New purpose-built hydraulic hose delivers industry-leading bend radius capability for forklift over-mast systems

Hydraulink has expanded its specialist forklift hydraulic hose offering with the launch of the HFL250, a high-performance hose specifically engineered to withstand the unique challenges of forklift mast applications.

Forklift over-mast hydraulic systems subject hoses to some of the most demanding operating conditions in the material handling industry. Tight pulley diameters, constant flexing and repetitive high-cycle movement place enormous stress on hydraulic hose assemblies, often resulting in premature wear and reduced service life when conventional hose constructions are used.

To address these challenges, Hydraulink has developed the HFL250, a compact one-wire braid hose designed for applications where ultra-tight bend radii are unavoidable.

Designed to Bend Where Others Fail

One of the most significant advantages of the HFL250 is its exceptional flexibility compared with traditional hydraulic hose constructions.

As illustrated below, the HFL250 achieves a minimum bend radius (MBR) of just 40 mm, significantly tighter than comparable hose alternatives.

Minimum Bend Radius Comparison

• HFL250-06: 40 mm MBR
• H16/H17 ST-06: 65 mm MBR
• H1T/H2T-06: 125 mm MBR

The HFL250 provides a bend radius approximately 38% tighter than H16/H17 ST hoses and nearly 70% tighter than traditional H1T/H2T hose constructions.

This capability allows the hose to be installed and operated over extremely small pulley diameters commonly found in forklift mast assemblies, enabling routing configurations that would exceed the minimum allowable bend radius of many conventional one and two-wire braid hoses.

The visual comparison highlights the dramatic reduction in bend radius achieved by the HFL250, making it particularly well suited to side-shift, auxiliary and other mast-mounted hydraulic circuits where space is restricted and hose movement is continuous.

Built for High-Cycle Performance

Beyond flexibility, the HFL250 has been designed to maintain performance under constant motion.

Key features include:

• Compact one-wire braid construction.
• Operating pressures up to 250 bar across all sizes.
• Lightweight design for easier installation and improved flexibility.
• Smooth rubber outer cover to minimise friction and abrasion over pulleys.
• Extremely low length variation and stretch characteristics to maintain correct hose tension during operation.
• Optimised reinforcement architecture to support demanding high-cycle applications.

Together, these design elements help maintain flow integrity, pressure performance and durability throughout the service life of the hose.

Supporting Forklift Fleet Reliability

For fleet operators and maintenance teams, hydraulic hose performance has a direct impact on equipment uptime and maintenance costs. Frequent hose replacement can lead to unnecessary downtime, particularly in busy warehouses, logistics facilities and manufacturing environments where forklifts are critical assets.

The HFL250 has been developed to help address these challenges by providing a hose solution specifically engineered for the realities of over-mast hydraulic routing.

According to Hydraulink, the new hose complements the company's existing forklift-focused hydraulic product range, including the proven R18NEO thermoplastic hose, giving customers more options to match hose technology with application requirements.

Ideal Applications

The HFL250 is ideally suited for:

✔ Forklift over-mast hydraulic circuits
✔ Side-shift and auxiliary hydraulic functions
✔ OEM replacement programs
✔ Scheduled maintenance upgrades
✔ Major forklift brands using rubber wire braid hose as original equipment
✔ Hydraulic systems requiring extremely tight pulley bends under constant motion

With its industry-leading bend radius capability and durable high-cycle design, the HFL250 represents a significant advancement in hydraulic hose technology for forklift applications, helping operators maximise reliability where conventional hoses are pushed beyond their limits.

For more information about the Hydraulink HFL250, contact Hydraulink Australia hydraulink.com.au or your local authorised network partners.