My first time running a 50 ton on a 90 degree day taught me about hydraulic oil the hard way

Last summer I got put on a 50 ton Grove with zero shade on a job in Phoenix. By 11am the hydraulics started getting sluggish and I figured it was just the heat. Around 1pm the boom started creeping down while I had a load in the air. Turned out the hydraulic oil was too thin and the seals were bypassing. I had to wait 3 hours for the site super to call in a cooler truck. Now I always check the oil weight and ask about coolers before I take a summer gig. Has anyone else had boom drift from heat like that?

2 comments

2 Comments

lilyb273d ago

Oh man, yeah I've had the boom drift thing happen more than once. It's scary when it's a load in the air and you can feel it sinking. I switched to a heavier weight hydraulic oil for summer jobs, like 68 weight instead of 32, and it made a huge difference. Also started bringing a portable cooler I bought used off craigslist, just in case the site doesn't have one. The biggest clue for me is if the oil looks like water when you check the dipstick, you're gonna have problems before lunch.

joseph5293d ago

I hear you on the oil looking like water thing, but are we sure that's always a sign of impending doom? I've had hydraulic oil look thin on a hot day and the machine ran fine all afternoon. Maybe it's more about how old the oil is rather than the temperature. How many hours were on that oil when you noticed it?

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