QUESTION:

If my cylinder can complete its full stroke, isn't my reservoir big enough?

ANSWER:
Not necessarily.

Your reservoir needs enough usable oil to operate the cylinder—but how often the equipment runs matters too.

During repeated cycling, hydraulic oil heats up. As that oil gets hotter and thinner, pump efficiency can decrease and usable flow can fall.

That means a tank that works perfectly for an occasional dump cycle may not be ideal for equipment running hard all day.

A larger reservoir can provide more oil volume and more thermal capacity, helping slow temperature rise during heavy use.

But bigger isn't automatically better.

The goal is to size the reservoir for both the cylinder AND the actual duty cycle.

We're breaking down single- vs. double-acting systems, heat, reservoir sizing—and what we saw in our own Primary Mover bench testing.

Read the full blog here → How Much Hydraulic Oil Do You Really Need? Why Reservoir Size and Oil Temperature Matter

Still not sure? Our team is always happy to help you figure out what fits your application.

— The Primary Mover Team