Hydraulic hose crimper

[Iluvbeer]

I am in the process of piecing together a dual rear remote setup and a 3rd function for my Kubota tractor, along with the valve to operate them. So, I have a whole lot of hoses that ill need to be made. I have a hydraulic shop pretty much right next door and I have worked with this shop for a long time.. But I am thinking that with all of the custom size hoses that I will need to make up and the money I would pay them for their labor, I could buy my own hydraulic crimper and make all my own hoses. So does anyone have a suggestion on a decent crimper that works well?

 

[cvairwerks]

You can figure that it will take you between 2500 and 4000 bucks to set up a used unit and the necessay dies unless you stumble across a killer deal. Maybe the shop will sell you the hose and fittings, let you cut and fit them and only charge you a small fee for crimping them all at one time.

 

[Iluvbeer]

You can figure that it will take you between 2500 and 4000 bucks to set up a used unit and the necessay dies unless you stumble across a killer deal. Maybe the shop will sell you the hose and fittings, let you cut and fit them and only charge you a small fee for crimping them all at one time.

Good idea!

 

[Zebu Fellenz]

I've been thinking about adding a crimper to the farm shop for years and I just cannot make the dollars & cents make sense. I'd be spending thousands of dollars to save hundreds of dollars; I could try to justify that the convenience would make it make sense but even stocking thousands of dollars in fittings I could easily run into an issue where I don't have the right part on hand.

Instead, I keep lots of adapters on hand, stock new hose assemblies in common sizes and have a good hydraulic shop a few miles away that can make most anything I need while I wait. If it's not urgent I order hose assemblies for Surplus Center (if JIC/NPT) or Discount Hydraulic Hose for everything else.

Only way I see this making sense is if you can find a used crimper for close to free AND your local shop sells you hose/fittings for a reasonable price.

 

[Steve_P]

There is just no way to make this financially work unless maybe you need to make hundreds of hoses, or get a machine nearly for free. You aren't just paying for the shop labor, you're paying for the cost of the machine, the cost for the shop to stock hundreds of fittings, etc. I had a couple of air jumper hoses made at a local shop ~20 years ago and thought whatever they charged me was a bargain for custom hoses that were exactly what I wanted. Obviously hydraulic hoses are going to cost significantly more, but for one-off stuff, you have to pay. I worked at a huge scientific research facility, we had all sorts of high $ stuff like helium leak detectors for vacuum systems, and we still went to the local hydraulic shop for hoses.

 

[Iluvbeer]

There is just no way to make this financially work unless maybe you need to make hundreds of hoses, or get a machine nearly for free. You aren't just paying for the shop labor, you're paying for the cost of the machine, the cost for the shop to stock hundreds of fittings, etc. I had a couple of air jumper hoses made at a local shop ~20 years ago and thought whatever they charged me was a bargain for custom hoses that were exactly what I wanted. Obviously hydraulic hoses are going to cost significantly more, but for one-off stuff, you have to pay. I worked at a huge scientific research facility, we had all sorts of high $ stuff like helium leak detectors for vacuum systems, and we still went to the local hydraulic shop for hoses.

I am a business owner so I fully understand costs associated indirectly. That wasn't my question. I thought maybe one of the handheld crimpers that cost a couple hundred bucks would work but perhaps not.

 

[tarmy]

I did the same thing for my Kubota. The local NAPA auto parts guys made up and properly fitted the proprietary weird Kubota parts for me. Was quick and easy and wasn’t that expensive. Not cheap, but a few hundred vs. thousands.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I would love to be able to make my own hoses but I can't make it pencil out. My farm equipment is several different brands across several decades so having the right fittings and hoses would eat up any cost savings in a hurry.

I am fairly lucky that there's 3 places close to me that make hoses and two of them would make hoses after hours if they're around. If it's an odd ball fitting, I can drive about an hour to an hydraulic shop that should have about any fitting in stock but they're about double the price.

If you want the crimper to because you can't afford being down, then you could justify it. If you want it to save money, that's not likely unless you only need one size of hose and limited amount of fittings to make several hoses a year or you have a large operation that spends a lot of money yearly on hoses.

 

[Iluvbeer]

I did the same thing for my Kubota. The local NAPA auto parts guys made up and properly fitted the proprietary weird Kubota parts for me. Was quick and easy and wasn’t that expensive. Not cheap, but a few hundred vs. thousands.

I stumbled across that somewhere jus a few minutes ago - that the napa shop will crimp for free if you buy the hoses and fittings from them. I think what I will do is buy a roll of hose and cut and label each hose and then just take the pieces to them and have them install the fittings. Thanks for the information!

 

[Firebrick43]

I am a business owner so I fully understand costs associated indirectly. That wasn't my question. I thought maybe one of the handheld crimpers that cost a couple hundred bucks would work but perhaps not.

