Hydraulic hose quality

[st8yd]

I have seen newer hoses in far worse condition than older ones sitting right next to it.
I don't have to have the very best I just want to avoid the worst.
There are plenty of local places around me that make up custom hoses so access isn't a problem.
I have also seen there are online places to order custom hoses that are suppose to be much less expensive, but does it fall under the old sayin', you get what you pay for?
While this question is in general. I am getting ready to plumb in rear remote valves and 3rd function so I am going to be getting a good handful of hoses made up.
Thanks,
Jim

 

[wdchyd]

Jim, hose fabricators have lots of choices. Yes there is a difference in cheaper hose assemblies, they can be 1-wire vs 2-wire, Asian vs North American.
Some manufacturers are masking lesser quality with higher pressure ratings but still use 1-wire hose for more flexibility. At our repair shop cheaper alternatives are avail but name brand quality 2-wire is our priority cuz every machine has a weak link, we don’t want our work or a replacement hose to be the weak link again.

 

[Tinhack]

I just recently bought about 18-20 2-wire hoses from Surplus Center to re-plumb my Kenbota and add grapple lines. Most were 3/8" with JIC-6F ends and some 1/2" with JIC-8F ends and one SAE-10 pump line. That's about 40 total crimped ends. Out of those, about 25% leaked on first use.

I was able to twist the fittings in the hose and that stopped the leak but I wonder what will happen as time passes. It was all hose made in USA as were the fittings. They were nearly half the price of custom made at a local shop but certainly not cheap. I spent over $800 on hoses and fittings (I had to convert from NPT to JIC). And I covered all the hoses with expandable sun-block covering this time.

I hope this re-plumb out lasts me.

 

[wdchyd]

Tinhack, what was the USA brand of hose and fittings did they use?
A crimped end that is able to be twisted? That’s not right, I would’ve sent all those back if they didn’t know how to crimp using factory specs. They will blow off when you are in the middle of a big job.
In the end quality cost more, but not all USA supplied hose material is of the same construction.

 

[TractorGuy]

You can't determine quality by country of MFG.

I was having a local company make all my hoses and they used a different foreign made brand every time.

One of the hoses they made for my backhoe deteriorated and blew in 3 years. Looked like a 20 year old hose. I don't remember the brand name but it clearly said it was made in Italy.

The hoses they made for my John Deere loader are Balflex, Balpac Premium Shark Skin. Balflex shows their production facilities in China. These hoses are 2-1/2 years old and look like new.

I switched to a local Carquest that only uses Gates hose and fittings. So far those are doing well but are only a couple of years old.

My grapple came equipped with Parker brand made in the USA hose. It is 2-1/2 years old and the hoses show hairline cracks all over the covers.

 

[5030]

All I use is Parker and hairline cracks in the outer sheath means nothing. If the hose meets ASAE specs and is stamped as such, it's good to go far as working and burst pressure.

 

[TractorGuy]

All I use is Parker and hairline cracks in the outer sheath means nothing. If the hose meets ASAE specs and is stamped as such, it's good to go far as working and burst pressure.

Hairline cracks are the beginning of the outside cover failing.

I much prefer my hydraulic hoses to show no cracking.

That said I have some in use on my Backhoe that were missing pieces of the outer cover before I got the machine. So yes, a hose may continue to function long after the outer cover shows signs of deterioration. But, cracking doesn't mean "nothing".

Given a choice of a new hose assembly I will choose a brand that doesn't start to crack in two years over one that does.

 

[Tinhack]

Tinhack, what was the USA brand of hose and fittings did they use?
A crimped end that is able to be twisted? That’s not right, I would’ve sent all those back if they didn’t know how to crimp using factory specs. They will blow off when you are in the middle of a big job.
In the end quality cost more, but not all USA supplied hose material is of the same construction.

NRP Jones is the maker of the hose. I don't know who made the fittings. The item says they're USA.

Here's a sample of the hoses.

I didn't say it was easy to twist. But it did stop the weeping.

 

[Tinhack]

So yes, a hose may continue to function long after the outer cover shows signs of deterioration.

This is true. All the hoses I just replaced have been exposed to full Texas sunlight for about 10 years. The outer rubber coating was gone on the topside of most of the hoses. They still worked. I just didn't want to take a chance with the new "heavy" grapple bouncing. And I went with larger hose too.

The outer rubber is not what's holding pressure. But the exposed hose fiber under it continues to deteriorate.

 

[5030]

Hairline cracks are the beginning of the outside cover failing.

I much prefer my hydraulic hoses to show no cracking.

That said I have some in use on my Backhoe that were missing pieces of the outer cover before I got the machine. So yes, a hose may continue to function long after the outer cover shows signs of deterioration. But, cracking doesn't mean "nothing".

Given a choice of a new hose assembly I will choose a brand that doesn't start to crack in two years over one that does.

Don't park it in the sun then. Only use it at night. Sunlight causes the cracking.