A tree spade is a simple machine by design, but it works in abrasive soil and runs on oil at thousands of PSI. That combination is why tree spade maintenance comes down to habits: a walk-around before every dig, cleaning and greasing after it, and a thorough service when the season ends.

This guide puts the whole routine in one place, with practical maintenance tips, a winter storage checklist and a printable crew checklist. Your operator’s manual is the final word on intervals and lubricants for your model. Where Big John has not published a figure, this guide describes general practice.

One note on wording. Many people searching “tree spade service” want a tree moved, not a machine serviced. Big John builds the machines and does not move trees on customer properties, so if that is you, start with its guide on how to choose a tree transplanting contractor. Everything below is about servicing the spade itself.

Before Any Service: Relieve Hydraulic Pressure

Every maintenance task starts with the same step. Ohio State University Extension’s hydraulic safety training for landscaping and horticultural crews warns that fluid can stay trapped in the system after the engine and pump are stopped, and that trapped fluid can exceed 2,000 PSI, even in a raised implement that has been disconnected.

For context, Big John’s spec sheets list hydraulic relief pressures of 2,500 PSI on the 45D, 3,000 PSI on the 55D through 90D models, and 3,500 PSI on the 100D. Treat every hose and fitting on a spade as live until you have relieved the pressure yourself.

1. Lower the spade so no part of it is held up by hydraulic pressure, or block it securely as your manual directs.
2. Shut off the engine, disengage the PTO or auxiliary hydraulics, and set the parking brake.
3. Relieve residual pressure the way your spade and carrier manuals describe. On a manual valve bank that usually means moving each control lever back and forth several times; an electric valve bank or a skid steer’s auxiliary circuit may need its own procedure.
4. Switch off the remote and take the key with you.
5. Put on safety glasses and gloves before you loosen any fitting.

Never run your hand along a hose to find a leak. A pinhole leak can inject fluid through skin, and Ohio State Extension notes that these injuries can look minor yet need surgery and can lead to gangrene. Use a piece of cardboard or paper, and get medical help right away if fluid breaks the skin.

OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, lists hydraulic energy among the energy sources it covers and requires stored energy to be relieved before servicing, though it excludes construction and agricultural employment.

For farm operations, 29 CFR 1928.57 requires employers to instruct workers to stop the engine and wait for all movement to stop before servicing. Whatever rules apply to your crew, the practice is the same.

Start With the Manual and the Spec Sheet

Big John supplies a manual with its skid steer tree spades and says it will send one to owners who lack it. Keep a copy in the truck: it walks through the lubrication and cleaning checks for your spade.

Check the spec sheet too. Big John lists the hydraulic flow each spade expects: 10 to 16 GPM for skid steer models such as the Model 28, 12 to 15 GPM for the 45D, and 20 to 22 GPM for the larger truck-mounted models. If cycle times slow, compare your carrier’s flow with that rating before replacing parts.

Daily and Pre-Dig Checks

Most day-to-day maintenance of a spade happens here. Big John advises a visual check every time you move a tree. It takes a few minutes and catches most problems while they are still cheap. Do it before the first dig and whenever the spade has been reconnected.

• Look under the machine for fresh drips, then check fittings, valves and cylinder rods for an oil film.
• Inspect every hose at every hookup. Big John notes that lines wear from rubbing and when their rubber coatings dry out.
• Cycle the blades without a tree. They should travel smoothly and meet cleanly.
• Check pins, gate hinges, the gate lock, quick-attach pins and mounting hardware for play or loose bolts.
• Confirm the hydraulic fluid level, and clean couplers before connecting them.
• On truck units, check the water tank and hose. Big John’s on-board water provides lubrication in tough digging.
• Test the remote. On skid steer models, Big John suggests slowing the adjustable valve speed for new operators.

After Every Dig

For its skid steer spades, Big John’s guidance is to clean dirt, sand and debris off the spade after every move, lubricate the blade towers, and grease all bushings and pivot shafts. Packed soil and sap hold moisture against the steel and grind at moving parts.

Big John recommends a high-pressure water or detergent-based cleaner, and its truck-mounted spades carry a hose attachment for washing down. As a general precaution, keep the pressure wand off seals, hose ends and electrical connectors.

Greasing and Lubrication

Big John advises cleaning and lubing its skid steer spades with a light chain lube, as the manual explains, plus lubricating the blade towers and greasing all bushings and pivot shafts. The company does not publish a grease type or interval online, so take both from your manual or ask the factory. General habits that apply to any spade:

• Wipe each fitting clean before attaching the gun, so you are not pumping grit into the joint.
• Grease until fresh grease appears, then wipe off the excess, which collects abrasive soil.
• Replace any fitting that will not take grease.
• Grease right after washing to push water out of the joints.

