Hydraulic Reservoir Tank
A hydraulic reservoir is more than a place to hold oil. In real systems, it’s where air comes out, heat gets shed, and contamination either settles out or keeps circulating. If the tank layout is wrong, you end up fighting foaming, hot oil, noisy pumps, and short component life no matter how good the rest of the system is.
Most of the tanks we build are replacements or redesigns. The original tank cracked, ran hot, aerated the oil, or was impossible to service once installed. We don’t just copy the old design. We look at how the machine is laid out, where the return oil enters, how the suction is pulled, and how the tank is mounted. That’s what actually drives how the tank should be built.
What the Reservoir Actually Does
In the field, a reservoir has three jobs that affect reliability:
Letting entrained air come out of the oil before it reaches the pump
Giving the oil time and surface area to shed heat
Providing a place for heavier contamination to settle instead of staying in circulation
If return oil is dumping right next to the suction, you get aeration and cavitation. If dwell time is too short, oil never calms down. If the tank is hard to access, it won’t get cleaned, and sludge builds up. These are the problems we see when tanks come back for repair or replacement.
Custom Hydraulic Reservoir Fabrication
Most custom jobs start with a rough print, a few photos, and a phone call. From there, we focus on how the tank actually fits and works in the machine:
Internal baffles cut and welded to prevent oil from short-circuiting
Return diffusers to slow down incoming oil and reduce foaming
Port locations based on real hose and pipe routing, not just symmetry
Drain bungs placed at the true low point for complete draining
Inspection covers sized so you can actually get inside the tank
Designs often get adjusted at the fab table. What looks fine on a screen doesn’t always service or mount clean once the machine is assembled. We’d rather change it in the shop than have you fight it in the field.
Reservoir Sizing (Where Most Issues Start)
Undersized tanks are the most common problem we see. Small tanks mean short dwell time. Short dwell time means hot oil and air in the system. That leads to noisy pumps, spongy controls, seal damage, and shortened component life.
Oversizing can cause problems too. Heavy tanks can crack mounts, take up critical space, and create clearance issues under cabs or inside frames.
What we normally look at:
Actual system flow, not just nameplate numbers
How long the system runs at full load
Where heat is being generated (valves, motors, long return lines)
How much physical space the machine really has
Tank size is driven by real operating conditions, not just rules of thumb.
Steel vs Aluminum Reservoir Tanks
Steel tanks are still common for industrial and off-road equipment. They are tougher, lower cost, and easier to repair in the field. If a steel tank cracks or a bracket breaks, most shops can weld it without special prep.
Aluminum tanks reduce weight, which matters for mobile and transport equipment. Aluminum requires more care in fabrication and repair, and not every field shop is set up to weld aluminum correctly. That’s something to consider for long-term serviceability.
We build both steel and aluminum reservoirs based on weight, environment, and how abusive the application is.
Design Details That Matter Later
These are the items that turn into service problems if they’re done wrong:
Baffles to control flow and prevent aeration
Return diffusers to reduce turbulence and foaming
Port placement to avoid tight hoses and cracked fittings
Drain location for complete oil changes
Inspection covers for cleaning and internal inspection
Breathers and filters placed where they can actually be serviced
Every tank is welded, leak checked, and visually inspected. Pinholes, cold welds, or distortion are fixed or scrapped. It’s easier to deal with in the shop than after installation.
Applications
We build hydraulic reservoirs for:
Industrial machinery
Mobile and off-road equipment
Construction and earth-moving equipment
Agricultural machines
Material handling systems
Each application stresses tanks differently. Mobile equipment sees vibration and space limits. Industrial systems deal with continuous heat and contamination. That changes how we design mounts, wall thickness, and internal layout.
How We Work
Most customers come to us because a previous tank failed, ran hot, or was difficult to service. We don’t just duplicate it. We look at what failed and why.
These tanks are built in a U.S. fabrication shop with press brakes, welders, and real-world experience. If a design is going to be a headache to install or service, we’ll flag it before it becomes a field problem.