Every hose crimper that I have made hoses in has been hydraulically operated. We had three hose crimpers the last place I worked. One was portable and used a porta power hand pump but it was still 2000-2500 or so 15 years ago and didn’t have the pump.

I remember one of the bench crimpers was free because we had purchased 20k in fittings/hose over course of the year.

Be careful as well as some crimping machines can do multiple brands if they have the right dies.

At one point hydraulic hoses started blowing off their fittings. One of the new mechs that stated he knew all about making hoses had no clue that Parker 43 series fittings had different dies than the weatherhead U series and to boot he had no idea that he needed to actually measure the finished crimp with calipers and compare it to the chart on the side of the crimping machine.

I remember reading that there are some new digital controlled crimpers that can do anything if programmed in but they were very pricy.

 

[jblnut]

I went though our local Deere dealer for my crimper and fittings. I gave them a list of what I wanted to keep here as far as fittings and hoses and told them the I wanted that stuff and a crimper. They gave me the crimper “for free” as I spent almost $12k in fittings and hoses. What a deal lol. Flip side is I can now make a hose on a Sunday morning and we can keep moving on the farm. Two years ago we had a couple hyd hose issues on weekends and we’d have all been but shut down if I didn’t have the stuff here.

I also will make hoses and stuff for neighbors for cost of materials plus $1/ cut and $5/ crimp. A dairy farming neighbor went to the same dealer and told them he wanted all fittings for his self propelled chopper and his two different MoCo’s as well as the common stuff in his feeding tractor and main skiddy. His stuff is in its own cabinet and he comes and makes hoses up once in a while. He uses my hose and crimper and always leaves a check and a case of beer or bottle of whisky once in a while.

I spend the money to better my life, not to directly save money. So far I’d do it again in a heartbeat.

 

[Rockable]

I sold Parker Hose for 38 years. You can't crimp hydraulic fittings with the small crimpers you use to crimp AC lines. You gotta have a lot of force to squeeze the steel cased fittings adequately onto the hose. The only low cost potential is a hand swager. You would use this with thermoplastic hose like Parker Parflex or Eaton Synflex. Still, it cost over $1k for the swager and dies. You are way ahead to cut, mark and index the fittings then take them to the local guy and have him crimp the fittings. Just buy the hose and fittings from him.

 

[Iluvbeer]

I sold Parker Hose for 38 years. You can't crimp hydraulic fittings with the small crimpers you use to crimp AC lines. You gotta have a lot of force to squeeze the steel cased fittings adequately onto the hose. The only low cost potential is a hand swager. You would use this with thermoplastic hose like Parker Parflex or Eaton Synflex. Still, it cost over $1k for the swager and dies. You are way ahead to cut, mark and index the fittings then take them to the local guy and have him crimp the fittings. Just buy the hose and fittings from him.

I think this is the best plan from what I have learned since posting this topic. Thanks!

 

[tarmy]

I stumbled across that somewhere jus a few minutes ago - that the napa shop will crimp for free if you buy the hoses and fittings from them. I think what I will do is buy a roll of hose and cut and label each hose and then just take the pieces to them and have them install the fittings. Thanks for the information!

Pay attention to the Kubota odd ball sized fittings. Not everyone carries those and also make sure they have any screwball elbows or whatever for your application. They cut all mine to the lengths I gave them as well…so I am not sure you are saving much by buying a whole roll. I made up my lengths by taking an old garden hose and cutting it to fit my routing and then figured out the end fittings I needed. I found out the hard way that if you are off by a few inches those very stiff hyd hoses might not work.

Good luck.

 

[Iluvbeer]

Pay attention to the Kubota odd ball sized fittings. Not everyone carries those and also make sure they have any screwball elbows or whatever for your application. They cut all mine to the lengths I gave them as well…so I am not sure you are saving much by buying a whole roll. I made up my lengths by taking an old garden hose and cutting it to fit my routing and then figured out the end fittings I needed. I found out the hard way that if you are off by a few inches those very stiff hyd hoses might not work.

Good luck.

Thanks and good advice! I have some damaged, very heavy power washing hose that's basically the same as hydraulic hose and I had thought about using it to make templates for them. And I had planned to just drive my tractor over to the hydraulic shop so they could see what fittings I need. I'm not in a huge rush even if they have to order it because my grapple won't arrive for weeks still....

 

[Melancholia]

If you're crimping hydraulic hoses yourself, make sure you're pairing them with the best hydraulic quick couplers for a reliable connection. A good crimper can get the job done, but a weak coupler will cause leaks or failures under pressure.

