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Costs and Repair of Hydraulic Lifting Equipment

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One of the technologies that have made the industrial lifting and moving of loads many times safer is hydraulics. The movement of heavy loads is a challenging but necessary requirement in many industries, not limited to:

manufacturing
construction
warehousing
freight loading and unloading
industrial lifts

In all these areas, the heavy loads that are often encountered make it particularly hazardous should a weight happen to fall. For example, in construction, large blocks of stone, pillars, and steel bars pose a hazard if they fall during hoisting.

Traditional lifting mechanisms using cables proved to be accident prone. When these cables inadvertently broke, loads would crash, wounding lift operators or others in the work area. Hydraulics were developed to mitigate these failings. The first major industrial usage of hydraulics in the modern age was in cranes to move goods in European ports in the last century.

Hydraulic Cylinder Prices

Hydraulic cylinders are a standard part of most hydraulics systems. A hydraulic cylinder generates the hydraulic force that can move a weight on the receiving end of the cylinder. The cylinder consists of a barrel, a piston, which helps divide the pressure zones inside the barrel, and a reservoir of hydraulic fluid.

The price of hydraulic cylinders depends on their size and power rating. Small hydraulic cylinders for use in small lifts and other hydraulic equipment cost around $50 to $300. However, larger hydraulic cylinders for heavy industrial use can cost anywhere from $2,000 to over $15,000. Large hydraulics cylinders at the high end can move weights of over 250 tons or more.

Prices for Hydraulic Lifts

Hydraulic lifts serve the purpose of lifting weights on a vertical platform across the equivalent of one or several building floors. They are typically used in lifting cargo in buildings, at docks and for lifting people across floors in buildings. The advantages of hydraulic lifts include high reliability, when installed properly, and high operational efficiency.

Prices for hydraulic lifts range from $40,000 to $75,000 for home lifts. In industrial settings, lifts will typically bear heavier burdens and must be built to match. Heavy duty lifts capable of hoisting 7,000 lbs. cost around $3,000 and up. Really heavy use industrial lifts can carry over 18,000 lbs. and will cost accordingly.

Best Brands in Hydraulics

If you are looking to buy a first hydraulic unit, whether lift, jack, or other system and are unsure which brands to trust, you can go for some of these industry leaders. These brands have won a stellar reputation for consistently providing standards-compliant hydraulics equipment:

Bosch Rexroth - This German engineering company is a world leader in hydraulics, having been established in the 18th century. It is still going strong to this day.
Eaton - This highly reputed Ohio-based hydraulics company has been around for more than a century.
Kawasaki - This is a Japanese brand with a major industrial footprint, including in hydraulics.

This list is not exhaustive. There are many other hydraulics brands worth looking into, such as Daikin, Sheffer, and others. The advantage with buying a trusted brand-name is that you will tend to avoid shoddy workmanship which can make hydraulics unsafe. Even with brand-name equipment, however, you must ensure the equipment is operated by well-trained people. Make sure to follow all recommended precautions in the use of hydraulic equipment.

Costs for Repairing a Hydraulic Jack

The repair of hydraulic jacks costs from a few hundred dollars for small jacks to thousands of dollars for heavy duty industrial jacks. Repairing hydraulic jacks and other hydraulic equipment is a task best left to the professionals. This is because hydraulics systems are highly complex and the performance of any one part affects the integrity of the entire system. For example, a leak of hydraulic fluid due to a crack in the cylinder wall could result in dramatic loss of power. This, in turn, could cause damage to other parts of the hydraulic equipment.

Types and Prices of Hydraulic Oil

There are several major types of hydraulic fluid available, which include

General hydraulic oil
Anti-wear hydraulic oil
Fire resistant fluid

General use hydraulic oil typically costs between $10 and $25 per gallon. Special purpose hydraulic fluid will be more expensive. Some of the reputable hydraulic fluid brands include Mobil, Duraclean, John Deere, and Sinopec. You can buy hydraulic oil from major retailers such as Walmart, hardware stores, as well as through online ecommerce websites.