and optimize the value to your bottom line. Competitively priced labor and the highest quality parts at reasonable prices are just the beginning of the value of our program.

We start with a scheduled preventative maintenance agreement - a NO obligation agreement of terms where we outline the equipment to be serviced, the starting frequency of maintenance, and the set labor rate for the duration of the agreement.

What to expect from a Mobile Machinery Service, L.L.C. Scheduled Preventative Maintenance:

A professional technician prepared to perform the necessary service and repairs.

The essentials of Preventative Maintenance:
     1. oil change
     2. chassis lubrication
     3. operating function test
     4. component inspection/operation test
     5. safety systems inspection

The added benefits of a Scheduled Preventative Maintenance:
     1. automatic scheduling of maintenance calls - we can give a courtesy call, or just show up!
     2. an active history to track any issues, and make repair recommendations to work with your                    budget.
     3. the ability to plan repair work for future Preventative Maintenance calls saves you money and              downtime!

Call (509) 939-0926 or e-mail sales@mobilemachineryservice.com to set up an agreement or for more information - we would love to hear from you!
  
Below are pictures from real examples of Scheduled Preventative Maintenance

Broken master pin found after determining that chains were stretched .

The broken pin was located at the top of the mast -
undetected on daily inspection.

Before and after mast support bushings -
the grease fittings were missed by the previous in-house mechanic!

Excessive wear due to lack of  maintenance -
nearly worn down to the axle tube!

The mast side, after repair -
welded and line boring complete, with a lot of downtime!

Complete axle bracket replacement -
EXPENSIVE!