Joyce Laird  •  Contributing Editor

Robert J. Koehler, Sr. Training Specialist at Eaton Corporation, said there is no simple answer to this question. This is because there are many factors that can cause a hose to wear—depending on different variables, the tube, reinforcement or cover can all wear quickly.

“The abrasion of the cover is one of the most common failures from wear—outside factors tend to affect hose life more than improper applications. Whether hose-on-hose or hose-on-frame, abrasion is the number one cause of hydraulic hose failure. There are many ways to address this issue. One method is adding an accessory, such as an abrasion sleeve that goes over the cover; another is to start with a higher quality cover, such as one constructed of Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene (UHMWPE), which has excellent abrasion resistance,” he said.

“Another common cause that speeds up the wear on hoses is the thinning of the tube wall. This is typically caused from abrasive materials flowing through the hose, or by bending the hose to extremes thus prematurely wearing the tube walls.  Always be sure not to exceed the listed bend radius of the hose and make sure filtration is sufficient to keep the fluid clean to prevent tube wall thinning,” he added.