curious as to how good aftermarket seal kits are compared to OEM...from those that have had experience with both... I bought a boom seal kit from Case last year @ $140 and did it myself...I saw aftermarket online for 1/2 of that price, but I needed it right away, and didn't want to take the chance... I have an early 1987 580K, and the instructions said not to use the new secondary seal in the early gland...I couldnt see the problem, but I just left the old one in, and there's no issues. I need to repack the Dipper cylinder, so I was just wondering if I should save a few dollars or not...
I've used aftermarket and have had a mixed experience, mostly good. Usually it seems to work fine (aftermarket), but we only use our equipment on our property, not a daily 8 hr worker. Usually when I have a failure after a repack, it's due to bent or pitted rods, or clearance wear that is beyond what a new seal kit can fix. I figure it's worth a try versus a new cylinder or parts. As was stated somewhere in a different post. It didn't leak right before it started leaking! I've also seen in the service manual where it didn't call for an o-ring between the piston and the rod. It leaked, put an o-ring in and no leak. Take it for what it's worth, just my 2 cents.
Bulldog and Hercules are as good as OEM IMHO.
I looked up prices, and the aftermarket mentioned were only slightly cheaper...probly with shipping about the same as Case...
My experience also.