Hydraulic Hose Repair
Mobile Hydraulic Hose Repair vs. Hauling Your Machine to a Shop
When a hydraulic hose blows, you have two basic choices. Get the machine to the hose, or use mobile hydraulic hose repair and get the hose to the machine.
For years, the default was the first one. Load the machine on a trailer, or pull the hose and drive it to a hose counter, then wait. Mobile hydraulic hose repair flips that around: a truck with a crimper, hose and fittings comes to the machine, and the new hose gets built right there.
Here’s an honest look at both options, and when each one makes sense.
What the shop route actually involves
On paper, taking a machine to a shop sounds simple. In practice, it usually means a chain of steps, and every one of them takes time.
- Getting the machine moving. A machine with a blown hose may not be able to drive, steer or lift its attachment. Loading it can be awkward, and sometimes unsafe.
- Getting a trailer. If you don’t have a lowboy and a driver free right now, you’re waiting on one.
- Hauling. Between jobsites in Utah County and Salt Lake County, that can mean time on I-15 or the side roads with a heavy load.
- Waiting in line. Once the machine gets to the shop, it gets in the queue.
- Hauling it back. Then you do the trip again in reverse.
The other version of the shop route is pulling the hose yourself and taking it to a hose counter to be copied. That can work if you have a mechanic, the right tools, and a hose counter nearby. But someone has to get the hose off safely with the pressure relieved, drive it there, wait for it, drive it back, and install it correctly. Meanwhile the machine is still down.
What mobile hose repair involves
With mobile, on-site hydraulic hose repair, the steps are shorter:
- You call or text. Tell us where the machine is and what failed. Photos of the hose ends and the machine help.
- We come to the machine. Our hose truck carries a hose crimper, common hose sizes and a wide variety of fittings.
- We confirm it’s the hose. We verify the leak is hose-related and pinpoint the exact line.
- We build the hose on the truck. The new hose is cut to length and crimped with the right fittings for your machine.
- We install it and test it. We run the system to make sure the leak is gone before we leave.
No trailer, no hauling, no shop queue. Most repairs are done in one visit.
Side by side
| Mobile hose repair | Hauling to a shop | |
|---|---|---|
| Machine has to move | No | Yes |
| Trailer and driver needed | No | Yes |
| Crew waits on transport | No | Yes |
| Hose built and crimped to fit | Yes, at the machine | Yes, at the shop |
| Works on remote or tight jobsites | Usually, if the truck can reach the machine | Depends on access for a trailer |
Do your own downtime math
Every company’s numbers are different, so we won’t throw out a made-up figure. Instead, add up what a down machine costs you for each hour it sits:
- The crew. How many people are standing around or working around the down machine?
- The machine. What’s it worth to you per hour when it’s running? Rental machines keep costing either way.
- The schedule. Is another trade, a concrete pour, or a truck waiting on this machine?
- The transport. If it has to be hauled, what does the trailer, the driver and the round trip cost?
Then compare two timelines: how long until the machine is working again with a shop trip, versus how long with a truck coming to you. For a single blown hose on a jobsite, the transport and waiting usually take longer than the repair itself.
When the shop is the right call
Mobile repair isn’t the answer to everything. A shop makes sense when:
- The hose isn’t the real problem. If a cylinder, pump or valve has failed and needs a rebuild, that’s shop work.
- The machine is already headed in. If it’s going to the shop for other repairs anyway, have the hose done there too.
- The hose or fitting is unusual. Our truck carries common hose sizes and a wide variety of fittings, but a specialty hose may need to be sourced first.
For a blown or leaking hose on a machine that’s otherwise fine, bringing the repair to the machine is usually the faster path back to work. If you’re not sure it’s the hose, we’ll identify the source of the leak and confirm whether it’s hose-related.
Mobile hydraulic hose repair in Utah County and Salt Lake County
We handle mobile hydraulic hose repair across Utah County and Salt Lake County, for excavators, loaders, skid steers, dozers, semis and more. Most daytime calls in Utah County and the south end of Salt Lake County are on-site within an hour, and 24/7 emergency service is available for blown hoses, nights, weekends and holidays included.
Find your area: Lehi, American Fork, Orem, Provo, Spanish Fork, Draper and all service areas.
Call or text 801-330-5591, or use our contact page.
Hose just blew? Here’s what to do in the first 10 minutes, and what happens when you call for emergency hose repair. Want to catch the next one early? Read 7 signs a hydraulic hose is about to fail.
