With their ability to produce force with highly pressurized fluid, hydraulic cylinders provide the muscle behind numerous types of heavy equipment, such as excavators. Hydraulic cylinders are also found often in key pieces of machinery, such as motors.
Before you search for good hydraulic cylinders for sale, determine which type you need. For instance, a double-acting hydraulic cylinder moves in both opposite directions, while high-pressure hydraulic cylinders are lighter, smaller cylinders that operate with shorter strokes for longer durability. Hydraulic rams use special hydraulic pistons for larger output, while telescopic hydraulic cylinders use less space but are designed to perform longer strokes for larger limits of motion.
To enjoy high productivity and long life from these essential components, make sure to:
- Find hydraulic cylinder manufacturers that offer a wide range of hydraulic cylinder types for varying types of equipment.
- Get quality hydraulic cylinder parts to have on hand in case an emergency crops up.
- Locate a quality provider of hydraulic cylinder repair tools.
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Find quality hydraulic cylinder manufacturers and distributors
You can browse and order quality hydraulic cylinders from reputable manufacturers online. Hydraulic cylinder prices are competitive among these online hydraulic cylinder distributors.
I recommend: Prince Manufacturing Corporation offers a nation-wide list of distributors on an interactive map, while
American Cylinder Co. offers a straight distributor list.
Clippard Minimatic also allows you to search for distributors and hydraulic cylinders for sale based on your zip code.
Get good hydraulic cylinder parts
Buy control valves, pumps, hydraulic pistons, crushers and more so you can keep spare parts on hand.
I recommend: Advanced Fluid Power Inc. features numerous categories of parts and numbers for the manufacturers that sell them.
Baileynet.com lists parts by category and also includes hydraulic cylinder prices.
Find quality hydraulic cylinder repair tools
Hydraulic cylinder repair can be rather involved, but luckily there are companies that specialize in selling specialized hydraulic cylinder repair tools.
I recommend: American Power sells hydraulic cylinder repair tools, and also has technicians that can help you if things go awry. Get hydraulic cylinder repair kits from
Hydraulic O-ring & Oil Seal Supplier.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Bent rods are probably the most common repair item for hydraulic cylinders. To make sure your hydraulic cylinder rods are straight, use a dial gauge to measure the run-out when you place the cylinder on rollers. Though the goal is to get it perfectly straight, a run-out of .5 milliliters is still okay.
- A cheap hydraulic cylinder doesn't necessarily mean it's low quality. The industry is very competitive, as hydraulic cylinders are found in virtually any complex piece of machinery. And selling online is also a money-saver for companies, which works out good in the end for you as well.
The official source of Hydraulic Cylinders is the Hydraulic Cylinders page at Business.com
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