You may be wondering about the relationship between the term “hydraulics” and your earth-moving equipment. It isn’t just a catch-phrase to make it easier for your dealer to sell you a piece of job site equipment. Here’s why. In simplest terms, hydraulics are a force multiplier. Hydraulics are based on the principle that fluid can’t be compressed, and expands equally in all directions when force is applied to it. By directing the flow of the expansion using a piston, the force of the liquid …

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Nothing is quite as discouraging as getting to the job site and finding out that your loader or dozer isn’t working due to a hydraulic pump failure. You now have days of repairs to look forward to, if not an outright replacement. Meanwhile, your equipment sits idle. Here are a few secrets to keeping your hydraulic pumps in top condition. First, check for oil leaks every day. Make it a part of your normal walk-around before you fire the equipment up for the day, and potentially save yourself …

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The typical mental image of a crane is that of a giant, multi-ton machine, hoisting items to the top of multi-story buildings. But the world of hydraulic cranes is actually much broader than just heavy equipment. Allow us to introduce you to the truck-mounted hydraulic crane. In design, the truck-mounted crane looks like someone took the front end of a semi and welded it to a smaller hydraulic crane. Frequently the equipment offers operator controls within the cab of the truck and some will …

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If you’ve spent any time working with hydraulic heavy equipment, you’ve probably discovered the dark secret of the industry: parts. Getting parts for your hydraulic equipment is not quite as easy as running down to the corner auto parts store. They can be esoteric, expensive, and hard to find. So, how do you identify good quality hydraulic parts? Your first stop should always be the OEM dealer for your machinery. They tend to have the widest variety of parts for your equipment, are likely to …

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Dollar for dollar, hydraulic machinery is some of the most efficient equipment found on the job site. But even with the most reliable gear, things can still go wrong. Here are some of the leading problems that might be found in the hydraulic pumps in your equipment. A piece of hydraulic machinery tends to operate very consistently. If your equipment slows down and is no longer as responsive as it once was, things may have gone wrong. Often this is caused by a lack of pressure in the hydraulic …

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