After getting sticker shock on getting a hydraulic hose replaced. Started looking into if i could do them myself as i have several pieces of equipment and attachments that have hydraulics and need or will be needing hoses replaced soon. I found this USA based company called EZ Crimper they claim their crimper will provide just as good of results as shop made hoses. It costs around $400, so before i drop 4 bills figured I would ask here since this forum likely has the most experience with hydraulics. Anyone here use this or has attempted to use this to make their own hydraulic hoses?
I would find a used Parker/ Dayton/ weatherhead hydraulic over air or electric crimper. If you really want to make your own hoses. Those hand tool hose crimpers don’t make a great crimp in my opinion.
Thanks for your input
A while back we had a deal of a free crimper with buying something like 5k of hose and fittings. From Parker I think. Problem was with a wide array of equipment, that 5k of stuff wouldn't have covered much at all. Penciled out to just get them made. Local if needed right away and mail order if not.
You’ll still have sticker shock weather you get a hand crimper or an air-over-hydraulic one because you still need to buy a bunch of hose (probably a couple different sizes) and a bunch of fittings. It’s also not very likely that all of you equipment shares the same type of fittings, maybe, but I doubt it. The biggest problem is how do you decide what style fittings you need the most as far as - male, female, 90s, swivel end, non swivel….etc….
And that's after you select from NPT, JIC, SAE, DIN, BSP, Flange, Flat Face. . . We put in a hose press, using Continental's free crimper program at 15k in hose and fittings. And that's a fair to slim selection. Will be years to pay it off, big gain is not having to run to get hoses. Saving 40% at the most.
I used to build hoses often at my last job. IMO its not worth setting up to build hoses for just 1 machine. Far too many ends, sizes, angles etc. If I owned a couple dozen machines I'd say it'd be worth keeping common sizes and fittings around but even then you'll still be running back and forth from the hose shop getting the proper ends.
I can't imagine how this would pay off unless you are a very large operation. Yea the price of hoses and fittings suck, like everything else they have gone up exponentially. At least in my case, having them made at a hose shop is closer than going to my shop. I think most guys would be stepping over a dollar to pickup a dime.
I grew up making hoses for ag equipment. Its not complicated. I worked for one rental crane company that had their own hose machine, but we never had the right fittings or hose size, so it seemed like we were still always running to get stuff. I've looked at several used crimpers with assortments, but $8-$10,000 doesn't get you a lot of fittings or hose, and like was said above- I've got flat face, JIC, and DIN. From 3/8" to 3". There's not great odds that I would have the fittings I needed, when I needed to make a hose. And if I did have the fittings, I would forget to order replacements from making a hose, and the next time I needed to make a hose, I would be out of fittings. So I just buy the hoses when I need them, and the hose making guys can stock all the fittings.
Its an interesting crimper it would work good for ag work, dump truck snow plow stuff BUT according to the website its not for 4 wire hose or hose over 3/4"- Which would be most heavy equipment hoses Locals can be a lot more expensive than ordering hose made up online I dont know what you run but CAT is usually more affordable than the hose shop and sometimes even run specials they were 25% off this summer I think everybody has thought about finding a better option when they get hit with that big hose bill though
The worst part about this-you make the hose with that crimper and it's a hose in a bad spot to get to and it leaks-you get to do it again. Only this time you throw the crimper in the scrap and drive to the hose shop pi$$ed all the way there and back. * Edit- I carry two spare pressure hoses on the tow truck, both two feet longer than any hose on it. The tilt cylinder is 50,000lb rated, blow a hose on that and your done right there along side the super slab in a snow storm, tank holds 50 gallon.
We had very good stock at the last place I worked. Hose from -6 to -20, all high pressure stuff. Code 61/62, JIC, NPT, BSPP and ORFS in straights, 90s and 45s. Still had to run out for fittings a couple times a week.
Thanks for all the replies. Part of my issue is i live in the sticks, the local NAPA auto parts store is the only place that makes hoses anywhere even close to me. For hose and fittings i priced online at $60 they want $250 and i need 4 for to get my batwing ready for fall mowing on the ranch. Where do yall get mail order made hoses online?
Mail order hoses? Nothing can go wrong with that..... I’m in the same boat, regarding logistics. I think the Parker Karrykrimp is a good solution. But, after you start stocking 6,8,10, 12 two-wire hose and a bunch of jic, NPT, yada, yada, hang on to your check book. I dropped $20k for a nice little selection and I still have to order fittings probably 50% of the time. Driving to town from the farm is one thing, chartering a plane out the chain for a hose is another thing. Just depends on your situation. If you can drive to a hose store. Let’s say 1 hour round trip. Let them stock the inventory.
Does your NAPA deliver? Are they using weatherhead?
I have had good luck here---> https://www.discounthydraulichose.com/ Joe H
The sales ad for the ez crimper mentioned buying but connector’s. So that if you have a leak, you can just cut the bad spot and slap it back together. Think of the money you can save by not even buying replacement hoses.
Napa can be very expensive on hoses, at least my local Napa is. I made the mistake of getting a hose made there for my backhoe once, and ended up finding out that they were more than double the cost of a real Cat hose. The Cat dealer is further away but it's worth the drive for me. The difference on that one hose was over $150.
