NZ Final Drives - FAQs
I’ve been offered a genuine final drive -how do I know its genuine?
It is easy to identify a genuine final drive as it will have the branding of the original manufacturer (e.g. Kubota or Komatsu) or the manufacturers supplier (e.g. KYB, Eaton) on its name plate. Genuine final drives are built to the original manufacturers’ specifications. Genuine final drives are expensive and often not in stock, especially if you have an older excavator. Genuine final drives will not have the importers name or logo on the name plate or casting.
You have the option of buying an after-market final drive which should be branded with the importers or distributors name. After-market final drives are a similar quality and more affordable.
At NZ Final Drives we sell quality after-market final drives. We only import from one supplier so we can monitor the quality of their drives. Our drives come with a two-year warranty.
Whether you buy a genuine, or an after-market final drive, make sure you ask the right questions – how will I know is it a genuine or an after-market final drive and what is the drives warranty?
If you want the best quality and the most competitive prices buy your aftermarket drives from NZ final Drives.
What does my final drive look like inside?
We cut open a smaller final drive (picture above) so you can see the motor and gears.
I have broken one Drive, should I buy one or two?
There really is no wrong or right answer here. We would recommend you buy two for the reasons set out below in the next section.
(Typically, about half of our customers buy just the one, with the other half buying two. Of the customers that buy just the one, some come back and buy a second in 3-12 months)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying one versus two?
Obviously buying one is considerably cheaper than buying two. The chances of your second drive breaking in the next 12 months depends of course on how many hours you expect to do and how hard you work your drives (like pushing dirt with the blade).
If you don’t use your machine much it could be years before the second one goes. On the other hand if you are a commercial user it could be only a matter of days before the second one stops working.
Replacing both at the same time has the advantage you only have one downtime versus having to do it all over again if your other side fails soon afterwards.
Lastly and not the least, replacing both drives at the same time will ensure your machine tracks in a straight line, whether in first or second speed, and whether under load or not, We talk about this more in the next section.
Will my machine track in a straight line if I only buy one Drive?
Okay first up, if you buy two Drives from us, yes of course it will track in a straight line, because both Drives will be new and have the same wear, and same performance.
If you buy one, the speed might be slightly different. Some customers cannot tell the difference, whereas some customers say there is a slight speed difference. Remember if you are replacing one side, it is because it has worn out, so it is very likely the other side is worn too. Worn Drives become slow, and loose their power over time.
You may find the new Drive has more punch when you change between forward and reverse, and will have more power when pushing dirt for example.
If I connect the hoses up wrong to the Drive can I damage it?
YES!! Typically you will have four hoses from your excavator connecting to each Drive (unless it’s a 1-speed machine, in which case you will have three). The two larger hoses are your Forward and Reverse. A smaller hose will be your 2-speed connection and there will also be a Case Drain hose (oil return). Typically the Case Drain can be connected to a lower or upper port on the Drive depending on which side the Drive is being installed. We provide a connection diagram in the box with each Drive we sell.
If you connect the hoses up by mistake you can instantly destroy the Drive when it’s put under load.
Is it cheaper to rebuild a Drive or buy a new one from you?
Yes – this is because the cost of new aftermarket Final Drives has come down a lot in the last 5 years. High volume production systems, improved tooling technology, means quality replacement Drives exist. Don’t get us wrong there is still a requirement for re-building Drives especially if your machine has an unusual Drive.
Please be aware though that not all new Drives are the same. There are many copy cat companies out there selling junk. That is why we provide a 2-year unlimited hour warranty on all our Drives. You won’t get that with a rebuilt/reconditioned Drive!
What oil does the Drive take and how often should I replace it?
Use gear oil SAE80/90W, and change it every 250 hours. The handy 2.5 litre, and 1 litre packs shown below have pull out snorkels making it easy to pour into your drive and are readily available from places like Repco, Supercheap Auto. A 1 litre pack will be enough for most Drives up to 5-6 tonnes.
Why are your Drives cheaper compared to competitors?
We specialise only in aftermarket Final Drives. That’s it!
We do not protect our rebuild prices by inflating our new Drives prices as we don’t rebuild!
We sell in volume, and together with our overseas partnered companies, sell thousands of Drives per year.
We have spent considerable time and investment to find the best Drive solutions at great prices.
