Hydraulic hose's.

[BargeMonkey]

Wondering how many of you guys are doing hoses yourself. I've been talking about buying a set up for a while and now I'm really serious, but like anything I always look around before I jump.  :D. Any tips or suggestions ? Nearest place for me to get a hose done is 20+ miles either direction, and good luck sometimes. Looking at a parker machine that does up to 1-1/4, but I doubt I even do alot of 1" stuff, mostly 1/2".

[starmac]

Just thinking, but have you thought about just keeping hose and reusable aeroquip ends on hand, at least a few of the most popular ones?

[North River Energy]

I have free access to a Gates pc707.  Friend got it cheap on account of broken solder joints on the digital display.  Fairly straightforward once you get it calibrated, and I've crimped non-Gates fittings to good effect (most manuf. will provide their final crimp diameter). Will do both two-piece and one-piece fittings.
This comes in handy when those random assortment of fittings show up on Craigslist for next to nothing.

The one minor issue is the need for two different compression cones, as one will do straight and angled fittings, but only up to 3/4.  1" and up requires a second cone. I think it's a $100 inconvenience.
Don't recall if it's rated for 4 wire...
Even if most of your hose is 1/2, the extra capacity is nice if you want to do suction line with crimped ends, rather than hose barb.

[BargeMonkey]

 I've never used to many of the reusable ends before, just something I don't know much about. We have had some on the boat for making a fuel line in a pinch but that's about it. My local dealer keeps trying to sell me a package, I've held off because I had a friend with a machine and hose but that's come to an end. 90% of my stuff is JIC or pipe, little bit of o-ring and our powerscreen stuff is metric. I just like asking questions on here because most of you guys have been down this road.  :D. Morradian hydraulic is about 1hr to either store for me, which basically kills the day, because it's never the easy hose. I'm getting to the point machine wise where I think it's cheaper, but again that's why I ask around. I've got 6 months left on the boat and I'm hanging it up for good, so getting my ducks in a row.

[starmac]

I have used the reusable ends for years (aeroquip) I don't need them a lot, but have over the years saved quite a few, so now have a pretty good selection of standard sizes.
There will always be those, even with a kit, that will require an end you don't have.
I do feel your pain, where I haul logs from is 2 hours just back to the pavement, so a bad hose is basically a day in downtime by the time it is all said and done, especially if it comes about late in the evening.

[Loghauler86]

A hose machine with the equipment you have or plan to have would be the wisest move you could make. We bought a parker machine years ago and it quickly paid for itself. I like Parker's crimping machine due to its simplicity. Also for you, you Timbco has parker hoses which makes it nice too. I couldn't imagine working without a hose machine.

[deastman]

I have a Parker hose machine setup and it works great. One rig I've got is all metric BSPP and Parker has all the fittings for it. I looked at a lot of different crimpers before I went with Parker and their hose and fittings work great.

[BargeMonkey]

 Thanks, that's what I was hoping to hear. I've been looking at a Parker machine that does up to 1-1/4. 4 places within 20 miles each direction that do hose, but it's a good chance you get their and they don't have an end. I have had to do a few hoses on my timbco and I just head for Albany anymore. What are the most common fittings you guys are keeping on hand ? With me being home fulltime shortly I'm going to start doing hoses for people, and other good suggestions? 

[pineywoods]

I'm slowly converting everything to pipe thread with adapters where needed.  I keep just a few lengths of hose with pipe fittings, the adapters are re-usable. Surplus center stocks just about any kind of adapter.

[scsmith42]

I have a Parker portable hose crimper.  The pro's are that I can repair a hose on a machine if needed, and have the flexibility to repair and make hoses myself.

The drawback is the investment in the fittings required.  I have equipment from Cat, JD, Dresser, Ford, Baker, New Holland, etc, and it seems as if they all use different styles of fittings.  About half the time I still need to make a run to a local industrial supply to either purchase fittings or simply have them make the hose up.

Any more, I watch e-bay for deals on fittings that I know will work with my equipment and then buy 10 pieces at a time.

If you have fewer machines and can standardize on a few different fitting types and sizes, it will make things easier.

[Loghauler86]

We started with 1/4-1" male and female JIC and pipe. We now stock 3/8-3/4" flat face strait, 45 and 90 degree for john deere and the Timbco. We have amassed quite a collection now. The fittings are a large investment but between the cost savings and time savings it well worth the investment.

[BargeMonkey]

 Ive been looking and pricing stuff, I don't think 10k in hose and fittings goes that far, especially with the bigger stuff. I'm going to get JIC, Pipe and flat face and see how it goes, morradian said if I call before 3 pm I can have it delivered before 9am next day, or have anyone we know stop on their way home from Albany. We really don't have alot of hose trouble, maybe buy 30 a yr, but I think it's a good investment. We have a mixture of equipment, but I see more Cat stuff showing up when I'm home fulltime, how Nortrax hasn't gotten ran out yet I don't understand.

