Thanks for the reply, yes I looked at those online and also the hose fitting selection, I haven't had time to yet sit down and call to ask questions, while they are open so maybe you can tell me, do you make these machines yourself or buy them from someone overseas, and as for the fittings, are those made here or from somewhere else as well, how many stocking places are there in the usa, how many years have they been in business and if you decide to close up shop, where do I go from there for supplies?
DiscountHydraulicHose.com is part of Hydraulic Fittings Co. We have been in the hose and fitting business since 1958, and we have been selling online since 2003. Our business is not only healthy, it's been growing steadily. I don't foresee DHH closing its doors anytime soon. In any case, one of the key benefits of our crimpers is their versatility. The D100, D165 and D205 (all made in the USA) can assembly hose and fittings from almost any manufacturer. You can buy fittings from Parker, Aeroquip, Weatherhead, or anyone else and set the crimper to the precise crimp diameter needed for those fittings.
All of our products are shipped from one location in Philadelphia. We sell directly to the customer, so we don't have dealers and distributors all over the country. We don't operate any manufacturing facilities. Instead, we are partnered with dozens of OEM manufacturers in the US, Canada, Germany, Thailand, and China. In many cases, we have multiple suppliers in order to assure availability of key products.
From all the quesitons I've asked locally, parker seems to have the best selection, weatherhead has limited amount and type of fittings, several other makers have discontinued or no longer available hose ends or machnes that can't crimp someone else's ends on, everyone's hose has a different pressure rating, even if you compare two wire to two wire and four to four, why? Do you also sell fitting bins to hold all the fittings and if not, where do you recommend one gets those from.
Asking why there are so many specifications on hydraulic hose is a bit like asking why there are so many flavors of breakfast cereal. Manufacturers are constantly trying to find some competitive advantage and they often do that by introducing products that go above and beyond the industry standards. Of course, those products usually cost more and the features they offer may be more beneficial to some than others.
For example, Aeroquip makes some hoses with a proprietary material (AQP) that is rated for temperatures up to 300° F and is suitable for a wider range of fluids than the synthetic rubber hoses in use on most hydraulic equipment. You can pay two to three times as much for these AQP hoses. They are essential for some users working in special applications, but they would represent massive overkill on your basic farm tractor using standard petroleum based hydraulic fluid.
If you're looking to compare on price alone, stick with the industry standard hoses, which will be identified by an SAE specification, such as SAE 100R2AT or SAE 100R16, etc. The European DIN and EN standards are also becoming more common here, so you may see those markings on your hoses as well.
I've bought several machines where the sellers had a supply of uncrimped fittings for the machine, how does one tell what brand of fitting they are, I can't seem to find anyones label on them and the sellers didn't know for sure, how does one go about crimping those on per say. Also is there different fittings for different hose, say a six wire hose take the same fitting as a two wire hose, or does one need to stock fittings for hose wire size as well as hose diameter size?
Unless you can identify the manufacturer and series of those fittings, you should not use them. You need this information to look up the proper crimp specifications, which vary form manufacturer to manufacturer and also from hose to hose. For example, our Braided Hose Fittings can be assembled with half a dozen different types of hoses, and the crimp specification for each hose is different from the next. An undercrimped fitting can leak or blow off under pressure. An overcrimped fitting can cause damage to the wire-reinforced hose. I wouldn't recommend using any fitting unless you are certain you crimp it to the correct specification for that particular fitting and hose combination.
As a general rule, special hoses require special fittings. You cannot use a 2-wire hose fitting 4-wire hose. Compatibility varies from one manufacturer to another, so you need to pay attention to the fitting descriptions and the hoses with which they are compatible.
Our Braided Hose Fittings can be crimped on most standard 1-wire and 2-wire hoses, but cannot be used with 4-wire or 6-wire hoses. DiscountHydraulicHose.com offers eight different kinds of crimp fittings for hydraulic hoses and other specialty hoses.
Also all the adapters that are listed, are all those in stock or is there a wait period for those to come in and then be shipped. Basically if discount hydraulics goes out of business 15 years from now, who do I get dies, press parts, fittings and hose from then?
DiscountHydraulicHose.com currently offers more than 15,000 products. Our inventory is much larger than your local hydraulic repair shop, and we stock a lot of unusual items that the smaller shops just can't afford to carry. Most orders are shipped within 1 business day. 90% of backorders are filled in less than a week, many in as little as 2 business days.
With the exception of hydraulic hose fittings (see above), most hydraulic adapters and connectors are generic in nature. You can virtually the same part from a dozen different manufacturers. You buy from the one who has what you need, gives you the best price, and treats you with the respect you deserve. We've been doing that for more than 50 years, or we would not be in business today.
I hope I've been able to answer all of your questions. Don't hesitate to call me at 800-535-1302 if there is anything else you need to know.
Ken Hutchinson
Internet Sales Manager
Hydraulic Fittings Co.
DiscountHydraulicHose.com