Guide to Pump Jack Maintenance and Care

Guide to Pump Jack Maintenance and Care

A pump jack system is a simple machine, which is exactly why crews stop looking at it. Two poles, two jacks, a crank and a platform - nothing to service, nothing to fail. Except the poles take a beating, the feet wear into the ground, and the parts that hold the setup together are the cheapest pieces on the truck and the first ones to go missing.

Start With the Poles

Poles are the structure. Check them for bends and dents, especially near the ends where they have been dropped or driven against something, and check the connector holes for elongation. A pole that is no longer straight will make the jacks bind as they climb, and binding puts the load where the assembly was not designed to take it.

Poles also need to be kept out of the dirt. Storing them laid on the ground invites rust and crushed ends, and a dented pole is a pole you cannot trust at working height.

Poles and connectors are the first thing to inspect when a system starts feeling different, and the first thing a crew tries to blame on the jacks themselves.

Feet, Anchors and Braces

The base is where most setups fail. A Werner pole foot at $9 under every pole spreads the load and stops the pole edge from digging into soil or creeping across a slab. Feet are also the part that goes missing when a system gets unloaded in a hurry.

Pole anchors tie the poles to the wall or to each other so the setup cannot separate under load. Our steel pole anchors in a four pack at $42 are what stop the base kicking out, and they are the part inspectors look for first.

Braces then carry the working height. The rigid support brace at $115 locks the work bench to the poles so it cannot walk or lift, and it should be checked for straightness every time it goes up.

The Crank, the Bench and the End Rails

The crank and the jack assemblies need to move freely and hold when they stop. Test each jack on the ground before the platform goes up: raise and lower it through its travel and watch for slipping, grinding or a handle that does not return. A jack that slips under load is the failure mode that puts a crew on the ground.

Bench and end rails complete the platform. Our Werner aluminum work bench at $164 is the deck, and the narrow end rail kit at $259 and wide end rail kit at $289 close the ends so nobody steps off. A safety net at $370 goes under any platform working above an opening or a walkway.

Keeping a System Complete

The most common maintenance failure is not wear, it is a missing part. A setup assembled from three different loads over two years is missing a foot, a brace or a pin, and nobody notices until the platform moves.

Lay the whole system out before it goes up the first time each season and count the parts against the manual. Everything we sell for the Titan and Werner pump jack systems is on the floor in Rowlett, so a missing piece is a same-day pickup rather than a workaround.

If a jack starts slipping or a pole comes back bent, replace the part. There is no field repair for either one that leaves the system at its rating.

Keeping the System Working

Pump jack systems are simple enough that crews stop inspecting them. Count the parts and test the jacks and the whole system stays dependable.

Tell us which brand you run and we will put together the spare parts kit worth carrying.

Everything ships from 5030 Dexham Rd. Ste. 103 in Rowlett, TX, and local crews can pick up the same day. Call 972-331-1090 and we will tell you what is on the floor right now.