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Making sure that all moving parts are greased is another key component in the maintenance program. "There are so many moving parts," says Thompson. "There isn't a machine that gets cranked up and used until the operator has gone over every grease fitting. If we keep them greased regularly, the machines will last a long time. We've been down that road before and we haven't always placed as much importance on maintenance as we should. But when you start to spend a lot of money in fab shops to have things repinned, it adds up. A $2 tube of grease can save you thousands in the long run."

Six JCB excavators comprise the Thompson Wrecking fleet, including a

JS 200, JS 220, two JS 260s and two JS 330 models. One JS 330 is equipped with a Genesis LXP300 for cutting steel and crushing and pulverizing concrete.

"This attachment is unbelievable to watch," says Thompson. "It can cut through 1/2-in. plate steel. With a 15-minute jaw change, you can go from cutting steel to pulverizing concrete. It's helped us in a lot of ways by allowing us to dismantle a building, then recycle any metal that is inside the concrete. In the past, we weren't able to retrieve that metal. But now we can pulverize the concrete beams and recycle the rebar inside. We can generate a lot more salvage steel than we used to be able to."

Since this attachment is costly - about half the cost of the excavator itself - maintenance to the host is critical. "We work the machine hard," Thompson says. "We change the hydraulic oil more often because we depend on the hydraulics so much. If the oil breaks down, the attachment won't perform as well, so we keep it changed out regularly."

Onboard Diagnostics Tell All
The onus of engine maintenance has always fallen onto contractors. But with the advent of computer diagnostics, that responsibility becomes even more important since, with sophisticated techniques, engine manufacturers can easily determine exactly what went wrong in an engine.