The tribe has spoken! Ok, Ok, we’ll start a post about the Hydra-Ram. We’ll do a quick intro to the tool, and move all the comments over from the other posts. This will make it easier to reference to the post and comments later.
The Hydra-Ram is a hydraulic forcible entry tool capable of exerting 10,000 lbs. of force. The Hydra-Ram was originally designed for forcing inward swinging metal doors, but we’re sure you all have other creative uses for it. There are two different models; one opens 4 inches the other opens 6 inches. The four inch model should achieve full extension with 7-8 pumps. Knowing the number of pumps is important, because it allows ensuring the unit is functioning properly. Each pump should open the jaws of the tool ¾ inches. It’s also good to know that the tool requires 138 pounds of pressure at the handle when forcing the full 10,000 pounds on the jaws. So just because the handle feels a little tough to push does not mean the tool is not functioning properly. We advocate checking the tool frequently, and actually placing it under a load while checking it out to ensure proper function.
Be sure to read the second comment from Chris- Concord Engine 1. He did a bit of research and has an amazing amount of info directly from the manufacturer. A special thanks goes out to Chris for finding and sharing this great bit of info!
Below are all of the comments that were posted in other places, and copied here for your reading pleasure! -Jimm
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Chris – Concord Engine 1
Evan, be careful with the hydra-ram, we’ve had two catastrophically fail during actual forcible entry on steel doors in steel frames (ya know, the doors they are supposedly designed for!). When the hydraulic cylinder blows out it makes a huge friggin mess, too!! We’ve also noticed that if they sit in the truck and aren’t exercised every couple days they “lose their primeâ€, so to speak, and have to be pumped continuously for several minutes, usually with the head facing down, to start working again. They might be light and single firefighter operable, but the sure aren’t the old rabbit tool! As Capt. Morris (FDNY R1) says, if you don’t know how to use the Irons, don’t pick up the hydra-ram!
Be safe Brothers!
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Evan Swartz
Thanks for the advice on the hydra-ram from now on I will start “exercizing†all the rams in my department.
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Brian
Yes the hydra-ram works fantastically when it works. You will need the trusted irons if there is any failure with the hydra-ram. The irons will also be needed to hold any purchase you made with the ram, and you’ve maxed out the pistons extension. This is where many of these tools (hydra ram) fail. When the FF using it pumps the tool too far it may cause the seals to fail. And as Chris stated, we too have observed a lot of unexplained hydra ram failure on routine tool inspection. This is a tool that MUST be checked every tour because somehow they are prone to leakage. We have our guys simply test them by pumping them and then pushing the extended jaws against a wall. More times than you’d think those jaws start retracting with a little pressure. This condition will cause a very inefficient door force evolution. Great stuff.
Stay safe.
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Jack
Keep in mind also that the Hydra-ram is designed to fail without any kind of leakage or noise etc. Any time you experience those conditions it’s definitely “no goodâ€. There is an internal seal that is designed to fail when you are trying to force something you shouldn’t be (my Truck has “blown up†2 of them). The two failures had no leakage noted and after the failure, appeared to function properly until placed under load. We now routinely lift our firehouse dumpster to ensure that the tool is operational. If you have a failure it will not lift anything but may appear to function normally.
Failures are also common in rams that have sat for long periods of time without use, causing the seals to dry out and crack, and therefore again causing possible failure. Remember to keep the piston moistened and cleaned with 3-in-1 oil. These tools are like human muscles, they need to be used!!
Stay Safe!
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Steve
Does anyone have the specific number at which the seal in the hydra-ram fails?
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Evan Swartz
Can anyone tell me how to oil my hydro ram with the 3 in 1 oil? Like where do i put it?
Hey Jeff & Jimm – Looks like we need a Hydra-Ram training section!
Evan & Steve: My curiosity was peaked by your questions and this discussion, so I called the manufacturer, Fire Hooks Unlimited (www.firehooksunlimited.net). I spoke with Bob, who I believe invented the tool. He was FULL of info and tips, and I tried to take notes as fast as he was talking about it. Incidentally, he said if you ever have questions or maintenance issues don’t hesitate to call; he can diagnose and direct repairs of most issues over the phone.
