When using the splitter this week, my brother informed me that one of the hoses is weather checked. Dang splitter is less than three years old, stored indoors during winters and always covered during summer. (and stored in the shade) I don't know if its the supply or return line, but I can't believe that it has deteriorated that quickly. Is this common? Do they (hoses) need replacing that often? I'll be looking at them myself in a few hours.
Mine on my tractor loader are all checked and cracking and been that way for a while and not one leak. If you can stand to look at them that way they are fine.
Depends on if they are supply or return and how deep the weather checking is. Most high pressure hoses fail due to constant flexing or bending and will fail from the inside out. They can also fail from rubbing through from the outside but that doesn't seem likely to me on a splitter. Post some pics if you can.
If supply side - probably best to change it out. The close proximity to the lines during operation and it's most likely on top can be a bad deal if it sprays a tiny stream under pressure. Hydraulic fluid will impregnate itself under the skin in a hurry - emergency room visit is a lot more than a $30-40 hose
The outer layer on a pressure hose is more for protection than anything. Also most hoses are at least 3000psi and most splitters don't run that high. That being said I had a China built splitter and the hoses were all rotting off in under a year. Its like the rubber had no UV protection at all! that could be the issue with yours.
Depends how bad it is. There are lots of thirty year old tractors out there with the original hose, and so long as it doesn't leak, then it works. So, if it's mostly cosmetic, I wouldn't worry about it. However, you should be proactive about fixing the hoses. If the leak is on the high pressure side, rather than the return, you can get a small jet of hydraulic fluid that can go under the skin, which is often quite painful and dangerous. See for instance: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291478/figure/Fig1/ Be careful out there!
Man, "some of the best laid plans by mice and men oft go astray"... meaning that I didn't look at the hoses this past weekend. I believe it is the return hose that has the weatherchecking on it and after reading a couple of the posts, feel confident about using it as it seems par for the course. I was thinking that the "strongest" part of the hose is not the outside; and I also remember seeing china stamped on it (hose) in the past. Thanks
I think I have had a hydraulic shower from every piece of equipment I've owned with hydraulic hoses. I take my licks because of the cost and my relatively low run hours but those hydraulic showers do suck
I replace mine when they start seeping. Had a cat that didn't seep but the rubber inside the hose was peeling and would get caught in the spools.
