Crimping or field fittings for homeowner

[RNeumann]

I'd like to put my toe in the water with regards to making hydraulic hoses. I haven't seen a good inexpensive press so was looking at the field made fittings. Anyone found a good inexpensive press or had good luck with the field fittings? I'm going to probably use 1/4" and 3/8" hose to start- I think that's most everything on my little machine.

 

[oldnslo]

for infrequent use reusable ends are nice. Problem with a crimp style is getting all of the correct dies for the different hoses. If you can standardize on one or two sizes this is less of a problem. I have never seen a used crimper sell for what I thought would be a reasonable cost for infrequent use. Possibly check with local hose supply houses to see if they are close to updating their equipment. They might sell the old stuff at a decent price.

 

[jenkinsph]

I would rather have the local hose shop build the hoses. Everyone needs to make a living imo.

I have made my share of hoses in a large hydraulics company and the tool costs and overhead has to be covered. Most of the hose shops are fairly competitive today. Meaning there really isn't any money to be saved in a diy scenario with a few tractors.

 

[Texasmark]

I bought a well worn out JD 95 combine once. Had about 20 cylinders. I replaced all the packing/seals in the cylinders and hoses. I watched the local parts house make my hoses with double wire reinforcing in the hose (for the pressure requirement). He was struggling, had the equipment, the shop, and the experience. By the time he finished, I was convinced I made the right decision. Get the drift?

 

[LD1]

Hydraulic hoses is a tough business. I have many places locally that make and sell hoses. NAPA, oriley auto, and several independed shops. Problem is they charge about 3x-5x what I can order hoses online for though. So if I am being pro-active, or doing a project, I just order online. It would take ALOT of hoses @ $10 crimp fee to pay for a press/dies. But when your in a pickle, or late on a saturday or sunday and need the machine running....getting them made locally is the only option and you pay for it.

I have often though about just getting dies, and using a 20T press to save some money. But die sets are still several hundred bucks.

And gotta watch compatibility too. Two common "types" are parker and weatherhead. While the fittings will work on competitors hoses, you cannot crimp weatherhead fittings in a parker die and you cannot crimp parker fittings in a weatherhead die.

You also have to watch the hose. My preference is R16. Two wire, and half bend radius. But pressure ratings are varied. Smaller hose like 1/4" is 5000psi+ and it drops off the bigger you go. 1" hose is only 2400psi. The R17 hose is whats called constant pressure, and its what we stock at work. All the hose, regardless of size is 3000psi. But in the smaller hoses, it means only 1 steel braid. And on machines, I like the extra braid for extra abrasion resistance.

I avoid R2 hose because it is a little larger outside diameter, and what is called standard bend radius. Where as R16 and R17 are half bend radius, means you can bend it twice as narrow. R2 follows the same pressure ratings as R16, where it isnt constant.

I mention all of this about the hoses, because field attachable fittings are usually only good for R2 hoses. Which IMO is the least desirable of the 3. Given R2 has different outside dimensions than R16 and R17, you cannot use the field attachable on anything but R2 since the outer part that would normally get crimped.....just threads on the outside of the hose.

So decide what hose you want. If you can get by with R2 hose, then fine, but price the field attachables as well.Just a standard 1/2" JIC swivel fitting is $15-$20 each as opposed to ~$3

 

[Tractor Seabee]

If I buy the hose and fittings at my hose shop close by they do not charge to crimp them.

Ron

 

[RNeumann]

I have no interest in replacing my local hydraulic shop. Their are several near by. My hope was to overcome my stupidity or a failure after hours. Over the holidays, and during a storm, I went to switch from my SSQA snow blade to my pallet forks and nearly pulled away with the 3 function hydraulics still hooked up. This is what got me thinking about getting some basic parts so I wouldn't be left without my machine.
No matter the shop..... I wouldn't call them after hours, or on a holiday- especially if I can spend a few hundred bucks and do this myself......in a pinch.

Thanks LD1- I hadn't thought about the hose needed.....something else to consider.

 

[LD1]

I have no interest in replacing my local hydraulic shop. Their are several near by. My hope was to overcome my stupidity or a failure after hours. Over the holidays, and during a storm, I went to switch from my SSQA snow blade to my pallet forks and nearly pulled away with the 3 function hydraulics still hooked up. This is what got me thinking about getting some basic parts so I wouldn't be left without my machine.
No matter the shop..... I wouldn't call them after hours, or on a holiday- especially if I can spend a few hundred bucks and do this myself......in a pinch.

Thanks LD1- I hadn't thought about the hose needed.....something else to consider.

I understand your need completely and that is my thoughts too. After hours or weekend stuff. Would be nice just to have in house. But I cannot possible forsee what hose I may break. And most of the AG/construction I have been around uses "bastard" hose ends. Meaning that they upsize the fitting. IE: 1/2" hose, -10 fitting.....3/8" hose, 1/2" fitting. By backhoe is what is really bad....3/4" hose....-14 fitting.

My kubota has 1/4" hoses for my diverter and remotes and 1/2" for the loader. Dads kubota has 3/8" for the loader. His backhoe loader is also 1/2. My hoe takes 5/8" hose for the loader and 3/4 for hoe, with the main supplies being 1". So.......I would have to stock everything up to 1". Then fittings, Some are 90's, some are male pipe, Some are JIC male, Jic femal, 90* pipe swivels.

If I did my best to try to have every fitting covered that would probably be about 10 different ones. Times about 7 different sizes, times about two each.....Thats almost $150 fittings. And sure as heck I wouldnt have the right one when needed because I would have overlooked something. For me, with dad and I both haveing backhoes, and both having loader tractors......my needs just wait til monday morning.

For you if all you have is one machine, you may be able to limit it to just a few sizes of hose and fittings. But you are still probably looking at ~5 or 6 different fittings. And stock a couple of each. And the prices on the field fittings are just insane compared to a crimp. You might turn a $10 hose into a $40 hose pretty quick

 

[1stDeuce]

How about another method of being prepared?

I have all replacement hoses made with Female JIC fittings on the ends. I buy adapters if necessary to accommodate whatever the OE hose was on the ends. (Most have been SAE O-ring on one end and JIC on the other, so I commonly use one SAE-JIC adapter per hose replacement.) For now, when I replace hoses, I keep the longest and least leaky old hose as a spare.

I still have some hose replacing to do, but when I'm done, I'll toss the old hoses and two JIC-JIC hoses will be my spares. They may be long for some places, but I'll be able to replace ANY damaged hose on the tractor with one of those two hoses and get going again, immediately. I'll get a hose made the correct length when I get to town, or order one if it's a standard length...

Two or three or even four hoses are WAY cheaper than buying hose, fittings, dies, etc...

Check your tractor. You might find that it wouldn't be that hard to have a hose or two, and a fitting or two that would allow you to replace any failed hose on the tractor...

And for things that get plugged/unplugged, I HIGHLY recommend using breakaway (also called 2-way) hydraulic fittings... My tractor came with them on the loader, and I put them on the BH as well. Forget to un-couple, and they just pull out. (You have to mount the female end by its collar.) You connect them by pushing the male end in, and disconnect by simply tugging it back out. No collar to mess with, no problem if you forget and drive off...

 

[LD1]

Dont necessarily need a 2-way coupler for break away. A standard coupler, if mounted by the sleeve, provides the breakaway protection.

The two-way part makes it so you can hook it up with one hand just by pressing in, without having to have a hand on the back side to bush the female body forward.