The tool will develop 31,000 lbs of force before the internal “implosion seal†fails. This differs from the old rabbit tool which would develop 10,000 lbs. of force then go to a “recycle mode†where the fluid would not develop further pressure but you could keep pumping the handle with no indication, thus protecting the internal mechanics from damage. Bob says, “The hell with the tool, if my kid is behind the door I want you to break the tool trying to get to him!â€
Bob also said the stronger you are, the greater amount of force you will be able to develop, but he has a 90 lb. girl in his office who was able to develop over 10,000 lbs. of measured force when they were testing the tool. The back-pressure on the handle will give you an idea how hard you are working the tool. He said he routinely lifts his forklift to test the tools, and has seen video of FDNY lifting a 15,000 lb. machine off a trapped person.
The tool operates on a 3-stage hydraulic system. With 0-400 lbs. of load it will extend 3/4″ per pump, with maximum extension of 4″ in 8 pumps. 400-1200 lbs. will extend 1/4″ per pump, and over 1200 lbs. will extend 1/8″ per pump. The idea is to quickly take up the slack in a door/frame being forced, then apply a measured amount of force to break it.
The hydraulics are a fully-sealed pressurized unit, which uses Propylene Glycol as the fluid agent. The fluid is safe if it did get in your eyes or on your skin, as opposed to typical hydraulic fluid used in the old rabbit tool, which burns the skin. Also, it is basically just anti-freeze, so cold weather doesn’t effect operation.
To check the status of the hydraulic system, fully extend the shaft, and you’ll see a nickel-sized hole above where the shaft extends from the body. Insert a screwdriver all the way into the hole, mark the depth, and remove the screwdriver. Then, measure the depth marked on the screwdriver. If you were able to insert it greater than 5 inches, the tool has lost its charge and needs to be serviced by the manufacturer.
The other thing he mentioned was checking the position of the release lever when it’s in the closed position. That spring-loaded lever operates a ball-seat valve. If it is out of adjustment, the ball won’t seat properly, and you won’t be able to properly develop pressure. In the normally closed position, it should be between 10 o’clock and 11 o’clock. If the lever is at or beyond 12 o’clock, call Bob and he will talk you through removing it and adjusting/calibrating the valve.
As it is a fully-sealed pressurized unit, the only maintenance required is regular cleaning and exercise. Don’t open any seals or plugs. The tool may be completely submerged in water for cleaning, in fact it has been successfully used for underwater vehicle extrication.
After cleaning, fully extend the cylinder, wipe it with a clean rag, and oil the shaft with 3-in-1. Bob said if there are any black streaks on the shaft, you should clean them with metal polish, then reapply oil. After oiling, exercise the tool under load. He told me the more work the tool sees, the better it will perform. Most of the product maintenance returns he gets are from slower places that rarely take the tool off the truck. The busy companies that use the tool regularly rarely have problems. He recommended exercising it at least every two weeks.
Bob’s final words of wisdom, were that the tool isn’t “Fireman Proofâ€, as nothing is… I’m sure y’all’ve heard about the 3 bowling balls the chief left in a room full of firemen… The chief came back an hour later and one was broken, one was missing, and the third was pregnant, and no one knew anything about it!
Be safe Brothers!
Chris
Thanks for all the information Chris I now know a little more about my tool. Again thanks and if you find anymore information on this or other tools PLEASE post them.
As always, great information. We will be giving ours a workout tomorrow! The ram, not the bowling ball.
Hey I hope someone can answer this question. One of my hydra-rams will not retract on its own, I have to put it on the ground and use my weight to retract it. The other one we have works without a problem. Can someone please help me with this?
Evan, check the position of the release lever… if it is beyond 11 o’clock the ball-seat valve may not be setting or releasing properly… And, is there any dirt/grime around where the shaft retracts into the cylinder? And, is the shaft well-oiled? That’s all I got for ya…
WARNING: ANOTHER OPINION HERE: Take the rubber mallet that may have been purchased to go with the tool and put it in the tool box on the rig or in the firehouse. It is an unnecessary weight to be carried to the fire floor, since the door being forced should be gapped with the adze of the halligan anyway prior to using the hydra-ram, thus giving you a more-than-adequate gap to place the jaws of the tool. Simply by leaning on the door is sometimes enough to get you started on a tool purchase anyway.
