Hydraulics experts?

[Gary Cavie]

I have obtained one of those hydraulic lighting towers which usually sit alongside roadworks. The unit has two rams, one to raise the mast, and the other one to lift it from horizontal to vertical. At present it has a manual valve arrangement, whereby you can select lift, raise, lower, and drop - basically a four inlet valve which switches the pump in/out to whichever ram is due to be operating. As the operating parts are due to be located a little bit away from where I want the controls, I was wondering if it is possible to replace this valve with some sort of electrically operated replacement, so that I just need a couple of switches on my control panel.

Does anybody know of any good hydraulic suppliers who would a/ understand what I'm talking about! and b/ be likely to have such a thing, or point me in the direction of what I need to achieve the above?

Thanks

Gary

[SimonJ]

Any hydraulics company should be able to supply an electrically operated valve, but they are pretty expensive. You would be better off extending the pipes!

[Jay]

A solenoid operaton valve shouldn'st cost you too much, I used to work for an hydraulics company called Hydraulic Equipment Supermarkets, they are pretty cheap and have outlets in B'ham, Glos, Durham and Leeds. Ring 0113

2707295 and ask for Peter, he's about the most helpful there (if he still works there.)

Jason

[Harry Bloomfield]

Gary Cavie submitted this idea :

They are certainly available, but very expensive. Any specialist industrial hydraulics supplier would have these in stock. If this were for private use, I would be looking for a means to add bowden cables, solenoids or motors to the existing setup, rather than replacing the existing valves.

[AJH]

I'll second that recommendation, I buy most of my major hydraulic parts from them.

Also look at morse-teleflex controls, these are push-pull cables that can operate a spool valve remotely.

AJH

[R obbo]

Just extend the existing hoses or pipes. Try Pirtek for a start as a company

[Gary Cavie]

Thanks - that was my first thought, but I was trying to avoid having the big clunky valve arrangement inside the shed - I wanted to try to arrange it with just a couple of up/down switches, neatly laid out on the general control panel. Having seen the price of valves, maybe I'll think again!