Can Hydraulic Oil Last For 17,000 Hours?

hydraulic oil drumOne of our members wrote me about a case study he read in which the life of a mineral hydraulic oil in a mobile hydraulic machine was extended from the 4,000 hours recommended by the machine’s manufacturer to 17,000 hours. The question raised was: “is this really possible?”

The first thing to keep in mind is that hydraulic oil should … Read more

Fluid Injection and My Almost Lethal Strike

Couple months ago while spraying woody weeds at my lake house in New South Wales, I felt something strike my left leg. This was odd since I was standing still at the time. So I looked down to catch a glimpse of what appeared to be the tail of a brown snake disappearing into the long grass.

Concerned, I retreated … Read more

What to Expect When a Hydraulic Machine Runs Too Hot

Mvc-399fA recent client consulted me about the hydraulic oil turning black, smelling bad and depositing varnish in the Hitachi EX5600 mining shovels he is responsible for. These are BIG diggers. Twin Cummins QSK50s with 4 main pumps (250 GPM) on each engine. Bucket capacity is 40 tons. And a 240 ton dump truck is loaded in 6 passes, in around … Read more