How to Improve Hydraulics on Cat Skid Steer Equipment

Skid steer utility vehicles provide the unique benefit of switching out various attachments to suit the task at hand.  Skid steer operators must choose the right attachment for the job while making sure the hydraulic circuit is interchangeable for quick changeovers.  While focusing on making efficient changeovers of attachments, it is just as important to ensure that your hydraulic circuit provides maximum power and performance with leak-free connections.

Here are some tips to keep in mind when pairing your Cat® skid steer or any utility vehicle with attachments:

1)  Know your equipment’s hydraulic circuit specifications, pressure, and flow

It is important to know the hydraulic pressure, psi, and the hydraulic flow, gpm, of your equipment.  Some skid steer attachments may need additional hydraulic functional capability that not all machines come with.  It is just as important to know the type of hydraulic quick couplers in use when shopping for attachments. 

You should also know if your vehicle is a standard flow (typically 22 gpm) or high flow (26 gpm or greater).  Attachments designed for standard flow should operate fine on a high flow machine, but not the other way around.  You wouldn’t want to run attachments designed for high flow on a standard flow machine. 

2) Know the difference between hydromechanical and fabricated attachments

Hydromechanical attachments are powered by an auxiliary hydraulic system and should be from the same manufacturer as your equipment. Cat skid steer equipment and attachments are engineered to operate together. 

Fabricated attachments are versatile in that they do not require auxiliary hydraulics and can often operate on equipment from another manufacturer.

 

3)  Consider renting an attachment before purchasing it

Most equipment suppliers will let you rent an attachment prior to purchasing it to see how it works for you on your equipment. 

4)  Evaluate your hydraulic quick couplers

Evaluate your hydraulic quick couplers for the possibility of improving them with flat-face, threaded couplers that provide a secure connection that prevents leaks. 

Stucchi Offers Skid Steer Hydraulic Solutions

Stucchi is a leading hydraulic specialist, offering high quality and custom designed quick couplers for a multitude of industries and applications.  Our hydraulic specialists will work with you to determine the best quick connect and quick release solution for your equipment, your attachments and your application. 

Stucchi offers hydraulic quick couplers for skid steer, excavators, backhoes and many other rugged and demanding applications. Our skilled hydraulic specialists offer process analysis and custom designed hydraulic solutions to meet your specific needs. Contact us to be sure you are using the right quick couplers for your skid steer and all mobile and agricultural equipment.

Quick Coupler Material Important for Various Environments

Quick Coupler Material Important for Various Environments 

Quick couplers are important to many hydraulic circuits in a wide range of applications such as oil and gas, earth moving, construction, demolition and many others. The choice if quick couplers and the material they are made of are vital in holding up to the applicable environment.  Many factors must be taken into consideration when selecting quick couplers for your application. 

One of the most important considerations in choosing quick couplers is the level of exposure they have to corrosion.  Some environments will quickly damage quick couplers if the material is not ideal for the environment, this could happen rapidly or slowly over time and extended use. 

Corrosive environments may be considered low to highly corrosive:

Low exposure to corrosion: these environments do not promote damage to couplers or circuits if maintained free from contamination

Medium exposure: these applications may be used in cooling systems and water based solutions, relating mostly to the type of fluid used

High exposure:  highly corrosive environments must utilize quick couplings designed to withstand hostile environments such as in off-shore oil and gas platforms

Stucchi Solution for Corrosion Resistance

Stucchi offers a wide selection of quick couplings designed for any level of corrosion from low to high.  Our quick couplers are available in various materials to meet different conditions.  These materials include:

●       Carbon steel:  quick couplers in carbon steel provide a decent balance between commercial and technical characteristics and are popular in low corrosion environments

●       Brass: couplers made of brass provide good resistance to medium-level corrosion and fluids

●       Stainless steel: this material is the most resistant to corrosion and suitable in highly corrosive environments. 

Stucchi offers many options for quick couplings in these materials with various port options and sizes.  We provide additional protection with treatment coatings such as:

●       QPQ: quench polish quench protective heat treatments provide good resistance to corrosion

●       Zinc Nickel: a surface galvanizing treatment which employs a special zinc alloy to improve corrosion resistance

●       Chrome III: this treatment is applied to carbon steel and is a popular form of treating for corrosion resistance. 

No matter your application, it is beneficial to contact your Stucchi hydraulic specialist for guidance in choosing the right quick coupler material and treatment to withstand your environment. 

Stucchi is dedicated to providing high quality quick connect solutions for any application and environment.  We offer custom designed hydraulic solutions from experienced technical experts.  Contact us with any questions on selecting the best quick couplings for your environment and application.

Upgrading Your Tractor from Standard to High Flow?

Here’s What You Need to Know about Upgrading Tractor Hydraulics

We are often asked about upgrading your tractor hydraulic system from standard flow to high flow.  This is done to beef up the infrastructure when wanting to use a tractor for heavier duty use like in construction.  Many people ask us they have to also swap out the quick couplers when upgrading from standard to high flow.  The answer is yes, absolutely you must upgrade your hydraulic quick couplers when upgrading the hydraulic circuit.

Beefed Up Hydraulics Require Heavier Duty Quick Couplers

It requires quite a lot more power to raise the blade with hydraulics when moving heavy materials as opposed to pulling an agricultural implement. The increase in force and weight requirements puts added stress on the circuit which includes the quick couplings.  Using quick coupler fittings that are not designed for this added stress could allow quick connect failure, leaks and require continually replacing them.  This will get costly and create unnecessary downtime, contamination and safety risks. 

High Flow Tractor Hydraulic Solutions 

Stucchi offers a solution for high flow tractor hydraulic circuits with a heavy duty flat face coupler featuring a thread to connect design.  This provides failsafe connections with leak free performance. We offer a wide selection of flat face and threaded flat face couplers ideal in many pressurized, demanding applications.

VEP threaded flat face series – the VEP series features a heavy duty and locking version to meet the most demanding applications.  The Stucchi VEP series is ideal in heavy duty construction and demolition applications with increased pressure requirements. 

VP Series – Stucchi’s VP series features an auto-locking sleeve and thread to connect design for failsafe connections. The VEP and VP can be found in heavy machinery and equipment such as excavators, cranes, tractors and many others. 

The Tractor Hydraulic Solution from Stucchi

Stucchi has been known for providing hydraulic solutions to a wide range of industries for over 60 years.  Our hydraulic specialists partner with you to learn your process and suggest the best quick connect solution to improve your productivity and safety.  We offer custom designed, innovative hydraulic solutions based on our expertise in analyzing your process and equipment. 

Stucchi provides a constant flow of solutions with high quality, durable and reliable hydraulic quick couplers.  We deliver leak-free hydraulic solutions which improve your overall business operations.  Contact us with any questions and to learn more about our hydraulic solutions for tractors.