By Jim Fitch
Practicing Oil Analysis Magazine
I recently received an e-mail from a colleague seeking my opinion about a specific sampling philosophy. Referring to mobile equipment such as excavators, scrapers and dozers, he asked if good oil sampling depended much on sampling location.
He wondered, as he had often heard from others, if what truly matters most is sampling consistently, regardless of location.
Sampling consistently refers to the practice of meticulously following a prescribed procedure without regard to the accuracy or precision of the procedure. This is the way most oil samples, perhaps 80 percent, are taken today.