# What's your plan B for blown hydro lines?



## Green mentorship (Jul 29, 2019)

We keep a backup loader at our shop for our plan B. As luck would have it, it was waiting on a repair so it was down before the storm even started. 

Our salt loader/ local route machine blew a hydro line last night just after midnight. Nothing was open to make and replace the line in real time. 

What do you do? Luckily the southern half of our service area was salt only so we roaded a machine and pusher up about 45 mins but it was our plan D. 

Do you keep spare hoses in the shop? Putting trucks on these lots to cover won't work, I don't have the manpower to waste like that.


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## Philbilly2 (Aug 25, 2007)

Do you have a company like pirtex around you?

They will come to site and make you a hose.

https://www.pirtekusa.com/on-site-hose-service/


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## seville009 (Sep 9, 2002)

best thing to do is check hoses for cracking/drying in the summer and change them out, then keep the older hoses as a back up (plan B). Obviously you can’t replace all of the hoses, but it’s a gamble as to which ones to replace



new hoses aren’t a guaranty; replaced loader hoses on my tractor this summer and one of the new ones (made by the dealer) blew out of the fitting. Turns out they had a brand new hose making machine and it wasn’t set to crimp the hose end into the fitting tight enough


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Philbilly2 said:


> Do you have a company like pirtex around you?
> 
> They will come to site and make you a hose.
> 
> https://www.pirtekusa.com/on-site-hose-service/


Well poop...there's a location 10ish minutes away. Going to keep the name/number handy.


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## Green mentorship (Jul 29, 2019)

Philbilly2 said:


> Do you have a company like pirtex around you?
> 
> They will come to site and make you a hose.
> 
> https://www.pirtekusa.com/on-site-hose-service/


Golden. Talked w them and will setup credit so we're good to go. Thank you.


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## aslc (Jan 9, 2010)

We had a hose blow on a steer cylinder on one of our cat loaders one night. Called local truck shop for emergency service. I made it to there shop just down the road and they fixed it. Cost little over $1100 for a 1/2" hose 4' long. After that I bought my own hose machine and fitting setup. I also keep a lot of hydraulic fluid on hand.
Handy to make your own hoses on your own timeframe. We also fab alot of equipment.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

aslc said:


> We had a hose blow on a steer cylinder on one of our cat loaders one night. Called local truck shop for emergency service. I made it to there shop just down the road and they fixed it. Cost little over $1100 for a 1/2" hose 4' long. After that I bought my own hose machine and fitting setup. I also keep a lot of hydraulic fluid on hand.
> Handy to make your own hoses on your own timeframe. We also fab alot of equipment.


I have a hose maker as well, but it is impossible to stock every size hose and fitting on trucks, loaders, skidsteers, tractors, spreaders, etc.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> I have a hose maker as well, but it is impossible to stock every size hose and fitting on trucks, loaders, skidsteers, tractors, spreaders, etc.


Nothing is impossible...Those are words of a quitter...


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Defcon 5 said:


> Nothing is impossible...Those are words of a quitter...


If you say so...


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> If you say so...


Your typical retort...It's getting tiresome


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Defcon 5 said:


> Your typical retort...It's getting tiresome


I know...


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## aslc (Jan 9, 2010)

Its actually not that hard to cover everything if you also buy a collection of adapter fittings and stay away from komatsu and gray market machines


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## TJS (Oct 22, 2003)

I am currently looking for a used Collo-crimper (Eaton/Weatherhad)machine to make my own hoses as well. Best way to go as others have suggested.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

aslc said:


> Its actually not that hard to cover everything if you also buy a collection of adapter fittings and stay away from komatsu and gray market machines


If you say so.

Bobcats have some 5000 PSI hose\fittings.

Kubota, Deere 544 and 244, Deere tractors 1 Series through 5 Series with Normand blowers and a drop spreader, salt spreaders on trucks, Monroe plows, SnowEx plows, Blizzard plows, Boss plows, Ebling plows, HLA, MetalPless.

Then we have JIC, o-ring, pipe thread and who knows what else...it _is_ next to impossible. But what do I know.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Stop buying a hodgepodge of equipment...Standardized...


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

Defcon 5 said:


> Stop buying a hodgepodge of equipment...Standardized...


K


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## aslc (Jan 9, 2010)

Great you have that equipment.
For the most part each manufacturer uses standard fittings(jic,orb,oring face seal). Sometimes you need adapters to make the radius. 
Boss uses jic, same as blizzard. Only problem equipment it looks like you have would be the kubota. They run a metric thread fitting.
All I'm saying is for 10k you could be setup and handle most of your repairs inhouse.
I can't believe someone with all that equipment is to tight to be prepared for a hose failure.


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## Hydromaster (Jun 11, 2018)

I carry a couple of elbow fittings (pipe), lift ram and swing ram hose , a coil , a solenoid 
And a black gallon jug full of nondescript hydraulic fluid. 

Even if I called a guy that would make a hose and supposedly delivered to me I would still have to be his only customer, the streets would have to be clear to have prompt service . I can have the hoes changed out myself and back in service before the guy even has cut the hose to length, just saying


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

aslc said:


> I can't believe someone with all that equipment is to tight to be prepared for a hose failure.


Maybe you can teach me master...I am just a young grasshopper.


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## aslc (Jan 9, 2010)

I'd be more than happy to help you or even set you up with a machine and fitting selection. By the way, I'm also a dealer for weatherhead.


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

I have a machine along with the new dies for the new fittings. Just don't have every fitting I need along with 1/4"-1" hose, plus some 1 1/2" low pressure supply line.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Just full of excuses...Work Smarter


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## leolkfrm (Mar 11, 2010)

we have a local shop that charges a $75 surcharge for after hour needs....but at least it can be fixed, also some 24 hr repair trucks that have hose making stuff on them


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## cjames808 (Dec 18, 2015)

The Pirtek guys stops by us every other month. Never used them we have a local hose shop 5 mins away. they used to stay open in almost any snows but seems only in blizzards now. 

We get all kinds of hoses during the “regular season” they make adapt or repair every type. 

Plowing: Only have ever had angle or lift hoses go. Now I change them if they look at me wrong and keep all the old ones. Same with belts. One squeak and your gone to the rack.


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

Mark Oomkes said:


> If you say so.
> 
> Bobcats have some 5000 PSI hose\fittings.
> 
> ...


This is the reason there is not a lot of mobile hydro companies. The inventory is astronomical to accommodate everything.


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## FredG (Oct 15, 2012)

Plan B would of been your broke down back up loader at your shop. What your looking for is plan C. I can't see making my own hydro lines but that's just me.

You should be inspecting all your lines before the snow season, Meaning fuel, air, coolant etc. I would of had another loader lined up when your aware of your back up being broke down.

You could of contacted a local Contractor or rental company and made arrangements. There is a lot of contractors with loaders that don't plow snow that would be more than happy for a bone to help you out.

You took a shot, I done it before but would not do it again. Good Luck


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## leigh (Jan 2, 2009)

Go home and sleep with a pillow over my head until hydro shops open, maybe a little snuggly time with the missus to take my mind off the impending doom.


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## Green mentorship (Jul 29, 2019)

FredG said:


> Plan B would of been your broke down back up loader at your shop. What your looking for is plan C. I can't see making my own hydro lines but that's just me.
> 
> You should be inspecting all your lines before the snow season, Meaning fuel, air, coolant etc. I would of had another loader lined up when your aware of your back up being broke down.
> 
> ...


You're right. Plan B was shot before we started. We got thru on plan D. At least we had options


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