Congrats! You will love it.
I have read every written word on the super 50, (seriously, I think I have) from what I have seen the number one cause of failure is poor maintenance practices. While that seems to be a "captain obvious" moment, there are plenty of machines out there that fail even when the owner does everything right. My super was purchased from a man in Florida. I have no doubt he is a force to be reckoned with in all that he does including stump grinding. Admittedly, his maintenance standards were above those that I adhered to. Who better to buy a valuable piece of equipment from? I currently attempt to honor his practices. (sorry John, I have not waxed the hood in over a year!)
My longevity list for the Super 50:
1) Blow off the entire machine before every trip out.
Overheating for this machine is catastrophic. They call it "air cooled", but the hydraulic oil cools the motor. If there is no air passing through the evaporator coil (radiator), there is no cooling. Seems obvious but it is still the biggest cause of premature engine failure in these machines. The ability to cool is hindered by the rest of the engine compartment/ oil pan being covered in dirt as well. Blow off every square inch! In this process you will detect problems before they become big problems. Oil, fuel, hydraulic leaks usually start small.
2) Keep it parked indoors.
Yep, my truck sleeps outside. My equipment gets unloaded and parked in the barn every night. One drop of oil/fuel will not hit the ground without detection. The instruments/wiring only suffer rain while on the job. No UV on the fiberglass and gauges except when its making money.
3) Check oil levels, air pressure, clean air cleaner every trip out. Develop a grease schedule based on hours and stick to it. Buy filters by the case quantity. You get a better price. Never let your schedule suffer because you don't have a filter on the shelf.
4) Mark filters with the date and hours. Change (outer) air , oil and filter every 100 hours, inner every 300 hours depending on your conditions. No cheap oil! , give it the good stuff. 2 1/2 gallons every time... As far as rest of the machine, let your experience and the manual guide you. I change the fuel filters every 200 hours and the hydraulic filters every 4-500 hours. Don't forget to check/change gear oil in the wheel drive motors. This machine has a timing belt! 1500 - 2000 hours I think.
5) Keep the teeth sharp. For all the same reasons you put a file to a chainsaw... Power, fuel, productivity... You can rotate or change all 6 lead teeth in less than 10 minutes and be throwing 6" ribbons instead of dust. Deal with full tooth changes when you are back in the shop. Air tools, radio and a good cigar!
6) Operator awareness. I don't wear ear protection. No radio... I have to hear the machine. It will tell you what's going on, when you are pushing too hard. When you are into something that should not be ground - rock, metal ect. If you smell something unusual, shut it down (cutter head) and pop the hoods and check it out. I saved my 50 from burning to the ground because I trusted my nose. I stopped a blown fuel hose from draining the tank because I smelled it first.
7) Cool down procedure. After a job, I load the machine asap and allow the machine to cool down prior to killing it. Not necessarily at an idle... you want to continue to draw a lot of air over the radiator. Then I will blow off the drive street, change shirts, wash off with a hose... there is always something to do while the machine is cooling down. How long is long enough? I need to plumb a temp gauge in. I give it a solid 5 minutes.
8) The muffler. There is a "muffler blanket" covering the muffler and an asbestos sleeve covering the tail pipe where it exits the hood. These have to be there, and in good condition. Do not buy the factory sleeve for the tail pipe. Use header wrap and copper worm drive clamps. This all keeps the heat out of the engine compartment. This machine generate A LOT of heat. Like you will not be handling the controls without gloves, kind of heat.
Hey, good luck with it! I hope you got a good one!
