Making your own Hydraulic Hoses

[Brokengun]

How many of you make your own hydraulic hoses ?

What type of press tool do you use

Where do you buy your fittings and hose ?

 

[mtf]

I have a parker carry crimp, and can make anything from 3/16 to 1 inch. There are a few online supply stores I order "bite to the wire" parker 43 series ends.
Hydraulics direct, universal hose, hose and fittings supply are a few.


Within the last 2 or 3 years hose ends have doubled and even tripled in price, and I do not know why. The convenience factor and the quantity of hoses I maintain are why I make my own, I might not be saving much, but I have not had to outsource a hydraulic hose in over 10 years.

It doesn't take long to have 10k tied up in hose and ends alone.

 

[Andy Wickiser]

How many of you make your own hydraulic hoses ?

What type of press tool do you use

Where do you buy your fittings and hose ?

I have the economy option, a Weatherhead shop press kit with dies from 1/4" to 1". It uses my manual 30 ton shop press with a pusher, die ring and die. It uses standard two wire SAE hydraulic hose and U-Series ends. The selection of ends is fairly vast, both Wearherhead and clone. When I need ends I get the from Discount Hydraulic Hose (clone) or Ebay (often surplus genuine Weatherhead).

 

[caterpillar guy]

We have considered going there and the cost of equipment is only half the issue. The cost of hose and fittings is enormous and then if you need it now you are probably out of those fittings or at least one of them so you still can't make the hose up. So ordering them is a few days away .

 

[caterpillar guy]

IF you don't have high pressure like over the 2000 PSi level and can use pipe threads the farm stores will be the cheapest and easiest way to go. IT might not be the exact length you like but can get by with a bit long better than short.

 

[JOCCO]

Dabbled with it cost of machine and supplies is problem. Unless you have big volume and lots of equipment. Or in to selling it too. Also there is the screw on type for low pressure.

 

[4435]

Brokengun: I have a parker carry crimp picked up cheap on ebay during the external_link debacle. It had been used hard and abused. Does what I need on the farm. Probably have $500 or so dollars worth fittings. It is a 43 series 1/4" to 1-1/4" with 1/4,3/8, and half most common, made a few 3/4". I primarily watch my machinery, verify the hose ends and sizes and that is what I keep on hand. Only those case 7/8-18 fittings I let the dealer make, last hose 18 inches or so 90.00 bucks there with case ends. Buy ends of hose rolls save mucho there. Tell them I want an end at least X number of feet long.
You don't need the 2 wire hose like the 43 series unless you get a deal on the crimper with that series dies. The gripcrimp fittings are good have used them at times. Call 620-364-2930 talk to Kent or JJ most likely one of them will answer the phone. They will be able to tell you everything you want to know, some things you don't. It is handy to just run to the shed and build that 1/2" hose.
There is a local guy, has beaucoup hose and fittings, buys a lot of his stuff from them makes your hose and doubles his cost on everything. I have set in his office listened to him do it. He goes home about 3P.M. HTH Tom

 

[Fritz Maurer]

I get the hose online and re-use many of my fittings. Often can cut the old thimble off and use a new one, and cut way down on inventory. Which is important when metric JIC cost 3x the U.S. counterpart.

 

[Geo-TH,In]

I use a place in town, about 8 miles away, that makes my hoses. The fittings on my terramites are British Standard threads
They make them to the exact length needed while I wait, only takes minutes. I keep my tractors inside out of the UV rays. Some hoses are over 20 years old.
The hoses I replaced rubbed against something and developed a hole. They also sell a protective sleeve to slide over the hose.
I can't say I spend that much money on hoses to want to make my own hoses.

 

[BarnyardEngineering]

The one universal truth of making your own hydraulic hoses is, if you need a fitting, you won't have it.

 

[Blackhole49]

How many of you make your own hydraulic hoses ?

What type of press tool do you use

Where do you buy your fittings and hose ?

Pacific Northwest Hillbilly (Youtube) does a good job of reviewing an inexpensive unit he bought if you search his videos.

 

[m16ty]

We have considered going there and the cost of equipment is only half the issue. The cost of hose and fittings is enormous and then if you need it now you are probably out of those fittings or at least one of them so you still can't make the hose up. So ordering them is a few days away .

That is the issue, to have all the ends you may need means you have to stock a big supply of hose ends. If you aren't going to have the ends you may need, what good is the hose machine?

I've have looked into this myself, because between the farm and my other business we use a lot of hoses. Luckily I have a great relationship with the local hydraulic shop that will make me a hose 24/7 if needed.

For the farm, I just buy several ready made hoses in different lengths and a good supply of fittings. I get 1/2" hoses with 1/2" NPT ends. 1/2" hose is by far the most common size I use on the farm, and fittings are cheap to convert 1/2" NPT to JIC or whatever. Shopping around online you can get ready made hoses a lot cheaper than you can get hoses made.

 

[m16ty]

I get the hose online and re-use many of my fittings. Often can cut the old thimble off and use a new one, and cut way down on inventory. Which is important when metric JIC cost 3x the U.S. counterpart.

That's a great idea I haven't even thought of, as long as your fitting is brand compatible with the hose and thimble you use.

 

[Russ from MN]

My father was a farmer and logger all his life, with hydraulic equipment as soon as it was available, and we used a lot of no-skive fittings. I know people make fun of them, but they worked fine for us, the highest-pressure system we had was probably the JD 350 crawler-dozer, that had 2250psi. I remember repairing hoses out in the woods, I would hold the hose end on a stump and he would cut it off with one swing of an axe, and then we would put the hose back together again.

 

[Watthour]

I have done some Imperial/Eastman no-crimp fittings for lower pressure hoses (<500 PSI) and they are reliable. The only tools needed for those are a pair of wrenches, and a little time. FWIW, I used to work at a Parker-Hannefin division and had adequate access to multi-die crimps and swaging equipment as needed.

 

[sms]

I had weather head.. I bought the press cheap used. I bought supplies from Baum Hydraulics.

 

[KCTractors]

My father was a farmer and logger all his life, with hydraulic equipment as soon as it was available, and we used a lot of no-skive fittings. I know people make fun of them, but they worked fine for us, the highest-pressure system we had was probably the JD 350 crawler-dozer, that had 2250psi. I remember repairing hoses out in the woods, I would hold the hose end on a stump and he would cut it off with one swing of an axe, and then we would put the hose back together again.

I repaired many hydraulic hose that had the no-skive fitting on the Prentice Log Loader that I operated. All you need is two adjustable wrenches and a axe. You to make sure that you gave the hose a darn good swing to cut thru in one hit.

 

[Brokengun]

I get the hose online and re-use many of my fittings. Often can cut the old thimble off and use a new one, and cut way down on inventory. Which is important when metric JIC cost 3x the U.S. counterpart.

May I ask where you get the Thimbles { hydraulic Ferrules ] ;This is what I want to do for some of my fittings

 

[Brokengun]

Fritz Maurer says that he cuts off the thimbles on some of his fittings and uses new ones to save money.​

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Do any of you know a good source for the Thimbles ( Hydraulic Ferrules )​

 

[Andy Wickiser]

Fritz Maurer says that he cuts off the thimbles on some of his fittings and uses new ones to save money.​

​

Do any of you know a good source for the Thimbles ( Hydraulic Ferrules )​

I get mine from Discount Hydraulic Hose, they call them crimp collars (I think that's what you're looking for anyway).
Crimp Collars