A hydraulic piston pump might sound like a technical bit of machinery that only has a few niche uses, but that is far from the truth. These exciting little machines power everything from the technology that puts food on our plate to our own cars.
You’ll be surprised at how commonplace these pumps are as we countdown our list of 5 unexpected uses for hydraulic pumps!
Woodchippers
Woodchippers are some of the most common landscaping machines. These devices use hydraulic piston pump for a variety of jobs including raising and lowering gates and helping to control the internal chipping mechanism.
Next time you see a woodchipper, take a moment to see if you can figure out where the hydraulic pump is and what it’s doing.
Tractors
Tractors are used in every industry from agriculture to timber harvesting. These all-purpose utility vehicles are also big users of hydraulic piston pumps.
Tractors needs hydraulics for a variety of reasons. They can use them with additional systems such as plows, seed spreaders, and tilling equipment. Depending on the model, some more advanced tractors have remote hydraulic systems that can help control some of the tractors features.
Potato Harvester
Now we’re getting more specific. You might have never heard of a potato harvester let alone seen one up close. These specialized machines are a bit like a tractor that has dedicated potato harvesting equipment built in.
These machines use hydraulics to dig the potatoes out of the earth and move them into a storage bin. Hydraulics are also used to help separate the potatoes from dirt and other debris as well as power conveyor belts and make moving heavy loads easier for farmers.
Next time you sit down to a nice baked potato, thank a hydraulic pump for getting it to your plate!
Forklift
Forklifts are a bit more common than tractors or potato harvesters. You can find forklifts at your local grocery store, hardware store, and community parks department. Forklifts are known for their distinctive forks, but did you know those are powered by hydraulics?
Hydraulic pumps are what allow the forks to move up and down and enable them to lift thousands of pounds!
Car
You might have seen a really flashy car bouncing up and down on its hydraulic system, but did you know that there are dozens of other parts of your car that rely on hydraulics?
Everything from power windows, remote entry, to windshield wipers can run on hydraulics.
Hopefully you’ve seen that hydraulics are more than just an industrial technology and that they play a role in every part of our lives.
