Well, the Holidays are over, and we made it thru another year. There was no end of the world doomsday so this means that your hydraulic machines are still humming away as you do thru your
work days to achieve the status quo.
To keep your hydraulic machines – whether they be tractors, excavators, skid loaders or even log splitters- humming away, we are going to go over 5 easy tips you can perform yearly to make certain you’re running like a champ until 2019.
- Test your filter’s clogging indicator. We won’t tell you to just change the filters based on the calendar, because all of your filters will have clogging indicators that will tell you when to change your filter, right? If your clogging indicator is a pressure gauge, you can cycle flow through they system while the oil is cold. If the needle on the indicator moves even just a little, it works. If your needle is stuck in a non-zero position even when the hydraulic machine is off then it clearly needs to be replaced. Please note that this method only works for pressure gauge indicators, as electronic or pop-up indicators will only trip when a preset pressure is reached, which may not be possible to achieve unless the filter is almost clogged.
- Inspect hoses, tubes and pipes. If any of these components on your hydraulic machine are worn, corroded, frayed or broken, an inspection will reveal impending failure, which could be catastrophic if it were to occur in the filed or even on a public road. If a hydraulic hose or tube is even just slightly worn through or rubbing, an annual inspection will reveal this, allowing you to fix it before it costs you unexpected down time.
- Have your oil sampled and tested. If your oil is taken care of, then you should only have to change it when absolutely needed. By sampling the oil and sending it to a lab to be tested for ISO Code, water saturation and total acid number you can monitor the oil’s condition and decide if you should change it. Particles and water can be removed from oil, but the total acid number can tell you if the oil is oxidized, which is a sign it should be changed.
- Check for leaks. Slow leaks are most common and account for for most of the oil lost from hydraulic systems. The damage caused by a slow leak is both environmental and economic. Make sure your hydraulic machine is clean before you start, as it will be hard to see leaks when your machine looks like it just came out of a deep fryer. Start by running the hydraulic machine until the oil and fluids are warm which allows it to thin out enough to pass through what could be damaged seals or loose connections. Look at all the fittings and connections, around hydraulic motors, on the shafts of the cylinders, keeping and eye out for drips or extreme sheen. Plumbing and fittings should be changed where needed and motors and cylinders rebuilt with fresh seals as required.
- Inspect all accessory components and replace as required. Sometimes, pressure gauges, flow control valves, ball valves, filler/breathers, clamps, and quick-couplers are overlooked.
Their non-operation may not be noticed until they are absolutely needed, which is then too late. How many times has an implement been hooked up to a tractor only to find the couplers are seized? That missing handle on a suction line ball valve isn’t missed until the day you have to change your pump-and instead of just shutting the valve, you have to drain the whole reservoir.
These yearly maintenance tips can be added to your regular hydraulic machine maintenance routine, which will see your fleet running strong into 2018!
"I found a way to offer a very unique service with virtually no competition with Tubes n' Hoses. The bender and end forming capabilities are unmatched at this price point. Only industrial high production manufacturing equipment can top it. The hydraulic shops in the area refer their customers to me for the impossible. We have expanded from just doing a/c hose to so much more, and it's fun. I would highly recommend the Tubes n' Hoses system. Especially if in a rural location or area that has heavy concentrations of agricultural/mining activity. We have a huge competition in the hydraulics here so we concentrate on automotive, and the hydraulic shops hate to deal with automotive, so they refer customers here daily. Auto parts stores even bring us hoses to have made for their customers. For my business, they system has changed our situation. We've been able to scale the system to provide us with a solid income that allows us to provide a very unique service to our existing customers and open avenues to new ones." -Bob Steinmann, Century Auto Air
"Like many folks, I am resistant to change. I looked at the Tubes n' Hoses system for 5 years before I made the commitment to myself and the shop that this could be good. With the addition of the system to our shop, we have been able to diversify our client base. We are now doing many jobs, which before we had to turn away. With the constant expansion of our city and counties, we have had an influx of heavy equipment. Nearly all heavy equipment relies on hydraulic systems. My customers know that when I use my Tubes n' Hoses equipment, they are getting a superior product hand made to the exact specifications they request. Customers and shops around the country are noticing what we do. Our out of state customers have never been displeased with the turnaround time, thanks to the Tubes n' Hoses system. Owning this system can be a life changing decision and I highly recommend making the upgrade to your own shop to serve your customers in ways you could not before. After years of looking at just about every system on the market I have not found any to compare with this one. Minute for minute this can and will improve your productivity and bottom line. I wholeheartedly recommend Tubes n' Hoses!"
"When first looking at the Tubes n' Hoses system there were a couple of obstacles; one being lack of knowledge on knowing how to utilize everything the machine offers, and the second being the cost of the machine itself. When we made the decision to purchase, we found out how much the machine offers, how much it helped our customer's needs, and it felt good to be self sufficient! We like all the features of the machine, but the tube bending station really helps out, especially when you are bending the bigger sized tubing. Again, it goes back to satisfying our customers needs. As I mentioned before there are many things the machine offers. It is capable of upsizing/downsizing, beading, and flaring multiple sized tubing. Crimping standard and reduced barrier A/C hose. The list goes on! I would recommend this system. The machine is capable of doing so many things. Basically, it comes down to being self-sufficient and satisfying our customer needs, which is our NUMBER ONE PRIORITY!"