 

[OneEyedMan]

I’ve been down this path. I’ve learned a big lesson and that is : don’t buy a used hose press, unless it’s cheap as in sub-1k or free. I know a new one is more than $5k but that’s not where the value is. It is worth it to buy bulk hose or fittings assortments if they come available and you have a press or have access to a press compatible with them.

As noted, if you buy enough hose and fittings there are companies that will comp you a press and dies. We worked with our local Deere mega dealership and as of three years ago, it only took $3k in consumables to qualify for a free press setup. We use that much in hoses a year, sometimes needing them on a weekend when no one is open.

 

[sk farmer]

i have flip flopped on this as well over the years. i can't justify it.

i have a place open 6 days a week 5 miles away. a decent amount of fittings but pricey. 4 more places within 15 miles open 5 or 6 days a week and on call during the busy season. all of them reasonably priced. all of them cut and crimp for free if you buy the hose and fittings from them.

a place within an hour that will build custom pipe/hose assemblies on the spot and usually within the hour. i have used them on several occasions. usually building a new pipe/hose assembly to replace a cracked or pitted line.

i can't justify the cost or room required to store a reasonable amount of hose and fittings and run the risk of not having what i really need.

 

[no704]

I was looking at some on Amazon today. $350-600. Good reviews from guys doing ac lines.

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

I am a business owner so I fully understand costs associated indirectly. That wasn't my question. I thought maybe one of the handheld crimpers that cost a couple hundred bucks would work but perhaps not.

You don’t want to go there at all. I’ve never seen a hand held unit that could make a good enough crimp that would stand up to modern hydraulic system pressures. Even your little Kubota I’m sure runs 2100 psi. That’s not something to go on the cheap

 

[Sumboodie]

We got setup at work, mostly because the local place was only open 9-5 M-F and we run 7-7 everyday.

Seemed to never fail a hose would blow 15 mins till they closed and it'd be a mad dash. Or on Saturday and it sidelined the equipment, or needed towed ($$$)

Oh, and even still, has been several times that the fitting wasn't anything in the bins so had to run out to the hydraulic shop still.

I know everytime I get hoses it's like but it'd be jumping over hundreds to save dimes for the maybe 5-6 hoses I need a year.

Last week 2 1ft long 1/4" hoses, 2900psi, JIC ends, was just over $100.

 

[garfunkle24]

Pretty much in the same boat as sk farmer here. We also deal with so many different brands from all over the world, we'd need a ridiculous amount of fittings. Din/Cat/sae/bsp/komatsu/orb/orfs and more on top of the common jic stuff.

A few field fittings in common sizes/standards and/or the ability to braze are always handy to get a guy going til there's a hose shop open.

 

[Mgdoug3]

This past week I needed 1/4, 3/8 and 1/2" hoses made. Some were NPT, JIC, heavy din and flat face o-ring. It would cost a fortune to have all those hoses on hand plus fittings. Fittings and hoses have gotten stupid high lately.

 

[LopezBart]

When I worked for a summer in the Ag engineering shops at UC Davis, we had some reusable connectors on hand that would screw together on the hose... since most of our hoses setups saw at best a single harvest to test some experimental piece of equipment, this made a lot of sense. I guess they weren't cheap, but if you needed something now, it was there.

For shorter hoses, surpluscenter.com is hard to beat on price, but they're not super quick.

 

[IndyGarage]

I might be crazy but I bought the Vevor one that uses a bolt to tighten the crimpers off Amazon. I think it was $100. I bought a couple boxes of hose and some hose ends.

I've made a few hoses with it, and it seems to work just fine. No leaks, no problems so far. My only complaint is you have to turn the bolt really really tight in a vise. I had a 24 inch breaker bar on there to get the crimp to the limit, and was putting my full weight into turning it.

 

[toplessHO]

I might be crazy but I bought the Vevor one that uses a bolt to tighten the crimpers off Amazon. I think it was $100. I bought a couple boxes of hose and some hose ends.

I've made a few hoses with it, and it seems to work just fine. No leaks, no problems so far. My only complaint is you have to turn the bolt really really tight in a vise. I had a 24 inch breaker bar on there to get the crimp to the limit, and was putting my full weight into turning it.

Im guessing the tool said no impact tools allowed?
Yikes maybe you need the fabled pipe cheater to add a couple more feet of leverage.
be sure and throw a heavy blanket or towel over it in case something explodes

 

[Firebrick43]

I might be crazy but I bought the Vevor one that uses a bolt to tighten the crimpers off Amazon. I think it was $100. I bought a couple boxes of hose and some hose ends.

I've made a few hoses with it, and it seems to work just fine. No leaks, no problems so far. My only complaint is you have to turn the bolt really really tight in a vise. I had a 24 inch breaker bar on there to get the crimp to the limit, and was putting my full weight into turning it.

Which one? Only ones i am seeing is for AC hoses