Mechanics for heavy equipment are responsible for repairing, maintaining and overhauling heavy equipment that are mobile that are often used in various jobs like mining, construction, forestry, land clearing, material handling, farming, landscaping and others. Nowadays, mechanics who are tasked to maintain heavy equipment have more tools at their disposal in case their equipment breaks down.
Most mechanics who are assigned to care for this type of equipment are always ready to service any broken equipment for industrial, logging and construction use. They double check every piece of the equipment to make sure that everything is in working order so the project will go smoothly and without any troubles. If ever the equipment breaks down or malfunctions, the mechanic needs to find out the source of the trouble and fix it. In these modern times, mechanics are using computers that are hand-held to monitor heavy equipment for error diagnosis and also for repairs. To help speed up the process of maintaining these equipment, hoists and jacks are used.
Mechanics for heavy equipment are also using meters and gauges to test various equipment to determine if there are any damages. Solvents are typically used in oiling, cleaning, and greasing parts of the equipment they are in charge with. Any broken parts or frames are welded by the mechanic to get them working again. Once the repairs are done, the mechanic will assemble the whole equipment and test run them to determine whether everything is working smoothly.
Part of the task of mechanics is to double check whether heavy equipment for logging, mining and construction such as cranes, bulldozers and graders are free from damage and are working perfectly. Mechanics often follow a maintenance schedule in order to lubricate, clean and maintain heavy equipment. It is also part of their job to calibrate, repair and even replace any damaged parts of the equipment. Before giving the green light that the equipment is in good working order, they often test the equipment first. Mechanics are also in constant communication with their clients, co-workers as well as their managers. In order to fulfill their job, they are often reading operator/owner/manufacturer manuals.
Mechanics for heavy equipment take special courses to know more about repairing and maintaining drive-line components of heavy machineries such as axle assemblies, clutches, driveshaft, transmissions, and driving wheel among others in graders, scrapers, trucks and other equipment. Mechanics who are working in big repair shops are doing complex jobs all the time. Among the jobs that they may be busy with include repairing hydraulic pumps, rebuilding engines as well as fixing problems with the equipment's electrical system. Just to give you an idea, the hydraulic pump is being operated by fluid using pressure. Most mechanics who are working in larger repair shops specialize in two or more skills. Some may specialize in two or more of these jobs: electrical systems, engine repair, brake system, and transmission system.
Usually, the courses that mechanics for heavy equipment undergo concentrate around servicing, troubleshooting, rebuilding and maintaining any equipment that makes use of two to four cycle engines. An aspiring mechanic for heavy equipment should be able to finish their secondary education to get a diploma and also has credits in subjects such as Science, Math and English. They should also have taken technical courses in auto mechanics or electrical systems. The aspiring mechanic should be able to complete 9000 hours of apprenticeship. In-school training as well as on-the-job training should be accomplished as well. The final hurdle is to pass the written exam in order to be rewarded with the Certificate of Qualification.
Mechanics for heavy equipment are often hired by modern laboratories to help with fuel injection pumps overhauling. The only problem is that many mechanics for heavy equipment are out in the field where they are immersed in greasy and oily environments under all kinds of weather conditions. Mechanics often work full time and are often exposed to high risk environments especially since they are working with heavy equipment as well as tools. They may be overtime work especially during the weekends where it is also possible for them to go traveling for repairs and such. Mechanics are often hired by companies in various industries like mining, construction, farming, material handling, and forestry. Novices in this field tend to earn less than full fledged mechanics but their salary may improve as they go and get more years of training and expertise. A fully licensed mechanic for heavy equipment can earn around $18 to $25 per hour.
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