Hydraulic equipment is some of the most durable, heavy-duty equipment in the world. From log splitters to bulldozers, backhoes, shovels, loaders, forklifts, and cranes, hydraulics are huge components of the machinery that makes our lives so much simpler. Here, we’ll take a look at the basic principles of hydraulic systems.
Basically, all hydraulic systems operate based on the same idea. Force applied at one point is transmitted to another point via an incompressible fluid. That fluid is almost always some type of oil, and the force is almost always multiplied in the transmission process. Imagine two cylinders filled with oil and connected by another oil-filled pipe. Both cylinders have pistons. When you apply a downward force to one piston, the force is transmitted to the second piston, causing it to rise. This