There are several common activities that can damage your cutting edges or significantly shorten their overall service life, and your operators should avoid doing them.

• Back dragging your bucket leads to excessive wear and tear and can cause premature breakage to your edges.
• Excessive down pressure is a common culprit behind accelerated wear and will minimize the lifespan of your cutting edges.
• Using edges in wet conditions can result in corrosion due to regular exposure to moisture. Plus, the water can act as a lubricant, reducing friction and allowing abrasive particles to more easily slide across and grind your edge’s surface.

In addition to avoiding activities that increase wear and tear, you can also take steps to guard your edges.

• Use corner attachments to increase your bucket’s strength. Not using corner guards can result in premature wear.
• Choose thicker edges for your more powerful machines, so they can withstand higher levels of stress than thinner options.
• Consider single bevel curved blades instead of double bevel curved blades for your motor graders. Single bevel options can last longer and are often more cost effective.
• Utilize the correct bolts and nuts, because improper ones can lead to the cutting edge becoming loose on the moldboard, which can cause damage. We recommend using Grade 8 bolts or higher; lower quality products may stretch and loosen.
• Rotate cutting edges for buckets regularly to potentially double the blade life. The rotation interval depends on how abrasive your material is, how often you use your machine, and your specific application.

Routine inspections are crucial for all of your equipment and components. Here’s what to check for your cutting edges:

• Base edge condition: Your base edge is the main supportfor the entire bucket system, while the primary engagement edge should be the bolt-on cutting edge. If the base edge is worn out, the bucket will not be as stable.
• Loader wear plates: Maximize the lifespan of your bucket and cutting edges by checking your wear plates and replacing them at the proper intervals suggested by the manufacturer.
• Bolts: Loose edges can easily break and fall off, damaging the carrier machine and surrounding equipment.