EXPERT ADVICE
Today’s asphalt paver will see a
minimum of 750 to 1,000 hours and
an average of around 1,200 hours per
year. But the length of the paving season
is largely determined by what part
of the country it is in. In Pennsylvania,
the paving season may run from April
15 to November 1. That same paver
in Phoenix is going to run at least 11
months out of the year.
There comes a point when the trusty
paving machine needs to be replaced.
“Hours of use is the main reason
for replacing an asphalt paver,” stated
Paul A. Puckett, president of Puckett
Equipment, Inc., Loganville, Ga. “The
contractor-owner will know how many
hours to expect based on the typical
jobs and conditions they operate in.”
It would be nice to know at the time
of investing in a new paver how soon
after the ink has dried on the purchase
check that one should start looking to
replace the machine.
“This answer is up to the user, and
their market, weather conditions,
applications and sometimes it’s just a
matter of their growth and they need
a more productive machine to move
forward,” said Bryce Davis, Jr., director
of sales, LeeBoy, Inc., Lincolnton,
N.C. “Some customers will trade in a
machine every two, three, or four years
and some customers keep them for 10
years or longer. Some contractors go
by hours of use--every 2,500, 3,000
or 5,000 hours, and then they trade
in. There is no wrong answer here, it’s
what works for your business and is
the most profitable way to handle it.”
Sometimes the answer of when to
replace can be quite simple. Puckett
said: “Unload a paver when downtime
and repairs become more than the cost
of a new unit.”
What steps should an asphalt paver
owner take to maximize the machine’s
trade-in value?
It all starts after taking delivery of
the new machine. A brand-new paver
is in top working condition and very
clean.
“The best practice any owner of a
paver can do to help ensure its optimal
value would be to keep the machine
clean,” Davis stated. “Cleaning it at
the end of the day is easily said, but
sometimes hard to do, with job site
conditions, weather and trucking. But,
cleaning a machine while it’s still warm
is easier and takes less time versus
doing it when the material is cold and
hardened in place.”
A thorough cleaning means cleansing
the augers, hopper and drive
train. And spraying down all surfaces
that come into contact with hot mix
asphalt with an asphalt release agent
to prevent build up and impaired
performance. In addition to this daily
maintenance, at least twice a month,
it is wise to complete a routine wash
down of the machine.
If the old asphalt is not cleaned
out, the heat of the new asphalt the
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