NAPA vs. O'Rielly's for Hydraulic Fittings

[Gale Hawkins]

O-Ring Face Seal (ORFS) Female Swivel x O-Ring Boss (ORB) Adapter

The link is just for the photo of what I am talking about.

At O'Rielly's the same fitting was $12 each and today I got the same size at NAPA for $4 each.

Since they are not the standard pipe threads on the JD backhoe they can be a little harder to find but NAPA locally states they normally stock two each of the most common hydraulic fittings.

NAPA does not seem to be open often when I need to pick up something so I wind up going to O'Rielly's first but the line-up of options are 1000x greater at NAPA it seemed at a glance in the warehouse.

I was trying to do a little before I went into the office this morning when with the hoe I pulled a blown over tree past the back tire and a limb that I did not see caught the fitting on the stablizer pad that was deployed.

When I went to lunch I picked a place near NAPA and got the coupler that I needed today and picked up a spare for the two different size connectors used on the 1983 JD 310B backhoe so I will be ready next time if I can find them.

Now I will make a point to get by NAPA for hydraulic needs on my first stop for parts.:thumbsup:

 

[Diamondpilot]

For hydraulics I got to the internet or local hydro shop. Napa was better on a bunch of bearings I needed this summer for 9 different trailer rebuilds but for the most part the guys at Napa around here could not find the wifes happy spot with a map, gps, and both hands. O'riellys is much better. Not sure if they stole all the guys who know something or what? They also turn rotors which is a big plus but seem to be higher than Auto Zone or Advanced on things like oil.

I shop around. One air filter I recently shopped for ranged from $5 to $30 depending on the store. Not a big difference in quality (Fram, Puroliator, Wix). Same was true on a seal I needed. Napa was $3 and Advanced auto was $17. Battery I needed at one place was $65, others ranged from $89 to $120. I ended up with a 60 month Exide for $65, aprox 1/2 the price of Napas 72 Month. Yes, it was 12 months more but for $55 more???? Not me. All are about the same distance from the house so I jump on the next first before I leave the house.

Chris

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Well yesterday morning about an hour into what was to be a 10 hour day I broke another hydraulic fitting. This time it was on the hoe itself.

I am clearly a steep bank about 12'-15' high so i have to work from the bottom and top to get to all of the trees. The short was I was digging from the low side and I had one leaning tree about 8" through get on the boom when digging the tree next to it.

In hindsight I should have knocked it over first. It slowly came over and was resting against a hose fitting. While I should have just shut it off and walked to the house and got the can saw I decided I was smart enough to get it free but was not and oil started to fly.

After I then when walked to the house my son and I cut the BH free (tree was only one the hoe and not the tractor) and finally got the coupler off. Some forgot to tighten it to stop any leaking yet not so tight it could not be removed.

NAPA was paided another visit and I went back to their hydraulic center.

WOW they had a huge asile of nothing but fittings on both sides. They again had what I needed and I again bought two of that type fitting as well so now I have a spare for three used on the BH. One on FEL, stablizer pad and now the hoe itself.

This 90 degree coupler was only like $8 each so I was double excited to get going again about sun down.

My neighbor had hit a deer and he called me to tell me about the death of a friend of ours and learned I was going to town for a parts run he asked if I would pick up a radiator, AC condenser and radiator fan for his 1996 Jeep. I swear getting parts together is worse than doing the job.

I was so glad to help because he will/has dropped what he was doing to help me for a day or two when it was not something I could do for myself. Plus I had our 14 year old son with me and on the fourth stop for the AC condenser I had the son to take the old one in and to ask for the part and give the vehicle info so that was good for training him to buy parts.

On the spare couplers I am hoping when you have a spare that will mean you will never need it.

One of these days I am going to take a few ragged hoses to NAPA and get new ones made to fit since they are well equipped.

 

[Patches]

and bring your chainsaw with you on the tractor

 

[Gale Hawkins]

and bring your chainsaw with you on the tractor

I have started leaving the tractor in the field and going back and forth on the electric golf cart so I can keep the saw and leaf blower where I can grab them quickly.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

O-Ring Face Seal (ORFS) Female Swivel x O-Ring Boss (ORB) Adapter

The link is just for the photo of what I am talking about.

At O'Rielly's the same fitting was $12 each and today I got the same size at NAPA for $4 each.

Since they are not the standard pipe threads on the JD backhoe they can be a little harder to find but NAPA locally states they normally stock two each of the most common hydraulic fittings.