[Jhenderson]

I guess you made up your mind but I'll offer this; $1,000 buys a lot of hose and reusable fittings. Particularly if the majority of your stuff is pipe or jic. I've had a lot of factory crimps leak. Never had a properly built reusable leak. Maybe that's why the aircraft industry ( think Aeroquip) doesn't crimp fittings, they're all 2 piece. Not to mention I repair my ruptured hoses at the stump. I don't even bother to go to the landing. A sharp axe and an oak stump cut hose faster and as clean as a chop saw. My2cts. Maybe worth less than that.

[BargeMonkey]

I guess you made up your mind but I'll offer this; $1,000 buys a lot of hose and reusable fittings. Particularly if the majority of your stuff is pipe or jic. I've had a lot of factory crimps leak. Never had a properly built reusable leak. Maybe that's why the aircraft industry ( think Aeroquip) doesn't crimp fittings, they're all 2 piece. Not to mention I repair my ruptured hoses at the stump. I don't even bother to go to the landing. A sharp axe and an oak stump cut hose faster and as clean as a chop saw. My2cts. Maybe worth less than that.

I'm not knocking your opinion, that's why I'm on here asking.  ;) I've only really used crimped fittings, kind of a what you know thing. I enjoy the FF so much because it is a small world, but I ask alot of questions and everyone on here has been down the road before.

[starmac]

Never tried cutting a hyd hose with an axe, but bet it works. Stump repairs would be easily done, but a vice sure is nice on stubborn ones. lol

You are correct about the fittings, I have never seen one leak at the fitting, the hose had to go bad,one way or the other, and I have seen many crimped fittings leak, mostly new, probably defective crimps.

[Ken]

I have a Gates machine at the shop.   We are fortunate that the local suppliers will give you a crimper provided you buy x amount of hoses and fittings/year from them.   The key to hose trouble is to identify the hoses that usually give you trouble and have a spare made up and on site.  It costs a lot of money to keep all fittings in stock but  you can usually identify the ones that are most common.

[BargeMonkey]

 My forwarder and log truck are really the only 2 that I consistently change hoses on, and I keep 7-8 hoses under the seat in my truck.  :D
I'm putting up a country store / gas station, and I think once word got out I was doing hoses I would do 20-30 a week. Alot of the weekenders up here have machines, and 99% of them don't know where to go for a hose, that's the big reason behind me jumping for a hose machine, I get what I need for myself, and they pay the outrageous cost for the convenience.  ;D.  Hose machine is cheap, sitting here on the boat doing the math on a newer tractor and used tank trailer, going to pay someone the first yr and that's it, @ .05 cents a gal I could finally justify a real decent tractor.

[starmac]

Smart move to have someone else to haul your fuel for a year or so, till you get an idea of your average volume.
Check real serious what insurance is going to cost you to haul your own, if you can even get someone to cover you.
I know guys that were set up hauling their own fuel that mothballed their tankers when insurance requirements changed a few years back.

[teakwood]

 You will have the hose machine for you own use and also will have paying customers?! sounds like a no brainer to me

[coxy]

a few weeks ago I got a1/2x 30in long hose with to female ends and it was 62$ and they charge 7$ a piece to crimp the ends BargeMonkey you should be able to get you money back in no time  ;D  I looked weather head crimper last year that was real cheap the guy was going out of biz but never made the jump

[BargeMonkey]

 Found 2 complete packages for sale used, going to compare that to morradian's package and probably jump when I get home. Only problem is 1 is 3phase, which isn't a huge problem but a bigger headache if I set it up at my sawmill. My dad and i have talked about it for 10+ yrs, but never could justify it. Like anything I ask lots of questions before I jump, we don't part with money very easily.  :D

[coxy]

Barge  your saying your so tight you squeeze a nickel till the buffalo craps :D :D :D :D :D

[BargeMonkey]

 ;)  my family invented copper wire by stretching a penny.  :D.  Lost the engine in my 2001 ranger pickup last saturday, had looked at a newer duramax service truck the day before but said no because I hadn't squeezed every ounce of life out of my little truck. Won't blink at buying a newer machine but a new truck, HA.  :D

[CTL logger]

I've had a gates 707 for 15 years bought it used when I had tri axle trucks with loaders I used it all the time. Now with the processor/forwarder I use it a lot less but when you need it you can make any hose.  The gates 4 wire fittings are 2 piece if you take a zip wheel and chisel you can cut off the outer collar pull the fitting out of the hose put a new collar on and crimp. I've saved a pile of money the last 5 years on 1 inch 4 wire fittings. I've never had one come apart after reusing the fitting.

[Ken]

  The gates 4 wire fittings are 2 piece if you take a zip wheel and chisel you can cut off the outer collar pull the fitting out of the hose put a new collar on and crimp. I've saved a pile of money the last 5 years on 1 inch 4 wire fittings. I've never had one come apart after reusing the fitting.

Good point CTL logger.  I too only use 4 wire hoses and reuse the fitting part several times.  Those larger ones are very expensive and they are quite reusable.  Also, if a crimped hose is built properly there is no reason for them to leak or blow apart.  Years ago when we were running some older cable skidders it was common to repair hoses in the woods an axe, hardwood stump and reusable fittings.   I don't think I would like to try that with possibility of contaminating a very expensive hydraulic system with pieces of steel and rubber which inevitably gets severed when cutting the end and not having some air there to blow out the crud.