I just got this last week for 3k with a lot of fitting and dies up to 1 1/4” Already starting an inventory and what more fittings to stock along with nylon hose protectors with SS zip ties for the protector sleeve. My machines use mostly JIC or NPT and some oring. There are quite a bit flat face fittings which I believe are for Bobcat and some Flat faced Oring for Cat and NH. Think I will stock 1/4” to 3/4” hose and most fittings I can find. Have a thread going in Backhoe section, as was unimpressed with a 53$ 23” 3/8” hose for a Kubota the other day. Will re-hose my Case 580SE and start making some on the side. Only question now is, what hose to stock. I looked into the hand pump machines and they start at 1700 with dies.
DHH is good without doubt. I've never had any problems but only purchase fittings, and ancillary products from them. Hose I can get more local and cost effective through a supplier. I tend to only use 100R16 hose any longer as it's not much more expensive than the 100R2 hose, but has half the bend radius of the R2 hose. Stay away from Chinese manufactured hose if possible as the UV stabilization goes away pretty quickly and the hoses break down from exposure. Not a factor if used indoors or properly covered; but that is subjective. I have a Weatherhead T420 machine and dies from 3/16", to 1.25" six wire hose with most everything in between. This and the hose saw was purchased barely used from a formerly "starry eyed" young buck just starting out in the truck repair business and truck body installs. The venture didn't work out but I found the unit and all inventory via my "Lawson Products" vendor. Told him I was interested in one of these setups and asked him to look for a repossession for me. In a meeting with his district manager, (who then spoke with other district managers) a set in service almost two months was located 1300+ miles distant which I promptly acquired. Don't know how many hundreds, or thousands of dollars in fittings in boxes came with it along with some hose, but save to say I got my money's worth. There were six of those plastic tubs filled to capacity with many not even opened. All Weatherhead branded. I've not looked back since. Sawmill manufacturer up the street can crimp anything up to 3" with their Weatherhead machine, so any gamut is covered. I'd like to find a portable electric or pneumatic crimper for the "U", or "W" series Weatherhead dies I now have to use away from the shop. I repurposed an old processor cabinet and cut down a pulse transformer roller cart for my machine and it's just the right height for me. It rolls around the shop easily:
Discounthydraulichose.com is who we use. Out of PA
Nope no delivery and to be honest not really sure what they use. It's about a 3 hr. round trip to another hose shop. Being sarcastic i take it? If it worked that would be great, but that is a huge IF that is likely to come at the expense of about $100 worth of hydraulic fluid. I have been looking at those also.
Thanks for the link to mail order hoses, depending on shipping there prices has NAPA beat by at least double.
They ship UPS or FedEx, pretty reasonable. A whole bunch of hoses can go in a box, bite the bullet and do a bunch at once. And follow their instructions re clocking the fittings ect. As they're always bent into whatever shape they want to be tape them to a piece of pipe or something to get it straight and the ends pointed where you can measure the length and get the clock right. They don't twist if you get the clock off, ask how I know. Joe H
With shipping, they've been 1/2 to almost 1/3 the cost vs local.
They ship USPS flat rate too.
“Nope no delivery and to be honest not really sure what they use. It's about a 3 hr. round trip to another hose shop.” Roger that. Where I’m going with this is if they keep weather head in stock, I’d seriously consider going with a weather head crimper. Like the other fellas suggested, pick up a used machine and dies from a farm auction or eBay. Plus, talk with your NAPA rep about getting on a better pricing structure.
Yeah or shop around. I often get way better prices at Schucks than Napa. Our NAPAs are local owned so the pricing is pretty well out of their pocket vs Schucks being a chain. NAPA was better when they had a machine shop, but that shut down 10+ years ago. Schucks doesn't do much hydraulic hose though.
Schucks is a name I haven’t heard in a long time.
Kragen, Checkers, Oreillys, whatever they call themselves now. All the same.
I have a Weatherhead crimper, only gets used for emergencies. There's a few hose places in Phx plus the dealers and several of the auto parts places, I'll gladly just take the old nasty hose and drop it on their counter. It be a different story if I was multiple hours from a hose house.
That is kind of where I was but things tend to break when they are needed so much easier to lessen the downtime for the customer. I also do quite a bit of prototyping type work and/or modification where there is nothing to pattern from. Much easier overall to have the capacity "in house". Heavy into harvest time hoses are blown on machinery daily and there isn't anything more important to a farmer than getting his crops into the elevators or bins quickly. The same goes with planting, but not near the extent of harvest. This is why I'd like to have a portable unit to serve this purpose primarily. I only went with the "Weatherhead" brand as that's what I've been around mostly. The implement dealer has a "Gates" setup and it works well being a bit easier to use overall, but it constantly requires adjustment to the electronic circuit for correct dimensions of the final crimp.
If say, I wanted to make hoses on the side, what type of fittings should I stock and how heavy. The cabinet already has a good selection of JIC, NPTF, Boss oring, and a few flat faced. I have the T400 2 wire dies from 1/4 to 1 1/4” and have 1/2 and 1” and 1 1/4 T420 dies. Was only going to stock 2 wire hose for the moment. Might get some Code 61, 62 just for stock.
I use most NPT and JIC. I only do equipment repair which is mostly farm related. I would stock most heavily into those; especially the -04 thru -12 sizes in two wire hose whether it be 100R2, or my preference the 100R16 series hose. Shipping from DHH to you would be pretty quick so the flange types, ORB, types, and any more specialized fittings wouldn't be a drawn out affair. To me in central Illinois it's usually three days but many times I run up to the sawmill shop and rob their stock and replace to get emergencies back up and running. That doesn't happen often but has in the past.