My wife often asks me why I still do consulting work. She wonders why I happily leave the comfort of my office to crawl all over hot, dirty hydraulic equipment.

Well for one, I actually enjoy it. Two, it keeps me sharp. But perhaps most importantly, it keeps me in touch with the issues that hydraulic equipment users grapple with.… Read more

A colleague who works for a major hydraulic component manufacturer recently told me his company’s original equipment manufacturer (OEM) customers are demanding hydraulic components which can handle operating temperatures in excess of 110°C. And this number is not for margin of safety – it’s for continuous operation.

The trouble is, heat is the biggest enemy of a hydraulic system. Bigger … Read more

Hydraulic fluid has a BIG job to do. It’s a power transmission device, a lubricant, a heat transfer medium – and even a sealant, in some hydraulic components at least. And this is why I consider the fluid to be THE most important component of a hydraulic system. And certainly not something to be purchased on price alone.

But regardless … Read more