Does anyone have their own hose crimper to make up hydraulic hoses ?

[alchemysa]

Just curious how fellow equipment owners handle the problem of needing to replace hydraulic hoses every few years due to wear and tear ?

Don't assume that hose repair will cost you a fortune. I recently had a hose split near the coupling. I took it to the local hydro guy, he just wound the coupling off, cut a couple of inches off the hose and wound it back on again. No new parts at all were required - just 5 minutes of his time. I think he said you can do this a couple of times with each coupling before they need to be replaced. (It was such a cheap job. I think he only asked for less than $10. I felt guilty for taking up his time for so few dollars, so I asked him to make up a spare duplicate for me so he could make a bit more money.)

Bottom line is, talk to a good repair shop before you make any decisions.

 

[/pine]

It's a fun fantasy to imagine having a crimper but it's just not cost effective to consider...I keep an assortment of different lengths of assembled hoses for emergencies along with a a good assortment of fittings etc...

I hate to increase the competition but I am always searching e-bay etc. for different "lots" of hydraulic gear....I once bought a set of K_ubota loader hoses (5 hoses with sheathing) for less than $50.00...

I recently bought a loader valve with remote (cab) joystick that just the three hoses that came with it would cost me more than I paid for the whole shooting match at NAPA etc...

 

[bazman]

Every few years? Your hydraulic hoses should last at LEAST 5 years. Here take a look at this article about storing and shelf life of hydraulic hoses, it helped my hoses last a little longer.

 

[kc5dlo]

My neighbor is a forklift mechanic and had a hose crimper on his company van. Company put one on every van at one point in time. The idea was that if they needed a hose they could make one on the spot and save time. in reality he said they rarely had the right combination of hose or fittings. I bought extra hose and fittings from Discount hydraulic Hose and we mad up a few hoses and some spares for my tractor. He no longer works for the same company and the new company does not have crimpers on the trucks. Now I just order the custom hose from Discount and if I am in a rush like last time, Took the bad hose to NAPA and they made a replacement while I waited. It was less than 10 bucks more than buying online.

 

[/pine]

An old thread about a pipe dream...:laughing: (no pun intended)

FWIW...These days for me...ordering hoses is a very simple process...unless I need an exact OEM clone hose I order all hoses with straight male pipe (NTP) ends...and I use NPSM f/m swivel adapter fittings, they are available in the same configurations as more expensive (crimped) hose end fittings...They are a mechanical joint so there is no sealant etc. required and they are much less prone to over stressing like jic connections can ...conversion fittings are available and over-sizing is just as easy if needed...

...For new projects it really simplifies ordering hoses just use NPSM f/m swivel adapters on the control valves and cylinders etc...then use straight male hose ends (like most pre-made hoses from places like Tractor Supply etc.)...
There is no orientation issues with opposing hose end angle fitting etc...

 

[westcliffe01]

I'm afraid that if you have a piece of equipment designed for commercial operation with a 'higher than AG" pressure rating, all of the stuff at TSC etc with standard end fittings may be useless. No-one seemed to pick up on the fact that I need 5000psi working pressure rated hose and fittings. Thats probably also why the hoses dont last that long since damage tolerance at 5000psi is lower than at say 1800psi. If your equipment lives its life outdoors with constant sun exposure, that is yet another factor in determining life expectancy.

Ive been too busy the last couple of years to do the hydraulic rebuild on my backhoe, although I do have the HST pump and main hydraulic pump matched to the HST outlet shaft sitting in my garage. Where I live right now, I have a good vendor to make hoses for me with a couple of day turn around time and I source the hose and fittings and give them a crimp sheet for the fittings. But once I make a move to a more rural location, getting hoses made may involve a much longer drive and wait.

When I replaced the hoses on the hoe itself, I tried to identify the sources of damage and concluded that overconstraint in some clamp blocks as well as rocks getting captured in some confined areas and then smashing the hoses when at the limit of travel were major contributors. I ran all the hoses through a vinyl coated firehose at the bottom of the boom to keep out the rocks and grit and put an abrasion resistant layer between the hose jacket and the aggressive environment at that most susceptible point. In the years since the hoe does not leak at all, now it is the loader joystick, pair of backhoe joysticks and hoe steering cylinders that seem to leak the most. I also want to replace the loader hoses since they are original and I don't want them to fail when I have something valuable in the bucket....

In the meantime I got myself a Kubota tractor that is late 70's vintage (M4500DT) and will be building a loader for it, since aftermarket loader companies want as much for their loaders as I paid for the tractor. With ~50hp PTO, this machine has enough power to run more serious hydraulic power implements, like bigger front mounted brush hogs and the like. Cant have possessions without having to maintain and repair them....