Investing in quality products means we get minimal returns, which keeps our overheads low.
We simply have minimal overheads.
What is the typical freight cost for one of your Drives?
Our Drives vary considerably in size and weight. Our smallest weighs less than 20kg, with our largest Drives weighing over 500kg.
All Drives are prepacked in a fork truck style pick-up pallet. You can pick up from us directly and we can load into your vehicle, or we can provide a competitive quote to freight (typically by Mainfreight) to your address-‘or t
What does my final drive look like inside
We cut open a smaller final drive so you can see the motor and gears.
I have broken one Drive, should I buy one or two?
There really is no wrong or right answer here. We would recommend you buy two for the reasons set out below in the next section.
(Typically, about half of our customers buy just the one, with the other half buying two. Of the customers that buy just the one, some come back and buy a second in 3-12 months)
What are the advantages and disadvantages of buying one versus two?
Obviously buying one is considerably cheaper than buying two. The chances of your second drive breaking in the next 12 months depends of course on how many hours you expect to do and how hard you work your drives (like pushing dirt with the blade).
If you don’t use your machine much it could be years before the second one goes. On the other hand if you are a commercial user it could be only a matter of days before the second one stops working.
Replacing both at the same time has the advantage you only have one downtime versus having to do it all over again if your other side fails soon afterwards.
Lastly and not the least, replacing both drives at the same time will ensure your machine tracks in a straight line, whether in first or second speed, and whether under load or not, We talk about this more in the next section.
Will my machine track in a straight line if I only buy one Drive?
Okay first up, if you buy two Drives from us, yes of course it will track in a straight line, because both Drives will be new and have the same wear, and same performance.
If you buy one, the speed might be slightly different. Some customers cannot tell the difference, whereas some customers say there is a slight speed difference. Remember if you are replacing one side, it is because it has worn out, so it is very likely the other side is worn too. Worn Drives become slow, and loose their power over time.
You may find the new Drive has more punch when you change between forward and reverse, and will have more power when pushing dirt for example.
If I connect the hoses up wrong to the Drive can I damage it?
YES!! Typically you will have four hoses from your excavator connecting to each Drive (unless it’s a 1-speed machine, in which case you will have three). The two larger hoses are your Forward and Reverse. A smaller hose will be your 2-speed connection and there will also be a Case Drain hose (oil return). Typically the Case Drain can be connected to a lower or upper port on the Drive depending on which side the Drive is being installed. We provide a connection diagram in the box with each Drive we sell.
If you connect the hoses up by mistake you can instantly destroy the Drive when it’s put under load.
Is it cheaper to rebuild a Drive or buy a new one from you?
Yes – this is because the cost of new aftermarket Final Drives has come down a lot in the last 5 years. High volume production systems, improved tooling technology, means quality replacement Drives exist. Don’t get us wrong there is still a requirement for re-building Drives especially if your machine has an unusual Drive.
Please be aware though that not all new Drives are the same. There are many copy cat companies out there selling junk. That is why we provide a 2-year unlimited hour warranty on all our Drives. You won’t get that with a rebuilt/reconditioned Drive!
What oil does the Drive take and how often should I replace it?
Use gear oil SAE80/90W, and change it every 250 hours. The handy 2.5 litre, and 1 litre packs shown below have pull out snorkels making it easy to pour into your drive and are readily available from places like Repco, Supercheap Auto. A 1 litre pack will be enough for most Drives up to 5-6 tonnes.
Why are your Drives cheaper compared to competitors?
We specialise only in aftermarket Final Drives. That’s it!
We do not protect our rebuild prices by inflating our new Drives prices as we don’t rebuild!
We sell in volume, and together with our overseas partnered companies, sell thousands of Drives per year.
We have spent considerable time and investment to find the best Drive solutions at great prices.
Investing in quality products means we get minimal returns, which keeps our overheads low.
We simply have minimal overheads.
What is the typical freight cost for one of your Drives?
Our Drives vary considerably in size and weight. Our smallest weighs less than 20kg, with our largest Drives weighing over 500kg.
All Drives are prepacked in a fork truck style pick-up pallet. You can pick up from us directly and we can load into your vehicle, or we can provide a competitive quote to freight (typically by Mainfreight) to your address.