Hydraulic cylinders all leaking at once?

[JRP]

I noticed a grapple cylinder rod seal leak, so I replaced the seal. Then a lift cylinder rod started leaking. A seal supplier website stated "if you have a rod seal leaking, you might as well replace them all at the same time because they tend to all go bad at the same time. Well, the rest of the rod seals are now leaking. Could this be real? What would make all the old seals start leaking at once? I use Bobcat fluid which is expensive and have been thinking about changing to John Deere hydraulic fluid. Thoughts?

 

[oosik]

My guess - all seals are manufactured to the same tolerances and get the same use on your grapple. So......all things being somewhat equal - - the idea that they will all fail around the same time is probably a fairly reasonable assumption.

The other idea - been a considerable time since the grapple was last used and all the seals have gone dry - - doesn't sound very reasonable.

 

[AllDodge]

Not sure if Bobcat fluid is equivalent with Kubota. If the BC fluid is hydraulic then its like AWS42 so 20W, but if its hydrostat fluid then its something else.

 

[JRP]

The machine is a Bobcat T190, 2006 model.

 

[txdon]

On the Kubota I had all four Hydraulic cylinders on the FEL started leaking within 12 months of each other, so I would say that statement is correct. The tractor was 14 years old.