Dry, scored pins and egg-shaped pin holes are the classic signs of a spade that went without grease, and wear that reaches the frame is an expensive repair.

Blades, Slide Blocks and Other Wear Parts

Big John’s skid steer spades use blades cold-formed from AR400 steel, and its truck-mounted D-series ships with heat-treated blades. The company describes its blade edges as needing minimal annual maintenance, but they still deserve a close look.

• Check cutting edges for cracks or thinning, and the welds at high-stress joints.
• Blades that no longer close evenly point to alignment or wear problems.
• Check blade adjustment and bushing wear, which Big John lists among its annual checks.
• Talk to the factory before grinding or building up a blade edge, since a reshaped blade may not seat correctly.

Big John’s slide blocks are made from top-grade plastics, and the company says they dig for thousands of tree moves with no bolts to rust. Slides may need replacing sooner in very high-volume nurseries, so check slides or rolls at least once a year.

If you are not sure which blade layout or angle suits your soil, Big John’s guide to tree spade blade configurations explains how blade count and angle affect the cut.

Hydraulic Hoses, Cylinders and Fluid

For its skid steer spades, Big John recommends checking hydraulic lines at every hookup, inspecting them closely once a year, and replacing them every couple of years to prevent leaks. For other models, follow your manual.

• Hoses: look for abrasion, bulges and weeping fittings. Reroute or sleeve any hose that rubs.
• Cylinders: oil film on the rod points to a rod seal leak. A cylinder that creeps under load suggests internal seals are passing fluid.
• Fluid: it should look clean. Milky fluid means water contamination, and dark fluid with a burnt smell points to overheating.
• Air: erratic movement can mean air in the system. Bleed it as the manufacturer instructs.

Change fluid and filters on the schedule in your spade and carrier manuals. When a symptom has no obvious cause, use Big John’s guide to troubleshooting hydraulic problems on tree spades, or read how hydraulic systems power a tree spade for background.

Annual Pre-Season Service

Big John recommends a close once-over of the whole rig every year before the transplanting season. Add a mid-season check after heavy digging. Beyond the daily list, cover:

• Mounting hardware, sub-frame and welds.
• Quick-attach plates and locking pins on skid steer and loader spades.
• Stabilizing and leveling pads.
• Water system plumbing on truck units.
• The carrier’s PTO, pump and hydraulic connections, serviced to its own manual. On factory-mounted units, Big John specs the PTO and pump to the truck’s transmission.
• A professional inspection for hydraulic failures, structural damage, or persistent alignment problems.

End-of-Season and Winter Storage Checklist

When the season ends, how a machine goes into storage decides how it comes out. In cold zones that usually means once the ground freezes; crews in warm zones often dig through winter and lay up in the summer heat instead. Rust, cracked hoses and seized pins tend to start while a spade sits.

1. Deep clean. Wash packed soil out of the towers, blade backs, slide areas and pads, then let the machine dry fully before it goes under cover.
2. Inspect while it is clean. Cracks, worn slides, loose pins and weeping fittings are easy to see on bare steel. Write everything down.
3. Order parts now. Replacing wear items in the off-season beats chasing them in the busy season, and it cuts downtime once digging starts.
4. Check the hydraulics. Inspect hoses, rods and fluid. If a fluid or filter change is due, do it now so the system sits on clean oil.
5. Grease every point after washing, and protect bare, unpainted steel as your manual recommends to slow rust.
6. Drain the water system on truck units before the first freeze, including the tank, lines and hose. Water left in plumbing can freeze and crack it.
7. Relieve pressure and park it safely. Rest the spade so nothing is held up by hydraulics, with cylinders retracted where your manual allows, to protect the rods.
8. Store it dry. Indoors is best; otherwise cover it and keep it off bare ground. Cap the couplers.
9. Winterize the carrier to its own manual, including batteries and coolant.
10. Tag the machine with what you found and what still needs doing.

Spring Start-Up

Before the first dig of the new season, reverse the process:

• Read the tag, install new parts, and check fluid levels.
• Inspect hoses again, since rubber can crack in storage.
• Grease every point, then run several slow, unloaded cycles.
• Check for leaks with cardboard, and confirm the locks and controls work.
• Refill and test the water system on truck units.
• Review safe operation and servicing with every operator before the season starts.

