Rental Attachments Fouling your Hydro Fluid

JimMorrissey · Jul 28, 2005

What is the skinny on hydraulic rental gear fouling otherwise new hydraulic fluid...Is this something to worry about? For instance, what if I wanted to rent a hydraulic breaker for my hoe, or a hydraulic post hole digger for the loader.....who knows what kind of machine it was on and what kind of contaminates are in the fluid that you are about to start circulating through your system? Maybe it's not enough to matter, maybe it is....I guess it depends on how much fluid the tool uses.

Surely this has been discussed before. What is the concensus?

KennyV · Jul 28, 2005

Jim
The two attachments you mentioned pass fluid through them, unlike a cylinder that passes fluid back and forth.
With the pas through type it is rather easy to connect one hydraulic line and open the return line into a catch bucket. Slowly apply hydraulic oil through the tool and it will flush out the unknown oil… top off your fluid and you have less to worry about. KennyV.

MikePA · Jul 28, 2005

<font color="blue"> Maybe it's not enough to matter </font>
It's not enough to matter, IMO.

Highbeam · Jul 28, 2005

I've wonered the same thing. If that implement was full of something other than hydraulic oil what happens? Rental equipment is rented by some pretty shady characters and maybe they also rented or are running their equipment into the ground so they refill the low hydraulic reservoir with engine oil, diesel, beer, pop, whatever. Or maybe their hydraulic pump is on its way out and dumping metal fragments into the fluid.

I would feel better with the idea of flushing it once.

The hydraulic system on my IH dozer (has an optional 3ph)uses hytrans, a red fluid, not sure how that would jive with regular hydraulic fluid.

slowrev · Jul 28, 2005

I do the flush thing, costs a little bit, but a gal or so of unknown oil mixed in with mine a few times a year could be a bad thing.
I would think this to be especially for those particular enough about their tractor to go to the expense of buying synthetic or other high dollar Hydro fluid and then iluting it with oil of unknown quality.
Does not take a lot of water to mess up a lot of good fluid.
Ben

SeymourBota · Jul 28, 2005

If rental of several different pieces of equipment was contemplated, would it make sense to set up a bypass filter on some short hoses??
This would help with the contamination issue, if not the fluid type.
Frankly, even if I flushed some fluid through, I would still have concerns over contamination coming from heavily used rental equipment.

JimMorrissey · Jul 29, 2005

I agree.....I think I'll hook up the supply and just feed the foul fluid into a bucket before I connect the return.

Good to see you back Seymour, hope the blade is useful so far.