My old tractor needs new hoses on the front end loader. I pulled the old ones off last weekend and checked a couple of places on the cost to have new ones made. I know the hose size, pressure rating I need, and the actual fitting numbers for each end. All four the same length.

First place I called rudely told me they don't price hoses out over the phone. Another place quoted me just over $400. A third provided me an on-line quote of $387. I have nothing against folks making a decent living, but I think these prices are ridiculous.

I've made hoses myself many years ago. If I still had access to a crimper, I'd be making these. Less than 5 minutes per hose, using an hand pump crimper. Lets be real generous and say 30 minutes of labor for all four. The fittings wholesale for less than $3 each, so we are talking about $50 in materials. I can see doubling the material cost...so at $150 the company turns a profit on the incremental work. They've got to cover overhead, so I would not be complaining at $200...but $400 sounds like a rip-off. Am I being unreasonable about this?

So I end up spending over an hour on Amazon (longer than making the hoses would take) and I have Apache brand pre-made hoses, and a handful of expensive adapters, scheduled to be here tomorrow for less than $150, shipped.

...of course, I'll have a 2' loop of extra hose , but it's an old, ugly tractor, so I don't care.

Overall, I'm seeing everything from service related companies become ridiculous in cost...then businesses complain that they are loosing business.

we used aeroquip hose and fittings when i worked on tractor trailer rigs, they were screw together type, no crimping, they held up on dirt haulers

Who did you call also if you have an account it makes a difference. I use hosefast in garland for most of my work and they treat me very well. I also have them do a bunch of cylinder work.

I paid over $300. for 2 23' hoses for a RV slideout. They are much better than what came on the RV but dang that seemed high.

Try these guys. Always reasonable priced and have most all fitting including metrics.

Stuart Hose & Pipe
DirectionsWebsite
Address: 701 Riverside Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76111
Send directions to phone
Phone: (817) 332-5297

Replaced all the hydraulic lines on our dozer think it was 8 hoses and they are double the size of the ones on our tractor. All 8 was $450 from Allen hydraulic in San Antonio.

Hoses get expensive very quick. The mark up was incredible when I used to build them.

The parts store I work part time at makes hoses, the cost for fittings and the the heavier wire hoses has gone way up. New hoses are not going to be cheap anywhere (at least not ones you can rely on).

When I was working I had the guys in the shop make up my tractor hoses. The company I worked for built off-road construction equipment and I bought thousands of feet of Parker Hannifin hose and fittings every month direct from the factory. Seeing what is being charged at the retail level makes me gasp. Guess product liability insurance must be very very expensive.

Thanks

I have already bought the ones for the front end loader, but I need a set for the rear made also. I will give Stuart a try.

Data cables were the same way. I now buy them from Fry's.

I had a client in Las Vegas who needed 150 of them, various lengths, FAST. I sat down and started making them.

I was done in less than 4 hours. 2 boxes of cable and connectors. Cost was $700 with my time, all to the lengths needed. Plenum. He had a fit.

I pulled up the price that Graybar had given me, about $4000. Plenum and in stock at standard lengths, he shut up. He also bought me dinner at a Brazilian steak house.

The mark up on line products (electrical or fluid) is high.

That was 2005 when Vegas was blowin' and goin'.

Y'all make it sound as though a fortune could be made providing cost effective hoses....

I’m not sure where everyone gets their hoses from but I buy a decent amount, couple thousand a month a the various hose shops, and I don’t think prices are near as bad as everyone makes them out to be. Cost of doing business these days are not cheap. You can’t even get a double cheeseburger for a dollar anymore...

So.... not a good business to enter then...

I wouldn’t say that. A good hose shop that also does cylinder work that can actually machine stuff and not just replace parts. That charges a fair price can make some good profit. Everyone likes to make money but people tend to not like business to make money no one it here to work for free. I hear it everyday, y’all just must be loaded rich. Well not really but we are here to make money.

Like I tell my customers, "Profit is not a 4 letter word."