Hydraulic filters remove contaminants from the fluid in a hydraulic system and prevent loss of hydraulic pressure, thus avoiding system failures.

You can use hydraulic filters for handling petroleum-based oils, emulsions, synthetic hydraulic fluids and lubrication oils. Depending on the type of flow, hydraulic filters come in different types such as a full flow filter, a full flow bypass filter and a proportional or partial flow filter. While installing a filtering system, maintain the optimum balance between required filtering capability and fluid flow rate of the hydraulic filter.

Some important parameters you must consider before purchasing a hydraulic filter are:

1. Viscosity of fluid flowing through the hydraulic filter
2. Rate of fluid flow
3. Maximum capacity and pressure range for the hydraulic filter
4. Minimum particle size
5. Operating temperature and environment

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Buy hydraulic filters from reputable hydraulic filter manufacturers

After understanding your application needs, check out hydraulic filters offered by reputable suppliers of hydraulic filters.

I recommend: Purolator, a leading supplier of hydraulic filters and elements to the aerospace industry, offers a variety of hydraulic filters, including spin-on filters. You can buy industrial hydraulic filters made of stainless steel from Ejay Filtration. HYDAC manufactures a wide range of hydraulic filters used in injection molding machines, pulp and paper mills, chemical laboratories and forklifts. You can buy a high pressure and in-line industrial hydraulic filter from Norman Filter co., another hydraulic filter manufacturer.

Buy a specialty or customized hydraulic filter

If standard filters available on the market do not meet your requirements, opt for a customized hydraulic filter.

I recommend: Yankee Wire Cloth Products designs and manufactures customized metal hydraulic filters made of wire cloth, expanded metal or perforated metal. Swift Filters is another custom manufacturer of hydraulic filters.

Buy a hydraulic filter from hydraulic filter distributors or retailers

At distributors and retailers' websites, you can compare products from various hydraulic filter suppliers based on product features and prices. Ask for a discount if you are buying in bulk.

I recommend: RG Group is a distributor of fluid handling products offering hydraulic filters for large pressure ranges. CFP Filters offers hydraulic oil filters from reputable hydraulic filter manufacturers, such as Becker, Busch, HyraPure and National. Filpro Corporation is another one-stop hydraulic filter supplier for hydraulic oil filters for various industries, such as agriculture, automotive, chemical processing and pulp and paper.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Clean your hydraulic filters periodically to ensure an efficient filtration process.
• •  Replace the inline hydraulic filters as per the instruction given by your hydraulic system manufacturer.
• •  Use hydraulic polymeric filters to filter small quantities of liquids.