LIFT CYLINDER

560 288 68 LIFT CYLINDER , this is the main hydraulic cylinder that drives your feed beam up and down. It's the workhorse that lifts the drill string out of the hole, positions it for collaring, and provides the downforce during drilling. Essentially, it’s what gives your rig the muscle to handle the weight of the rods and bit, especially when you’re making or breaking connections or just trying to get a good pull on the string.

When this cylinder starts to wear out, you'll definitely notice it in the feed system's behavior. The most common sign is the feed drifting, especially when you’ve got a heavy string hanging or pushing down. It just won't hold position like it should. You might also experience sluggish movement, where the feed takes longer to extend or retract, or even inconsistent pressure, making it tough to maintain a steady feed rate. Sometimes you’ll hear internal bypass noise, which is a dead giveaway the seals are shot, even if there aren't any external leaks yet.

Swapping one of these out isn't a job to rush; make sure you’ve got the feed beam properly supported before you start unpinning anything. A common oversight is not checking the pins and bushings at both ends of the cylinder for wear while you’ve got it accessible – a little play there can mimic a cylinder problem. And always take the time to properly bleed the hydraulic system after installation. Air trapped in the lines will make your new cylinder feel spongy and unresponsive, and you'll be chasing your tail trying to figure out what's wrong.