Best Practices
Should You Choose OEM Components for Your Equipment?
Whether it’s for maintenance, repairs, or upgrades, all your heavy machines are going to require new components at some point. When you’re choosing your construction equipment parts, you have several different options available to you. In this article, we’ll review those options and what the benefits are for your heavy equipment.
The primary types of construction equipment parts
The three main categories of construction equipment parts are OEM, aftermarket, and remanufactured.
OEM components – OEM stands for original equipment manufacturer. These types of parts are produced by the manufacturer that built the machine, and they are identical to the components that were in the machine when it was produced.
Aftermarket parts – Aftermarket components or accessories are produced by other manufacturers, different from the one that originally produced the equipment. They are designed to closely replicate OEM components and are often less expensive.
Remanufactured parts – Remanufacturing is a process that begins with an old, worn out complex part, and restores it to like new condition in terms of performance and reliability. When parts are remanufactured, they are completely taken apart, cleaned, checked for quality, re-engineered, and rebuilt with new individual components to meet OEM specifications. They are less expensive than OEM parts but deliver the same standards. Common examples of reman parts include oil pumps, torque converters, power shuttles, A/C compressors, injection pumps, alternators, and others.
Which type of parts should you choose?
OEM components are typically the best choice when it comes to purchasing construction equipment parts. Here are the top reasons why:
- Quality - OEM parts are designed and built specifically for your piece of equipment from the same manufacturer. You can be sure of a precise fit and optimal performance and will likely receive better support if there is an issue with the part than you would with aftermarket.
- Warranty - OEM components will typically be covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and using them will not impact your equipment warranty. Installation of aftermarket parts may compromise your machine’s warranty.
- Reliable distribution - Manufacturers will generally have a large dealer network and parts inventories, so you can get what you need quickly to put your machine back to work as fast as possible.
When it comes to aftermarket parts, the primary cons are a lack of compatibility and quality. Because of how they were designed, aftermarket components may not be compatible with your machine unless you make some adjustments and modifications. These changes will add to the total cost of the part and could compromise its effectiveness.
The reason why aftermarket parts are generally less expensive than OEM components is because they are typically lower quality. They also aren’t put through as rigorous of testing to ensure they do their job correctly. So, the question is, if you’re considering aftermarket parts, are you willing to risk expensive downtime caused by an inferior component for a slight cost savings in the short term?
What about remanufactured parts?
Remanufactured parts are a great alternative to OEM components. They are significantly less expensive than buying new, but, unlike aftermarket options, they are built to the same factory specifications and often covered by warranties that are the same as or better than new OEM parts.
When it comes to choosing construction equipment parts, we recommend you choose OEM components or remanufactured options. If you have any questions about which parts to choose, contact our team today!