NAPA does not seem to be open often when I need to pick up something so I wind up going to O'Rielly's first but the line-up of options are 1000x greater at NAPA it seemed at a glance in the warehouse.

I was trying to do a little before I went into the office this morning when with the hoe I pulled a blown over tree past the back tire and a limb that I did not see caught the fitting on the stablizer pad that was deployed.

When I went to lunch I picked a place near NAPA and got the coupler that I needed today and picked up a spare for the two different size connectors used on the 1983 JD 310B backhoe so I will be ready next time if I can find them.

Now I will make a point to get by NAPA for hydraulic needs on my first stop for parts.:thumbsup:

As an update the kid at O'Reilly's just overcharged me out of ignorance. He found the coupler I needed but it was not in a labeled package so he must to have just try to do a computer look up and guessed wrong.

After getting the same fitting at NAPA for $3.00 in the package with the Gates parts number I went back to O'Reilly's today to pick up another spare after bending another one last night and took the package. The correct price turned out to be $4.99 or only $1.00 than NAPA but that is fine because of their hours.

At noon yesterday I blew one 16" line from the control valve to the hoe master hydraulic routing block so NAPA was not an option nor again today.

Price wise it seems NAPA and O'Reilly are going to be about equal for hydralic lines and fittings. Locally NAPA has a edge on stock on hand it seems.

 

[rambler]

I didn't even know Orielly's did hyd parts, one opened here a year or so ago, looked like they typical windshield wiper & oil place, didn't think they had anything to interest a farmer? There is an AutoZone on the other end of town, they couldn't even get the wiper size right but he really wanted to instal it for me, haven't been back to that one either.

Napa is good and cheap in town they used to be really good but the old guys left, the new guys don't know anything couldn't even find a common bearing for me one day, the old parts guy wouldn't have had to measure, he had those numbers memorized. New guy took 15 minutes and got me one that didn't fit when I got home....

There is a local parts place that is very well stocked, very good, full machine shop in the back, where you go to find the odd stuff. Sometimes they even have the odd stuff in stock! Still have people older than me working there, know what they are doing. Think they are affiliated with AutoValu or some such of late.

--->Paul

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I didn't even know Orielly's did hyd parts, one opened here a year or so ago, looked like they typical windshield wiper & oil place, didn't think they had anything to interest a farmer? There is an AutoZone on the other end of town, they couldn't even get the wiper size right but he really wanted to instal it for me, haven't been back to that one either.

Napa is good and cheap in town they used to be really good but the old guys left, the new guys don't know anything couldn't even find a common bearing for me one day, the old parts guy wouldn't have had to measure, he had those numbers memorized. New guy took 15 minutes and got me one that didn't fit when I got home....

There is a local parts place that is very well stocked, very good, full machine shop in the back, where you go to find the odd stuff. Sometimes they even have the odd stuff in stock! Still have people older than me working there, know what they are doing. Think they are affiliated with AutoValu or some such of late.

--->Paul

Both are Gates hydraulic hose centers.

After spending time in both hydraulic shops on Friday/Sat they both seem to have the same style dies but locally NAPA can address more types of needs I am sure based on size of inventory of fittings alone.

Any kid that can use a tape measure, chop saw can make up quality hoses because the press is totally simple and info to the hose makes it clear as to how to set the settings on the press.

I had needs on the back hoe Fri/Sat/Sun. NAPA was not an option on Sat/Sun in our case but is fine for those who only work 8-5 which is most shops.

 

[rambler]

'Here' Napa is the one open 8-8 including Saturdays, and a bit on Sunday, tho on the weekend you'll get the kid that doesn't know where the bearings are stored..... And I know how easy it is to make a hose, but you over-estimate some of our young-uns. The local Napa is the parts depo for an 8 store franchise, so we got it pretty good from them.

The Fleet & Farm store (Runnings around this area) is where you can get cheap hoses if you need a standard length. Unfortunately they run out of fittings too quickly & only seem to resupply once a month or so.

OReillys - just doesn't look like the local store is into that sort of thing, wipers and oil filters, otherwise they don't really know what you are talking about.

Autozone - think it's a strain to ask them about more than fuzzy dice.

Just the local differences, comes down to experienced help and management. This is a farming community, if I have a whole crop waiting on harvest with rain coming - these types of stores don't get too many 2nd chances to get it right.

--->Paul