AlxJ64
Rust is Paint
So I just totally rebuilt a backhoe attachment for my Bobcat. Its a 709 hoe from back in the day. I knew buying it that it needed a hose or two and eventually would need some rod seals... ha. First time I put pressure to it, anything that could leak, was leaking. So I bought some cylinder rebuild tools. Learned about seal kits and sizes and found out all that shit is dirt cheap if you piece it together. I also built a bush hog converted over to Hydro Aux drive and made all my own hoses, to spec, in the shop, out of in stock hardware.
As for hoses... back a few years ago I was helping a buddy build a mega truck and it came time to make the big hoses for the hydro-steering... Well, he had two weeks of fuckery trying to get the shop to make the right hoses with the right ends with the right clocking of the fittings; talking some -12 and -16 size stuff as well as the -8 for the ram (big mega truck). On the third weekend of attempt to assemble and the hoses were still not right, despite the specs being right I jumped on local CL and found a guy selling a "mobile crimping tool, some hose, and a bucket of fittings for $1200. So I said fuck it, my dad has a tractor, my grandfather has a tractor that started eating hoses so I figured I'd buy it. TOTALLY WORTH IT FOR SAVING TIME. The bucket of fittings was worth it honestly, now that years later I am still finding random goodies in it. Actually, I had a bunch of big ORFS fittings left so I spent like $40 in adapters and was able to use them all vs having to buy any new fittings for the bushhog project.
I'm buds with that guy that runs Discount Hydraulic; kinda helped him get the social media thing moving and he's killing it now. So he helps out with fittings and stuff when I order but they have all the stuff you'll ever need and are a great resource. Super close to you, hell you could drive there and stock up even, he's in East PA.
The other thing I've done recently, now that I've had a few back to back hydraulic hose projects is to hawk CL and FB for spools of hose. Its expensive normally, but occasionally you end up with someone who bought an older roll of something odd at an auction or whatever and they have NO use for it. If you snag fittings, hose, etc over time and are willing to plan ahead or when you order fittings for a project, buy 2 extra and throw them in a box, you will be good to go. I picked up a roll of 420' of 2 wire, brand new, from some meth head while on a road trip through WV.
Owning the older Bobcat now, with the attachments, etc etc, its been worth it. I was given a grapple bucket that needed seals and hoses as well, in trade for using it to help move some stuff in a junk yard. I have about $200 in seals, hoses, fittings, and hose guard and have a $2500 Bobcat brand industrial grapple.
As for hoses... back a few years ago I was helping a buddy build a mega truck and it came time to make the big hoses for the hydro-steering... Well, he had two weeks of fuckery trying to get the shop to make the right hoses with the right ends with the right clocking of the fittings; talking some -12 and -16 size stuff as well as the -8 for the ram (big mega truck). On the third weekend of attempt to assemble and the hoses were still not right, despite the specs being right I jumped on local CL and found a guy selling a "mobile crimping tool, some hose, and a bucket of fittings for $1200. So I said fuck it, my dad has a tractor, my grandfather has a tractor that started eating hoses so I figured I'd buy it. TOTALLY WORTH IT FOR SAVING TIME. The bucket of fittings was worth it honestly, now that years later I am still finding random goodies in it. Actually, I had a bunch of big ORFS fittings left so I spent like $40 in adapters and was able to use them all vs having to buy any new fittings for the bushhog project.
I'm buds with that guy that runs Discount Hydraulic; kinda helped him get the social media thing moving and he's killing it now. So he helps out with fittings and stuff when I order but they have all the stuff you'll ever need and are a great resource. Super close to you, hell you could drive there and stock up even, he's in East PA.
The other thing I've done recently, now that I've had a few back to back hydraulic hose projects is to hawk CL and FB for spools of hose. Its expensive normally, but occasionally you end up with someone who bought an older roll of something odd at an auction or whatever and they have NO use for it. If you snag fittings, hose, etc over time and are willing to plan ahead or when you order fittings for a project, buy 2 extra and throw them in a box, you will be good to go. I picked up a roll of 420' of 2 wire, brand new, from some meth head while on a road trip through WV.
Owning the older Bobcat now, with the attachments, etc etc, its been worth it. I was given a grapple bucket that needed seals and hoses as well, in trade for using it to help move some stuff in a junk yard. I have about $200 in seals, hoses, fittings, and hose guard and have a $2500 Bobcat brand industrial grapple.
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