Is Your Material Blower Ready for Peak Season? How to Plan, Maintain, & Stay Ahead

While winter is often considered down time for landscaping and material blowing, it doesn’t mean there’s nothing you should be doing during the off-season. This is actually the perfect time to prepare your business for the busy months ahead. 

From identifying when it may be time to upgrade equipment to planning preventive maintenance that helps avoid costly downtime, we’ll show you how to use the off-season wisely. When peak season hits — and your bottom line depends on taking on as many jobs as possible — having reliable, ready-to-go equipment can make all the difference.

Why Landscape Equipment Planning Matters 

It’s no secret that the best time to get material blowing done is during the spring, summer, and sometimes fall. As a result, demand for landscape equipment planning typically peaks in the summer. And if your material blower maintenance isn’t on point when you head into busy seasons, this can have significant ramifications for project and finance-based goals. 

Every moment spent servicing equipment during peak season is time — and revenue — lost. Lead times for parts and service often increase dramatically when demand is highest, making winter the smartest window to prepare your material blowers and other landscaping equipment for spring.

Is Your Current Material Blower Ready?

So how do you know if your material blower is ready to handle next season’s projects? We’ll break down the big items to look for that simplify the process and help you plan for material blower maintenance when it’s easier to come by. 

Operational Material Blower Maintenance Tips (while Machine is Running):

• Reduced air flow, power, or general slowing of material movement – It’s fairly obvious, but bears repeating because it can signal larger mechanical issues that can often require more involved repairs.
• Noises – If it sounds weird, it probably is. Whistling, grinding, squeaking, squealing, or rattling — there’s a good chance new or unexpected noises are a cry for help, usually one directed at a professional material blower mechanic. 
• Smells – They say the nose knows, and for good reason. Burning smells, fuel or electrical odors, or any other unusual scents during operation, or just after, can indicate overheating or other mechanical issues with the material blower.  
• Feels – If any part of the blower feels overly hot, or is visibly rattling or shaking, you’ve likely got a maintenance issue on your hands, and need to schedule service right away.

Physical Material Blower Maintenance Tips (while machine is NOT Running): 

• Air Filters – Remove and visually inspect the material blower’s air filters — if they look dirty or contaminated, replacing them will help ensure smoother operation. 
• Fluid Leaks – Look around hoses, gaskets, and seals for oil or fluid anywhere it shouldn’t be. This can also indicate deeper mechanical issues with the material blower that should be addressed sooner than later. 
• Belts, Cords, & Wires – Keep an eye out for frayed ends, cracked or brittle components, and inspect couplings to make sure everything is fitted properly and looks the way it should. 
• Fan Blades & Vents – Take a look at the fan and vents to make sure there’s no debris or build up on the rotors or in the housing. 
• Fuel Efficiency – Just like a car, if you start noticing your material blower is suddenly guzzling fuel, it’s often a sign of larger issues. 
• Service History – Off-season is a great time to go through your equipment’s service history and records, so you can make sure that, even if something isn’t visibly wrong, you’re staying current with pre-scheduled preventive maintenance routines. 

Pro Tips: 3 Material Blower Maintenance Tasks to Knock Out Now

1. Do your physical & operational inspection now
2. Track down the maintenance manuals 
3. Contact local repairs for initial quotes on service and repairs

Material Blower Repair Timing Matters – And Why

Trying to schedule material blower maintenance during peak season can often be a major headache — lead times can run weeks or more, and parts, in high demand, can regularly be back-ordered or hard-to-come-by. 

Repairs are also going to cost you more during this time, because both parts and labor are at a premium, you’ll probably end up paying a premium price. Renting equipment might seem like a quick fix, but rental availability and pricing also typically get hit with similar seasonal demand pressures, which generally makes rental lead times long and rates higher. 

Pro Tip: Get Quotes From and/or Vet Machine Repair Vendors in Your Area to Anticipate Turn-Around Timing and Costs 

Should You Add Another Material Blower to Your Operation?

Think back to last season — were you stretched to the limit with your current equipment? Did you have to turn down jobs you otherwise might have been able to schedule with an added material blower? 

If you answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, it may be time to think about adding a material blower to your team. Even one added blower can help you take on more jobs, keep downtime to a minimum, and help you stay more competitive when demand is high. 

A good place to start to answer these questions more accurately may be to look at the data from last season to help you anticipate what to expect: 

Do you anticipate taking more jobs this season? 

Have you been doing more marketing or outreach that may increase demand? 

For many landscape contractors, potential returns on adding a material blower to their operations come not just from doing more work—but doing it more efficiently.

Something else to consider? Landscaping equipment lead times are increasing. 

With supply chain issues and other uncertainty in the heavy machinery environment, putting off a purchase, or waiting until the last minute to buy, could leave you waiting for the equipment when you could, and want to be, in the field knocking out jobs. 

Pro Tip: Research Material Blower Purchase Lead Times in Your Area

More questions about your material blower’s condition or seasonal readiness? Our team is here to help with expert guidance on upgrades, preventive maintenance, and equipment planning. 
Find your local material blower repair resource, today to get ahead of the season.