Hydraulic Hose Repair Cart

About six months of thought went into Bruce Elliott’s hydraulic hose repair cart.  

“I wanted it as compact as possible, yet I wanted everything on it,” he says. 

These details reflect that planning: 

• A roller on top keeps the hose from dragging or getting scratched.
• Hose ends are housed in sleeves that point down to keep dust out. 
• The spools lift out individually. 

“It’s also sized so I can drive the forklift under it, slide it into a pickup, and take it to the field,” comments Elliott. An inverter on the truck will run the press, he says. The cart also holds a completely portable, smaller hose press. 

The main framework is made of 2×2-inch box tubing. The work surface is countertop material, and the dividers in the cabinet are OSB. “The only real cost was for the $60 casters,” says Elliott. 

More on the repair cart:

• Compact yet complete: Go-anywhere cart has a comfortable working height for repair or maintenance. Lay old hose right alongside the new, and there’s no need for measurements. 
• Crimper on the job: “On the weekends when all the other shops are closed, my neighbors come by asking, ‘Can you make me this hose?’ ” says Elliott.
• Step saver: Roll up next to a project instead of walking back and forth across the shop. 
• 4 spool reels: In addition to 1/4-, 3/8-, 1/2-, and 5/8-inch hose, 3/4- and 1-inch hose are stored in the cabinet. 
• In perfect alignment: A drawer with cutouts for the dies keeps everything organized. Hooks on the front panel hold the press rings. 

Learn more about  Bruce Elliott

Farm operation: Bruce Elliott, his brother, Roger, and his nephew, Lee, grow corn and soybeans on a farm in Montrose, Illinois, in the south-central part of the state. Lee (Roger’s son) is the sixth generation. Jane is Bruce’s wife. 

No hogs: “We did have hogs until about six weeks ago. Now, we are officially out of the hog business,” says Elliott. They are deciding whether to rent the buildings.

Hobby: Pigs are still in his life, however. Elliott enjoys traveling to South Carolina to hunt wild hogs. (Domestic hogs take three generations to turn feral.)