With undercarriage components contributing up to 50% of the owning and operating (O&O) cost of a large earthmover, there is a big opportunity for you to increase profitability by investing in the latest technology - both in terms of hardware and management tools. But the results will really depend on where you're operating and how you currently manage your undercarriage.

Reducing sliding friction and increasing component durability can increase undercarriage life. "Weight, motion and stress are what cause wear," says Dan Drescher, product marketing manager for crawlers, Deere & Company. "A larger component can take more of that than a smaller component."

As such, Deere & Company has increased the size of several major components. "We are using larger rails, a little larger bushing, larger pins," says Drescher. "But as far as wearing, it would be the bushings and rails that would be the big drivers. There is more surface area and a little more weight there."

Fewer pin and bushing turns
Pin and bushing turns have traditionally allowed you to maximize your undercarriage investment. The alternative is to run the undercarriage to destruction, which can be much more costly.

But you need to identify the appropriate time to make these turns. "If you go too long, then of course you lose that opportunity," says Drescher. The longer you can go between pin and bushing turns, the more money you can potentially save.