Woods Backhoe question

[Jeff Lary]

Hi I know it aint large equipment,.... but it is what I am having an issue with right now . Today I was digging out a an Elm stump and blew a hydraulic hose off of the crimp on coupler . The hoe and tractor are in my back field with the dipper in the hole so there is no getting the tractor home to work on it whatever I do will be in the field.
This is my question , I think the hose was a crimped into coupler fitting type of hose set up. But I need to know if they make a repair coupler that I can connect to the hose out in the field ? The hose is long enough to be reused as it only " blew out of the fitting" so maybe 1/4 inch of hose ruined. I will take my generator to the field and use a die grinder or Dremel to re-cut the hose for a fresh good end. The hose travels from the valve bank ( where it separated from ) down into the near end of the boom and inside of it till it gets to the curl cylinder about 7 feet away. Getting it out of the inside of the boom will not be an option right now. I would have to disconnect all the other hoses from the valve body and then remove the boom from the rest of the hoe unit so you could attempt to pull the hoses out through the boom. Big big job. So to recap do they make a coupler that I can reinstall on the end of my hose myself with out taking the hose to the repair shop?

 

[lfnh]

Yup. Ask for Reusable Fitting.
Basically a thread outer shell that threads over outer hose and barb + threaded fitting end that screws into the shell forcing barb into hose. Couple of BF adjustables will do smaller hose. Vise for big hose.
Need to match fitting to class of hose, so bring a piece of your hose or the spec number with you and old fitting.

 

[dieselfitter]

There are field service re-usable ends but, they are designed to work with the specific brand and design of hose. Different brands of hose have slightly different wall thickness. The slight difference affects the clamping force of the hose end for both re-usable or crimped ends. So, to answer your question, generally no a re-usable end won't work. Given your situation, I would try it so you can limp it out of the hole and replace the hose.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Yup. Ask for Reusable Fitting.
Basically a thread outer shell that threads over outer hose and barb + threaded fitting end that screws into the shell forcing barb into hose. Couple of BF adjustables will do smaller hose. Vise for big hose.
Need to match fitting to class of hose, so bring a piece of your hose or the spec number with you and old fitting.

Thanks so if I cut a small piece of the rubber inner hose off and take it with me that will help decide which fitting I get? Sounds good I will try your route on Tuesday. Boy I am lucky it did not happen in the last 2 weeks. I have been putting culverts in my woods road about a mile back in the woods.

 

[hanniedog]

Is there anyway you can just buy a length of hose and run it outside of the boom for temp fix?

 

[Jeff Lary]

Is there anyway you can just buy a length of hose and run it outside of the boom for temp fix?

Actually that is a good idea and I have thought about it some. That way I could get fluid to the cylinder to get it home. If I did that though I would have to buy 2 fittings and a length of hose just to do that. But I would then have a hose with the correct fittings that would get me out of a jam like this in the future too.... I am just glad it happened now and not a few days ago when it was a mile back in the woods.

 

[CalTreeEquip]

Another thing you can do is this. Cap off the connecter on the valve. Pull up all your appendages. Then swap the line on the valve next to the busted one. Cap that off
and use the power from the that control valve to pull in whatever is out. The you can get it home.

 

[jwilly]

Why not buy the right hose, disconnect at the cylinder, connect the new hose to the end at the cylinder (might need another fitting) and pull the new one through the boom with the old one? Then have a new end crimped on the old hose for a spare.

 

[lfnh]