Printable Tree Spade Maintenance Checklist

Print this for the truck or shop wall. Big John does not publish the “per manual” intervals online, so fill them in from your manual.

When	Check	What good looks like	Initials and date
Before each dig	Walk-around leak check, cardboard only	No fresh drips, dry fittings, no oil film on rods
Before each dig	Hoses	No rubbing, cracks, dried covers or weeping fittings
Before each dig	Cycle blades unloaded	Smooth travel, blades meet cleanly
Before each dig	Pins, hinges, gate lock, mounting	No play, keepers in place, bolts tight
Before each dig	Fluid level, couplers, remote	Level correct, couplers clean, controls respond
After each dig	Clean the spade	No packed soil in towers, slides or pads
After each dig	Lubricate and grease	Towers lubed, bushings and pivot shafts greased
Yearly, before season	Blades, slides and bushings	No cracks or thinning, correct adjustment, wear within limits
Yearly, before season	Full hydraulic inspection	Sound hoses, dry rod seals, no cylinder drift
Per manual	Hydraulic fluid and filter change	Clean fluid, not milky or burnt
Every couple of years (skid steer)	Replace hydraulic lines	New lines routed clear of rub points
End of season	Deep clean, inspect, order parts	Written parts list, parts ordered
End of season	Drain water system (truck units)	Tank, lines and hose empty before freezing weather
End of season	Storage	Pressure relieved, rods protected, couplers capped, covered
Spring	Start-up cycle	No leaks, locks and controls working

Buying a Used Spade? Run the Same Checks

Everything above doubles as a pre-purchase inspection. Cycle the spade fully, check hoses, rods and fluid, and feel each blade for play at the pivots. A seller who will not let you run the machine has told you something.

Big John cautions that some spades on the market are working beyond their service life. Its used tree spade inventory lists customer trade-ins and demo equipment the company describes as carefully inspected and maintained.

When to Call the Factory

Big John’s parts and service team answers routine and preventive maintenance questions, and the company says parts are ready to ship the same day in most cases. It can usually help troubleshoot over the phone, and owners can also bring a spade in.

Skid steer owners can also read Big John’s skid steer tree spade maintenance guide, where the factory advice quoted here comes from. To compare machines or plan a replacement, browse the full line of Big John tree spades, built in Heber Springs, Arkansas, since 1975.

Related guides

• How to buy a used tree spade: Where used spades come from, a seven-point inspection and red flags that mean walk away.
• Choosing used tree spade equipment: Nine checks before buying used: condition, history, blades, hydraulics, parts and warranty.
• New or used tree spade: Pros and cons of new and used tree moving equipment, by budget and frequency of use.

Tree Spade Maintenance: Common Questions

How often does a tree spade need maintenance?

Big John advises a visual check every time you move a tree and a close inspection once a year, and for its skid steer spades, cleaning and lubrication after every move. Grease, fluid and filter intervals vary by model, so take them from your manual. Add a full service when the season ends, before the spade sits.

What parts of a tree spade need grease?

For its skid steer spades, Big John’s guidance covers lubricating the blade towers and greasing all bushings and pivot shafts, with a light chain lube as the manual explains. Grease any other fittings your manual lists, right after washing. Wipe each fitting first and stop when fresh grease appears, so you are not pumping grit into the joint.

How do I store a tree spade for winter?

Clean and inspect it, order worn parts, grease every point, and drain the water system on truck units before freezing weather. Then relieve hydraulic pressure, rest the spade so nothing hangs on the hydraulics, and store it indoors or under cover.

How do I find a hydraulic leak safely?

Relieve the pressure, then use cardboard or paper, never your hand. Wear safety glasses and gloves, and wipe fittings clean first so a fresh drip is easy to spot. Ohio State University Extension notes that fluid injected through skin needs surgical removal and can lead to gangrene. Get medical help immediately if fluid breaks the skin.

How long do tree spade slide blocks last?

Big John says its slide blocks, made from top-grade plastics, dig for thousands of tree moves. Very high-volume nurseries may need to replace them sooner, so check slides or rolls at least once a year. Blades that no longer travel smoothly or meet cleanly are a sign to look at the slides sooner.

Is tree spade service the same as tree transplanting service?

Not always. Some people use “tree spade service” to mean hiring a crew to move a tree; others mean servicing the machine. Big John builds tree spades and does not move trees on customer properties, so for a move you need a contractor. For parts, manuals or maintenance questions on a Big John spade, contact the factory.