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Why Adjustable?
When your looking at purchasing a hose crimper, whether new or used, there are some key questions to ask of the vendor or seller. Crimpers come in many shapes, sizes and colors, and each have different features that could cause problems if you don't purchase the right type of machine. No one wants to spend more than they need to, and no one likes to buy something only to find out it won't do what they need.
One question to ask of all crimpers you look at is simple. Is it adjustable? What we mean when we ask that question is simply do you specify the crimp spec or is the machine setup to only crimp specfic types of hose and fittings? There are crimpers known as "dead-stop" and there is nothing wrong with them, as long as you know what your getting into.
A typical dead-stop crimper has plates and dies, or spacer rings, and the manufacturer tells you to crimp their 1/2" 2 Wire hydraulic hose, use the orange die and black spacer ring, and press the big green button. This works great when your using the manufacturers hose and fittings designed specifically for that machine. Let's say it's a Sunday afternoon and a hose breaks. You don't happen to have the needed fitting on the shelf, and you run down to a local store. That store only sells a specific brand of fittings and turns out, your machine can't crimp them. Not only is this a big bummer after you've invested time and money into a machine, but it doesn't get you any closer to fixing your hose.
With an adjustable crimper, you still use dies, but the machine itself has a setting, or adjustment where you tell it how far to compress the die. This allows you much more freedom, as you can literally crimp any hose or fitting as long as you have the die that crimps down far enough. You can use your favorite fittings from a local supply house in town, or order online without worry of incompatibility. If you happen to be using a Custom Machine or Finn Power crimper, our fitting and hose will work, and we publish our crimp specifications here.
When buying a used machine, always check the condition of the machine and dies, as well as any motor or pumps. Ensure the oil is clean and that the machine doesn't show signs of failure or abuse. When working with electical motor driven machines, ensure you have the right type of power for the machine (ie 3 Phase vs 1 phase power). If possible, contact the manufacturer of the equipment, or a licensed reseller and determine if parts are readily availiable should something go wrong after your purchase. Again, nothing like buying a machine and having something break, only to learn too late that the parts aren't in stock or even made anymore.
Like buying anything used, you never quite know what your going to get until you start using it, but do some research and you should end up with a machine that lasts years. We have customers who have our machines into service well over 10 years now, and we have machines in our shop over 20 years old and still running strong. If we can help in any way, let us know!
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