I didn't think it would happen to me

I am sitting on my JD 401B just having a good time mowing today. Then I am being sprayed with water. Only problem it's not water, it's Hydraulic fluid. I have one external hydraulic line, the line goes to three valves mounted on the fender. Over the years the line has been rubbing on the frame. Today it decided to let go. All over the left side of the tractor, mower, and the left side of me. At least it happened within 2 miles from home. Stan

You did OK, many years ago the hired hand at a nearby farm got sprayed with hydraulic oil when a hose broke, he wasn't as lucky as you, the oil was HOT, and he died several days later from the burns.

You were lucky, if you can sit at your computer and tell us about it! I had it happen once with our IH 340 U, it was dead in the water until I got it fixed. The parts man at the local JD dealer found enough fittings to make a standard hose fit, and I was running again. No IH dealer for a 100 miles.

I removed the hose, and headed to the next town. They had a Parker hose store. They made a hose just like the original while I waited. Then went and bought a 5 gal pail of hyd fluid. I was back in business around three hours later. That sure ruins an after noon.Stan

Hot hydraulic fluid under pressure can penetrate the skin and cause tissue necrosis.

I replaced two hydraulic hoses on my mowing tractor Yanmar YM 330 about a month ago that were looking to be worse for the wear they'd had.Got the hoses from Surplus Center a whole lot easier and cheaper$ to replace them when you have the time and don't need the hoses and fittings right away.As stated hydraulic fluid under pressure can be dangerous.

Amen to that. I had a hose explode completely off on my Ford back hoe and it was pointed directly at me. Was completely soaked in the 2 seconds it took to yank the kill switch. Fortunately I had just started digging and the oil was hardly warm.

You got lucky. I know hydraulic hoses ain't cheap but it always amazes me how bad folks let them get as dangerous as they are.

Parker Hydraulics is a good place to shop. There is one near me in Northern Ky. Always willing to help and fast at making a hose. Ellis

That stuff is HOT ain't it?

My hose was 3 ft long. It cost over $50. The hose just had a wear spot, I thought they could just cut it and install a repair, as it was in good shape. They don't repair hoses. The town has a JD dealer, Mostly lawn equipment, no large tractors or equipment. I could have ordered the hose and waited a week, and cost probably twice as much. Stan

Take a slightly larger hose, maybe split it, and attach to your new hose where it rubs/rests on the tractor.

Fifty bucks was right in the ballpark for local built hose. Hose is about ten bucks a foot and fittings are 10 to 20 per fitting some places charge shop time for a crimp too.

I messed up hoses on a skidloader attachment and tried the local shop who did not have the right fittings so we made up some stuff that should have worked but did not due to clearance issues thats when i found the online store. I can get custom double braid hoses built and shipped to my door for half if not one third the price. They seem like good hoses time will tell how they weather.

Probably never knew it was abrading slowly against the frame, but good to be on the lookout for same. My 4630 ford-nh tractor has a similar conflict with the positive cable to the battery and the hood reinforcing that the hinge is attached to. The flange ends of the cross member does not have enough clearance between the flange end and the cable, it will wear through and that means a fire at some point. I put a shoe insole cushion over the cable and you can see the imprint. I leave the hood open when in the garage, but the cushion seems to do the job, poor design and it is inherent to these tractors, really surprised they never changed the design.

Years ago, when I was operating a D8K on a road project in NJ, the dealer came out for a recall and the D8K model production had ended for quite a while, think the next serious was the D8N, high track. The recall was for the hydraulic lines that supplied fluid to the blade tilt cylinder and I think the recall applied to other models, as they changed one out on a D5 of the same era. As I understand it, it was because the line was prone to failure or something and the associated leak/spray could ignite somehow. That would not be so nice on an O.R.P.S tractor or any tractor for that matter.

Good to hear it just made a mess of things, nothing worse from it.

One of my shoes is a little darker brown today. Stan