The mixing chamber is the part of a self-propelled soil conditioner that wears most easily.

If the parts in the mixing chamber become worn, not only does it reduce work efficiency, but it also places a heavy burden on other parts, which can lead to more serious problems.

The state of wear can be checked visually.
After use, clean and wash the machine frequently to check the wear periodically and replace parts as necessary.


Komatsu Construction Machinery's self-propelled soil conditioners (BZ210, BZ200, etc.) are types that use cutters and hammers to beat and mix the input soil.

Therefore, even soil with a certain amount of sand and gravel mixed in can be worked without pre-treatment.

However, if there are large pebbles or a large amount of gravel, the shafts may become distorted or the load on the mixing chamber may become excessive, causing the inside of the mixing chamber to cave in.

Depending on the condition of the soil to be fed, it may be necessary to reduce the load on the mixing chamber by pre-treatment, such as using a screen to remove pebbles of a certain size.

Soil cutters and rotary hammers are especially prone to wear, but it is difficult to determine the degree of wear if you see them every day.

Photographs or other photographs of new hammers and soil cutters will help to determine the degree of wear. You may find that hammers and other tools are unexpectedly unevenly worn.


On the other hand, Hitachi Construction Machinery's self-propelled soil conditioners (SR-P1200, SR-G2000, etc.) mix with paddles.

The paddles are attached to two large shafts like tree branches and rotate in different directions to stir the soil, but the bearings supporting the shafts are subject to heavy loads.

The bearings that support the shafts are subject to load. The timing for replacing the bearings is every several thousand hours of operation, but the cost of replacement is quite high.
For some reason, the bearing on the opposite side of the motor that transmits power tends to wear out faster.
This will always cause a strange noise, so check it carefully.

Replacing the replaceable paddles is easy. Manufacturers offer "wear-resistant paddles" that are probably made of tempered steel. Since the construction is simple, it may be possible to make a super wear-resistant version at the tool steel level.

In any case, be aware that repairs will be expensive if the base to which they are attached is damaged.

Next is the solidifier hopper area.

Since lime and cement are utilized in the solidifier, it is important to clean it with a compressor or other equipment after soil improvement work.
If the solidifier has stuck and hardened, it cannot be easily removed, so it must be steadily scraped off.

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In some cases, rainwater entered with a little solidified material remaining inside the hopper, causing the solidified material to harden.

The solidifier hopper of Hitachi Construction Machinery's self-propelled soil conditioners is a bellows-type hopper that can be folded.
The solidifier hopper is folded when it is stored, but when it is used, the bellows may become stuck due to inadequate cleaning, and when it is stretched out, it may tear.
This can happen when the hopper is stretched out.

Since the feeding system is a screw feeder type, the structure is completely inside the cover, making it difficult to clean.

The SR-G2000 requires removal of every single bolt for cleaning, while the new SR2000G has been improved with additional inspection and cleaning ports. This is a point that must be modified.

The solidifier hopper of Komatsu Construction Machinery's self-propelled soil conditioners is made of metal, so there is no need to worry about it breaking.

However, there are often problems with the rotating light (indicator light) attached to the top of the solidifier hopper that is broken when the hopper is removed and attached.

The hopper is equipped with a fin-shaped supply component that rotates like a shuriken so that solidified material falls evenly, and is rotated by three motors on the side of the hopper via a swivel linkage ported from PC30.

This motor leaks oil unexpectedly. When replacing it, be careful not to destroy the rotation sensor on the opposite side of the linkage.

The motors and sensors are delicate parts, so be sure to check and clean them thoroughly.

Now, although self-propelled soil conditioners have a relatively simple structure, they are equipped with many sensors to produce improved soil as set.

Among all the problems that can occur with self-propelled soil conditioners, trouble with these sensors (electrical system) is the most troublesome.

Even a single broken wire can lead to malfunctions, such as detection of abnormalities, inability to measure correct values, and inoperability.

Self-propelled soil conditioners often process soil with high moisture content and use lime or cement as a solidifier.
If the soil or solidifier continues to get on the wiring, the wiring sheathing may corrode and break.

Therefore, it is important to clean the area properly after work to remove soil and solidified material.

If you find that there are places in the wiring where soil or solidified material can easily get into the wiring, it is also effective to take measures to prevent soil or solidified material from getting into the wiring, such as closing the gap in advance.

In addition to the electrical system, it is also important to pay attention to corrosion of the main body of heavy equipment.

Self-propelled soil conditioners, which handle both "soil with high moisture content" and "alkaline solidification material," are used in an environment that is more prone to corrosion than other heavy machinery.

The self-propelled soil conditioners we used to handle were particularly corroded in the undercarriage, although the rust and corrosion of the main body parts were not serious, and the bolt heads of the crawler links fell off one after another every time they were moved.

Daily cleaning is important to prevent such corrosion of the main body of the heavy equipment, but solidified material will inevitably adhere to it. When it gets bad, the only way to remove it is to "peel" it off by hand or grind it off with a sandpaper grinder.

Another trick is to use an acidic toilet cleaner to remove the solidifier using the power of chemical reaction. If you have a chance, please try it.

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