Thinking of getting hydraulic hose crimping machine/fittings for repairing own equipment.

[johfoster]

I want to completely re-hose one of our forklifts, and figure the cost of that might be enough to justify putting the money into a crimper and assortment of fittings/hose. I don't think it will be cost saving at the volumes I do over a year, but the added ability to make a hose at anytime seems well worth the trouble. Also being able to change a machine over 1 hose at a time rather than pulling/capping/marking a dozen hoses to drive over to the hose store. etc.

It would be great to hear from anyone who makes hoses. Other than hose, end fittings, and a machine..am I not thinking about any major space or cost factors involved? I feel like 3 hose sizes and 4-5 different style fittings for each would have made 90% of the hoses I have ever needed. Here is a picture showing a similar sized setup I think to the amount of stuff I am looking at adding, though I would keep mine more compact and stored away. Thoughts? thanks

 

[L Vanice]

For low volume use, I think reusable hydraulic fittings would have a lower equipment investment than crimped fittings. The place I worked used both kinds, so I have seen the tools needed for each type.

Larry

 

[dundeeshopnut]

The hose and crimper are the "cheap" parts. The myriad if fittings/ends you will need to stock and may or not use will be the killer. I tried to go together with TWO neighboring farms to get set up to do most all of our own hoses. The $$$$ required to stock the ends [both imperial and metric] was the plan killer.

 

[Garwood]

There's a hydraulic hose and fitting wholesaler near me. Fittings are a buck or two each. You have to be a business to buy from them, but good people. If you order a few grand of fittings they let you keep a crimper until you stop ordering.

If you have a place like that nearby then get a crimper.

Generic hydraulic Fittings and hose are cheap. If you believe they aren't you are buying from the wrong places.

 

[L Vanice]

The hose and crimper are the "cheap" parts. The myriad if fittings/ends you will need to stock and may or not use will be the killer. I tried to go together with TWO neighboring farms to get set up to do most all of our own hoses. The $$$$ required to stock the ends [both imperial and metric] was the plan killer.

One advantage of reusable fittings is that, once you use them, you only need to replace the hose itself if the hose goes bad. In other words, you will not need to keep buying new crimp fittings in order to repair/replace a hose. The fitting inventory can be smaller.

Larry

 

[johfoster]

One advantage of reusable fittings is that, once you use them, you only need to replace the hose itself if the hose goes bad. In other words, you will not need to keep buying new crimp fittings in order to repair/replace a hose. The fitting inventory can be smaller.

Larry

I could be wrong, but I would think the added fittings cost wouldn't take too long to overcome any equipment expense for the crimped fittings. Plus I would rather have a crimped fitting most of the time I think. Hydraulic lines are always a pain to wrench on, and I feel like having a bunch of the thicker field style fittings on everything would make it even worse.

Probably like you said, if you do a lot of hoses you end up finding uses for some of every system.

 

[johfoster]

There's a hydraulic hose and fitting wholesaler near me. Fittings are a buck or two each. You have to be a business to buy from them, but good people. If you order a few grand of fittings they let you keep a crimper until you stop ordering.

If you have a place like that nearby then get a crimper.

Generic hydraulic Fittings and hose are cheap. If you believe they aren't you are buying from the wrong places.

I haven't really shopped around yet for a source of fittings. I was probably thinking a budget of around $1500-2500 would get me enough hose and fittings to have a decent assortment. Then about the same for a good used crimper with dies.

I should make a parts list for the Hyster hoses I want to do, and that will give a good baseline for what range of parts one job can need I suppose.

 

[bigjon61]

We did exactly what you are wanting to do. Ended up selling the whole setup at a loss to a local farmer. We even offered to sell custom hoses, advertised Yada Yada and it just wasn't worth the energy put into it. The biggest beneficiary was the (at the time) shop foreman and that may have been why it wasn't worth it.

 

[Rob F.]

Have you looked at surplus center (or similar places) for standard hoses? Next time I need hose I will buy from them, maybe double length so I can cut in the middle and have another fitting crimped on locally. That would depend on what fittings I needed and what they had of course. Made in USA stuff is what they have.

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[johfoster]

We did exactly what you are wanting to do. Ended up selling the whole setup at a loss to a local farmer. We even offered to sell custom hoses, advertised Yada Yada and it just wasn't worth the energy put into it. The biggest beneficiary was the (at the time) shop foreman and that may have been why it wasn't worth it.

Could you elaborate a little bit on what made it not worth the time for you guys? Thanks.

 

[idacal]

I have about 20 grand getting a basic hose and adaptor cabinets set up now. I redo drill rigs so I use braided and spiral hose that’s set up so I can do almost any jic fitting besides 14 then i have a cabinets full of adaptors to go from orb and some British. Long story short it’s the convenience rather than the savings. And the ability to get exactly what you want for hose quality that makes it worth it.

 

[johfoster]

Long story short it’s the convenience rather than the savings. And the ability to get exactly what you want for hose quality that makes it worth it.

This is my reasoning for wanting to do it.

 

[boslab]

Speak to hyster and ask for a list of fittings used, that’s what the supplies department in work used to do, they cross referenced those with existing stock and added the absent ones ( or at least that’s what they were supposed to do) if they did it right you had exactly what was required 24/7 .
The reality , sticking any fitting on the hose and tig welding the old end onto it, funny old world.
Mark

 

[idacal]

I went with a gates crimper 707 because they had the easiest spec book for me to follow, now i would use anybody but them. their crimp ends are different a 3 piece. so the dies require thinking about it to use generic end and the dies are completely closed all the way to hit specs
I would shoot for a Kurt or discount hydraulics that type of Machine that you can use generic ends. a roll of kurt kurt tuff # 8 is 1200.00 thats 320 feet. each 0808 fjx end was 6 dollars and a 90 was 12.00 that was my last order. Have bought a lot from discount hydraulics online they are higher but when what you need shows up a week later its really handy. just in the last week i found a local distributer that i did not need lube everytime i went in there, who i will be buy from from now on.

 

[gustafson]

Since you can buy braided stainless from mcmaster and JIC is the same as AN, and an infinite amount of fittings are available in AN, I cannot imagine a scenario where paying any large amount for equipment would make sense.

 

[ratbldr427]

We got a Weatherhead/ Eaton crimper years ago free for the cost of an initial inventory. We also were able to buy the fittings at probably jobber cost, about half of list price. That all got a crimp when Eaton sold out to Dansk ? I believe. They then discontinued most of the line, hoses and fittings. We can still use it but need to have the correct crimp dimintions for the various fittings and hose types as every manufacturer is slightly different.
A home shop could get by but there is no way I'll crimp any pressure hose unless it meets factory specks. So most of the time we just go to the near by hose shop and their prices are reasonable.

 

[Garwood]

BY A CRIMP TO DIAMETER MACHINE.

Then you can crimp any fittings.

 

[rons]

When I visited a local Parker store there was a continuous supply of guys coming in for a replacement hydraulic line.
Now those guys have to drive 5 miles south to a larger Parker store. It's good to be independent and to make your own.

 

[bigjon61]

Could you elaborate a little bit on what made it not worth the time for you guys? Thanks.

We never made enough hoses to pay for the upfront investment. Hoses fucked up. Low demand. The floor space may as well been used as a hot dog stand. By the time you screw up 3-4 crimp attempts and have to fix them you would be better off time wise to call across town and pick up whatever you need.

 

[BT Fabrication]

each crimp machine is specific to the ends and the hose diameters....... so not really saving much being $10-15 an end and $6 per ft
might save $10 a hose to diy it....