Ok J_J You Won This One

[Texasmark]

For those not up to date, several months ago I posted on a log splitter power unit I made out of an otherwise useless conventional riding lawn mower. I posted a pic and J_J commented on it in both a positive and negative manner. Positive was that it looked like it would do the job (which it has done), and negative was "considering I replaced the water pipe fittings with high pressure hydraulic fittings. I replied that I had been using a combination of both for over 30 years and never had a problem.

Well today I eat CROW. I have been doing heavy duty farm work with my 65 hp tractor and using a hydraulic cylinder rather than a conventional manually adjustable 3rd member. The right angle hydraulic fitting to the cylinder was just such a water pipe fitting. The cylinder has been under severe lifting stresses, lots more than the usual lift on a drag type hydraulic lift cylinder.

It was really hot and my tractor temp gauge was moving over center mark and I brought it into the watering trough to cool it off. While washing down the cooling coils, I moved around to the rear to dust that off too and saw a water pipe fitting on the hydraulic 3rd member, I had decided was the thing to use, had broken off at the cylinder.

First time in over 30 years I had a WP failure. But I did. The super slick thing about this is that it must have broken just as I stopped to cool off things. Hyd fluid was splattered all over the 3pt and all, but in checking the hyd fluid level dip stick, I was still at the upper mark. Had it broken 5 or minutes prior I would have had some serious, expensive no less, problems.

So, I reinstalled the manually adjustable member to finish cutting my hay today and tomorrow I will go to town and get some bonafide high pressure hydraulic fittings.

Is this a confession? Yes.
Do you need to rub my nose in it? No
Did I learn my lesson? Yes
Am I getting a kick out of this dialogue even though I was wrong? Yes
What else can I say but thanks J_J for your insight.

Mark

 

[J_J]

It was strictly an observation and safety thing.

Yes, people do get away with things not up to par for awhile, but then something bad happens.

 

[kennyd]

Good of you to share, others can learn from your experience...

Also remember that the fittings you've been using "for 30 years" are probably a lot better than whats available today form China.

 

[Discount Hydraulic Hose]

Thank you for posting this. Real world examples have more impact on people than guys spouting off specifications from a book. I'm sure there will be some other members who read this, and heed the advice. You may save them a lot of headache, and maybe something more significant.

If you can afford to wait a few days for shipping, I can probably save you a few dollars on this hydraulic fittings.

Steel Hydraulic Tube and Pipe Fittings

 

[J_J]

There are many people that will not admit to their mistakes or misdeeds.

I don't mind telling others about my commercial accident where I slid down a wet steep hill, and fell off a 4 ft ledge and the Dixie Chopper fell on top of me. My head missed an AC unit about 1 ft.

Just a few seconds and one can die and nothing one can do about it.

I survived with a lot of hurt and more knowledge than I had before.

I was real brave scooting up and down those hills, but afterwards, used much more caution.

 

[Texasmark]

Thank you for posting this. Real world examples have more impact on people than guys spouting off specifications from a book. I'm sure there will be some other members who read this, and heed the advice. You may save them a lot of headache, and maybe something more significant.

If you can afford to wait a few days for shipping, I can probably save you a few dollars on this hydraulic fittings.

Steel Hydraulic Tube and Pipe Fittings

Thanks, I picked up a dozen rt angles and straight swivels yesterday while in town. Going to backfit everything.

Mark

 

[Texasmark]

There are many people that will not admit to their mistakes or misdeeds.

I don't mind tell others about my commercial accident where I slid down a wet steep hill, and fell off a 4 ft ledge and the Dixie Chopper fell on top of me. My head missed an AC unit about 1 ft.

Just a few seconds and one can die and nothing one can do about it.

I survived with a lot of hurt and more knowledge than I had before.

I was real brave scooting up and down those hills, but afterwards, used much more caution.

I guess that's what separates us seniors from young "edge dwellers". I have been lucky my entire life. I have been in situations where I could have come out in a really bad way but didn't. My boys weren't that fortunate.

Mark

 

[Texasmark]

Good of you to share, others can learn from your experience...

Also remember that the fittings you've been using "for 30 years" are probably a lot better than whats available today form China.

Thanks. Agree on the last sentence.

Mark