Dressing Up A Scratched Cylinder Rod???

[Wayne County Hose]

How are you at disassembling then assembling the cylinder? If you can do it, Baileynet.com: Main Page for the rod. Bring the old rod and new to a machine shop to be done, and assemble it with new seals. If you can "maybe" do this, give me a call and I'll walk you thru it.

 

[Dougster]

How are you at disassembling then assembling the cylinder? If you can do it, Baileynet.com: Main Page for the rod. Bring the old rod and new to a machine shop to be done, and assemble it with new seals. If you can "maybe" do this, give me a call and I'll walk you thru it.

Well, I've already ordered the tools to do the job myself (based on the assumption that I would simply buy a replacement Bradco rod and seal kit). However, if this concept of reusing the current parts... other than the rod itself... makes good sense, I'll do that!

Clearly, the cost of the replacement Bradco part will play a big roll in my decision.

Dougster

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Doug, you could get a complete Hercules brand cylinder for about $150 and use the ram and modified as necessary. Sounds like your local shop might be the answer for you though.

 

[Dougster]

Doug, you could get a complete Hercules brand cylinder for about $150 and use the ram and modified as necessary. Sounds like your local shop might be the answer for you though.

Hi Brian - Your price sounds awfully low for a cylinder of this size, strength and features, but I know you have contacts and maybe you know something that I don't know. The bottom line is that the price on the Bradco replacement rod is going to make the decision for me. Beyond that, Andy has got me interested in checking machine shops and hydraulic cylinder rebuilders beyond my normal stomping grounds. I'd like this not to be a financial disaster... but on the other hand, I want this fixed absolutely right! No compromises!

Dougster

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Hi Brian - Your price sounds awfully low for a cylinder of this size, strength and features, but I know you have contacts and maybe you know something that I don't know. The bottom line is that the price on the Bradco replacement rod is going to make the decision for me. Beyond that, Andy has got me interested in checking machine shops and hydraulic cylinder rebuilders beyond my normal stomping grounds. I'd like this not to be a financial disaster... but on the other hand, I want this fixed absolutely right! No compromises!
Dougster

OK,OK, man I'm 59 cents short. I can get a Hercules 4" cylinder, 18" stroke with 2" ram for $150.59. Remove the ram and change the piston and ram end and your set. Maybe get a 20" stroke to give your machine shop some extra to work with, $157.15.

Just trying to give you other options, or you could install a 4" cylinder, you'd have some curling power then.

 

[Dougster]

OK,OK, man I'm 59 cents short. I can get a Hercules 4" cylinder, 18" stroke with 2" ram for $150.59. Remove the ram and change the piston and ram end and your set. Maybe get a 20" stroke to give your machine shop some extra to work with, $157.15. Just trying to give you other options, or you could install a 4" cylinder, you'd have some curling power then.

Point made and acknowledged. The Bradco stuff is way over-priced... and even just repairing this rod could cost more than a new cylinder. And yes, I would LOVE more power in the bucket curl circuit... although a 3.5" bore cylinder would be all that would fit and that I'd dare mount. Don't need to be making new problems elsewhere.

But let's just take a deep breath and let this thing play out. I'm betting that I can beat that local guy's price if I can do most of the disassembly and reassembly work myself. Can I get it down to $150? I doubt that. But it's worth something to me to fix and keep the original Bradco cylinder intact. As least for this repair, that is my goal.

Dougster

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Point made and acknowledged. The Bradco stuff is way over-priced... and even just repairing this rod could cost more than a new cylinder. And yes, I would LOVE more power in the bucket curl circuit... although a 3.5" bore cylinder would be all that would fit and that I'd dare mount. Don't need to be making new problems elsewhere.

But let's just take a deep breath and let this thing play out. I'm betting that I can beat that local guy's price if I can do most of the disassembly and reassembly work myself. Can I get it down to $150? I doubt that. But it's worth something to me to fix and keep the original Bradco cylinder intact. As least for this repair, that is my goal.

Dougster

I agree with what you are going to do, just don't want to see you pay more than $200 for the rod and then pay for the rest of the machine work. You think that Bradco takes their cost and then marks it up 4X? As with the car makers, the car would cost $$$$ if you built it out of the parts department.

 

[Wayne County Hose]

OK,OK, man I'm 59 cents short. I can get a Hercules 4" cylinder, 18" stroke with 2" ram for $150.59. Remove the ram and change the piston and ram end and your set. Maybe get a 20" stroke to give your machine shop some extra to work with, $157.15.

Just trying to give you other options, or you could install a 4" cylinder, you'd have some curling power then.

I've actually done this before. If a guy comes in with a cylinder and it's got costly damage, I'll price out a new aftermarket cylinder, cut the ends off both, weld the old ends on the new cylinder, and you have a new cylinder for a fraction of a replacement from a dealer.

 

[Dougster]

I agree with what you are going to do, just don't want to see you pay more than $200 for the rod and then pay for the rest of the machine work. You think that Bradco takes their cost and then marks it up 4X? As with the car makers, the car would cost $$$$ if you built it out of the parts department.

I've actually done this before. If a guy comes in with a cylinder and it's got costly damage, I'll price out a new aftermarket cylinder, cut the ends off both, weld the old ends on the new cylinder, and you have a new cylinder for a fraction of a replacement from a dealer.

As much as aftermarket cylinder replacement with mods could make economic sense here, I am not going to do it. Not this time and for this repair. I want the original Bradco cylinder properly repaired and I am prepared to pay whatever it ends up taking to have that done. I do not want a new aftermarket cylinder installed regardless of any potential savings.

There are plenty of other instances I can imagine wherein I would happily consider this approach provided I had access to the right people and right parts at the right price... but not this time.

Dougster

 

[Dougster]

Well, some bad news... but then some very good news... to report from my travels today:

The bad news is that the other machine shops in my area that I decided to check in regard to replacing my cylinder rod seem to have no interest at all in my little project. So much for going outside the "usual suspects" to try to save some money.

The good news is much better. A brand new bucket cylinder rod from Bradco is reportedly only $219.00. That is supposedly full list price. With another ~10% discount from Woodbury (albeit with another very long ride), I would likely be looking at less than $200.00. This is almost shockingly cheap for anything with the Bradco name on it... so I intend to re-verify tomorrow before ordering. I would not be surprised to find out that it is a mistake... but if it is true, my decision has been made for me. I go with a complete new cylinder rod from Bradco.

Dougster