What ever way you go, those Reuse fittings are get out of a jam and back to shop fix, chained safe.
Anything beyond that needs a shop crimp.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Well I got it home I took a 2" ratchet strap and went up over the roll bar to the front bucket then lifted the bucket as high as it would go. Then I connected to the middle of the hoe boom. Then I tightened the strap all I could with the ratchet then lowered the front bucket and that lifted the hoe boom enough for me to get home. Now I am near my tools so I feel much better.
Tomorrow I will go to Parker Hose in Bangor and see what they can do for me. I was in hopes a field repair reusable coupler would be good enough for a permanent repair. But I did see the post above this says they are a temporary fix only ? I watched a few you tube videos that I could find, and unless I did not hear it they did not mention temporary? I will see what the Parker store says.
I am hoping it will be good enough, as the only way to get the hose out is to completely remove the boom from the tractor. This in itself is doable but I am not 100% physically yet, I had rotator cuff surgery in April and basically still have only one arm really. I will start physical therapy this Wednesday to try to help me get more movement from it. My surgery was quite extensive and the surgeon has waited till now on the P.T. so as to let it heal up some first as the P.T. itself can destroy the work he has done. So I am kinda of hindered in some things that normally would not be an issue.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Another thing you can do is this. Cap off the connecter on the valve. Pull up all your appendages. Then swap the line on the valve next to the busted one. Cap that off
and use the power from the that control valve to pull in whatever is out. The you can get it home.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Ok so I went to the hydraulic repair shop today and got a little more information in case anyone is following this. I asked "Parker Hose and Fitting" in Bangor about a field repair coupling and they do not stock the 5/16 I needed. So they are on order and will be here in a couple of days.
Now this is what I found out next about the field repairable reusable coupling. I asked if these were indeed a temporary fix as I had heard, he said "God no the north Maine Woods would be at a stand still if not for them things" He told me that most every company up north ( ie ) Wood Harvesting Companies have some in all their equipment. He told me that all the big companies have service trucks and they all carry them. He said that installed correctly they are as good and any other coupling. So I ordered 5 sets just in case I need another field fix. I hope this is of use to someone in need of fixing their own hose someday

 

[lfnh]

Good to see you got it back to the shop. Hope that shoulder gets back to normal soon.

Not directed at the OP,. but -

As for the Reusable temp vs permanent fix,
"He said that installed correctly they are as good and any other coupling".
Alot depends on exact match of fitting to hose spec, working pressure and especailly age and condition of exisitng hose. Over tightening on fit up can compromise holding integrity real easy on reusable.
Reuseable fittings that get blown out are not reusable no matter what anyone says.
Small defects in hyd fittings can fail. Esp over torqueing those 37* fittings. Not easyily apparent unless you know what to look out for on them.

People that are servicing this equipment all the time should have better judgement of a good install of reusable fittings on old work. Sometimes hose just has to be replaced.
Otherwise I stand by crimp in a shop because experience is going to judge hose and fitting condition for repair or replacement.

I'm sure others feel differently.

 

[Jeff Lary]

What ever way you go, those Reuse fittings are get out of a jam and back to shop fix, chained safe.
Anything beyond that needs a shop crimp.

Well I am a man who will admit when I am nuts, and I was nuts to hope these would work,...they did not. I installed one today on a small backhoe probably 2500 psi ( not sure ) she blew off in 5 mins of use. Came back recut the hose same ending and once more after that. These do not seem to work well at all. I will now see if I can get the hose out of the boom and buy a new one. The thing leaves the valve bank and makes a 90 degree turn straight down. The in about 20 inches it makes another 90 and goes inside the end of the boom. Then it pops out to control the dipper cylinder oh yea it makes two more 90s to get that done. This ought to suck. I just had to believe the guys running the Parker Hose supply store would know...So I listened and apparently they were wrong on this one. I am tempted to take the whole machine to the Kubota repair place and have them change all the hoses that travel out through the inside of the boom. They are all the same age and if one blew.... It was the dipper crowd or close hose and I am sure that one gets an awful workout. Jeff

 

[lfnh]

Lot has to do with condition of old hose on inside and outside.
Lucky that reusable didn't go infront of a forester.
No amount of cookies would fix broke.

 

[Jeff Lary]

Yes I am sure you are right. I just went out and stared at it for awhile,.. still broken. I don't know been giving it some thought and I am sure the rest of the hoses that pass through the boom have been there since new also. I am guessing that as soon as I get that one fixed another will blow. I am thinking of stopping by a hydraulic repair business not too far from me and get their estimate on changing all the in the boom hoses. I will decide what to do after I talk to them I guess.

 

[lfnh]

Kubota, Deere, CAT, NHolland factory stuff likely to be more spendy than local hose shop.
Local might know which lines need replacing first on your machine from experience.
Aw, just like universals, $$$ but got to get fixed.