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The best way to keep coolers clean is to blow them out with an air hose. "If you use water, you run the risk of dirt turning into a solid when it dries," says Pooley. "Washing out the radiator with water can also push the dirt into the middle. If it doesn't all get washed out, it can accumulate between the coolers to the point where it restricts air flow."

If you work in a very dusty environment, coolers should be blown out every day. For general applications, clean them at least once a week, or as needed.

How can you maximize the chances engine service will get carried out as recommended? Many manufacturers have incorporated "reminders" into the CPUs of their machines. "You can set the hours, per the manual, for every oil change, filter change, etc.," says Pooley. "Then you will get a reminder when a certain task needs to be performed."

Check hydraulics
If an engine can be equated to the "heart" of the machine, then the hydraulic system could be seen as its "circulatory" system. Though hydraulic fluid doesn't need to be changed as often as engine oil, fluid levels must be checked frequently and change-outs performed as recommended and/or needed.

"When you're dealing with servo lines feeding up into the joysticks, any form of contamination can cause the machine to not work as efficiently," says Hall. "Clean oil equates to reliable hydraulics." He adds that JCB's range of excavators are fitted with the Plexus filter system, an ultra-fine in-line kidney filter that eliminates debris greater than 1 micron and extends hydraulic oil changes to 5,000 hours.