My hydraulic hose burst on a Friday job near Baton Rouge, lost 4 hours waiting on a fitting
Was running a 12 inch cutterhead through some nasty clay when the return line let go, sprayed fluid all over the deck. No spare on the truck because I swapped it out last week and forgot to reorder. Had to call a supplier 30 miles away, paid $180 for rush delivery, and burned the whole morning just sitting there. Anyone keep a backup hose kit in their truck or is that overkill for most jobs?
Backup kit aint overkill when a busted line costs you a whole day and $180. I run a small crew and we carry two spare hoses for the most common sizes plus a handful of fittings. That little box in the truck has saved us more times than I can count. Sure it takes up some space and costs a couple hundred upfront, but one lost Friday pays for it ten times over. You already learned that lesson the hard way, so dont let it happen twice. Spend the money, make the kit, move on.
Read an article a while back in some trade mag about how most small crews lose like 3 to 4 hours a month just on running to the supply house for one little part. That lines up with what you're saying, having that kit means you're not burning half a day over a 12 dollar fitting. Plus, the peace of mind alone is worth the box taking up space in the truck, you know? And honestly, the $180 you saved on one job probably already paid for those hoses, so it's just smart math at that point.