If the tool needs to be “snugged up” a bit more it can be TAPPED on the teflon striking plate with either the halligan or the axe without damaging the tool. I also believe that this technique is still approved by Bob (from talking to him about this years ago)
As for those who show up on the fire floor with only the rubber mallet and hydra-ram, and bring nothing else, I can only say that I just hope you are not on my second due truck!!
Stay safe…don’t spend my 2 cents all in one place!
In regards to the ram that will not retract; Is it an older one ? We had one of the first few made and had a similar problem. Besides the release lever adjustment issue, Bob replaced our retraction spring. It’s a big spring inside the tubular part.
That said, I still love the Hydra Ram(beyond the halligan, there’s nothing perfect in this business) and Bob F. is truly a fireman’s fireman. He’ll take care of ya !
I oiled the shaft and there is no dirt on the shaft. The lever appears to be between 10 and 11. What is the number to that guy?
I checked everything and the other thing I think it can be it the release knob. Can anyone tell me how to fix it?
http://www.firehooksunlimited.net/
Guys make sure you check the release lever. We have had alot of problems with ours. It looks like it is in the off position but the spring looses it’s memory and actually keeps the Ram from priming. This has happened more than once fortunatly with no negative outcome. Irons will never fail!! just the operator.
I agree fully with Capt. Morris (my Captain) on this. If you dont know how to use the Irons, learn. The “bunny” tool should only be used as a last resort. Most guys out there need every oppurtunity they can get to use the Irons under real-world conditions. I also disagree with those that think it is always the quickest way to force a door. In my experiences, it is often as quick, or quicker to use the Irons, again, if you know how to use them. On my job (NYC), we often work alone, and alot of the doors I have forced alone, I have done without the Bunny tool. The tools are only a small part of forcing a door….the key is the know-how.
hey yall i am going to put on training for my volunteer fire department of Vent Enter Search, and was woundering if any one could give me some information on to to do it all in class and all the materials. yall can e-mail me at j.wilson@esterfire.org thanks every one
I agree you have to know how to use the irons and as MJB says we often work alone and you get real good from it but not taking the hydra ram or refusing to use it is bad too. My personal rule as a boss is conventional if you want to on the fire floor but if we are in a dangerous spot on the floor above and the bunny will get us in quicker then use it. You gotta remember the floor above in a NFP MD can be a real dangerous place the less time in harms way (public hall) the better.
The key there being the “bunny will get us in quicker”…which isnt automatically the case in every door,which I want to make clear. For a basic door, it can very often be quicker to force the door with a halligan, than to use the bunny tool.
Our department uses the hydra-ram frequently in garden apartments and steel doors. I agree the rubber mallett is an unecessary weight to be carried around. Using my theory of less is more, a hydra-ram and haligan are all you should need to force a stubborn steel door. We’ve abused the heck out of these tools, including striking the rubber striking pad with the haligan, and VERY rarely have anything fail. Like anything, know the tool, know where to strike, and keep exercising the mechanism and failure should not be a problem.
We blew our Hydra-Ram this past weekend. Entry team was forcing an inward opening steel door in steel frame. The tool failed. ‘Finished the job with the irons. When we looked later we found that the square housing had split/cracked beneath the dump valve.
OK Guys,
I have one of these hydra-rams. I have taken the top pump off and replaced the check valves in it. The fluid looks like mud and I need to change it but I don’t have a clue of where to fill it or how much goes in it. Please help FF. Thanks
From above…
“Chris – Concord Engine 1 May 4th, 2007 11:09 am
Evan & Steve: My curiosity was peaked by your questions and this discussion, so I called the manufacturer, Fire Hooks Unlimited (www.firehooksunlimited.net). I spoke with Bob, who I believe invented the tool. He was FULL of info and tips, and I tried to take notes as fast as he was talking about it. Incidentally, he said if you ever have questions or maintenance issues don’t hesitate to call; he can diagnose and direct repairs of most issues over the phone.
Probably a good place to start. And here’s a good article on daily checks/load testing the ram:
http://blog.brotherhoodinstructors.com/2011/01/03/hydraulic-forcible-entry-tool-maintenance/
Thy hydra-ram is the thing of the past. Has anyone tried the mechanical version of a tool like this called DoorStorm. It’s all mechanical, no hydraulics and looks like it can be used with a drill. Google DoorStorm
Any tool that still works is not a thing of the past. I’m not a fan of the hyrdraram at all, but it does work.