3 Features To Look For When Buying An Excavator For Your Gold Mine
Posted on: 3 February 2016
Precious metals, like gold and silver, tend to retain their value over time. To take advantage of the high gold prices in recent years, many people are opting to become gold miners. While popular television shows about amateur miners might fuel your desire to travel to the Klondike, it's important that you are educated enough to invest in the right machinery if you want to be successful.
Here are three features you should be looking for when you buy an excavator for your gold mine.
1. Look for an excavator with the ability to work in confined areas.
Gold flakes and nuggets are typically found underneath several layers of topsoil, rocks, and gravel. To reach gold-laden pay dirt, you must have the ability to dig a hole deep enough to access the right soil.
Since digging a large hole can require more effort than is necessary, you must have an excavator that can work in the confined space within your hole. Investing in an excavator with minimal tail-swing action, meaning the rear of the machine doesn't take up much space when rotating the excavator's bucket, can make your gold mining venture more profitable.
2. Look for an excavator equipped with fuel-fired heaters.
Digging for gold often requires miners to enter some of the harshest terrain in the United States. If your claim site is located in a harsh climate, you will want to ensure that the excavator you purchase comes equipped with fuel-fired heaters.
Operating an excavator in cold temperatures can cause fluids to gel, which can affect the performance of your excavator's engine. Fuel-fired heaters help to keep fluids like oil, hydraulic fluid, and gasoline at optimal temperatures.
3. Look for an excavator that is constructed from standard parts.
When you are shopping for an excavator to use on your gold mine site, it's important that the excavator you select is made from standard parts. Most mining sites are remote, and it can be difficult to have replacement parts shipped in from a manufacturer.
To ensure that you will be able to make the repairs necessary to get your excavator running again after a breakdown, you must be able to purchase parts from any heavy machinery dealer. Be sure that you ask about the availability of replacement parts before investing in an excavator.
Purchasing an excavator can make gold mining more efficient. For more information, contact Don Leslie Supply, Inc. or a similar company.
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