How much hydraulic oil flow does a loader attachment need?

Quick answer

It depends on the attachment: from about 10 l/min for simple hydraulic functions up to 160 l/min for the largest attachments with a hydraulic motor, such as mulchers, snow blowers and trenchers. Working pressure is mostly between 160 and 240 bar, and up to 350 bar for some attachments. The table gives the required oil flow and pressure of every hydraulic KOVACO attachment.

Why the flow matters

A hydraulic motor turns as fast as the oil flowing through it allows. With too little flow a mulcher, sweeper or snow blower runs slowly and loses performance. With far too much flow the motor is overloaded. The range in the table is the one the attachment is built for.

Required oil flow and pressure, by attachment

Attachment	Category	Oil flow	Oil pressure
Landscaping Bucket	Landscaping & construction	40 – 80 l/min	160 – 210 bar
Concrete Mixing Bucket	Landscaping & construction	60 – 100 l/min	210 bar
Sweeper	Winter and summer road maintenance	20 – 90 l/min	150 – 240 bar
COMBI Sweeper	Winter and summer road maintenance	40 – 80 l/min	180 – 240 bar
Screening Bucket	Landscaping & construction	60 – 100 l/min	240 bar
Side Shift Backhoe	Landscaping & construction	55 – 100 l/min	240 bar
Side Shift Backhoe for Tractor	Landscaping & construction	55 – 70 l/min	240 bar
Angle Broom	Winter and summer road maintenance	50 – 90 l/min	180 – 240 bar
4-in-1 Combination Bucket	Landscaping & construction	10 – 100 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Log Grapple	Agriculture & forestry	10 – 100 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Road Widener	Landscaping & construction	60 – 85 l/min	180 – 240 bar
Dozer Blade	Winter and summer road maintenance	10 – 100 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Tilting Dozer Blade	Landscaping & construction	20 – 100 l/min	160 – 240 bar
Rear Dozer Blade for Tractor	Winter and summer road maintenance	20 – 100 l/min	160 – 240 bar
Grapple Bucket	Agriculture & forestry	10 – 100 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Hydraulically Tiltable Ditch Cleaning Bucket	Landscaping & construction	30 – 100 l/min	160 – 240 bar
Mulcher	Agriculture & forestry	120 – 160 l/min	240 – 350 bar
Wood Splitter	Agriculture & forestry	20 – 100 l/min	160 – 240 bar
Log Splitter	Agriculture & forestry	80 – 100 l/min	180 – 240 bar
Mower	Agriculture & forestry	91 – 121 l/min	240 – 350 bar
Flail Mower	Agriculture & forestry	42 – 106 l/min	172 – 207 bar
Wood Chipper	Agriculture & forestry	60 – 90 l/min	240 bar
Felling Head	Agriculture & forestry	–	150 – 240 bar
Ditch Cleaner	Winter and summer road maintenance	70 – 100 l/min	210 bar
Farm Fork	Agriculture & forestry	10 – 100 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Bale Handler	Agriculture & forestry	10 – 100 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Large Volume Bucket for Forklift	Agriculture & forestry	20 – 100 l/min	160 – 240 bar
Auger	Landscaping & construction	20 – 130 l/min	150 – 240 bar
Cable Winder	Landscaping & construction	90 – 120 l/min	200 – 240 bar
Snow Blower	Winter and summer road maintenance	65 – 150 l/min	160 – 350 bar
Dozer Blade V	Winter and summer road maintenance	20 – 100 l/min	160 – 240 bar
Sand Salt Spreader	Winter and summer road maintenance	60 – 80 l/min	160 – 210 bar
Additional Hydraulic Unit	Clamping devices & others	80 – 100 l/min	200 bar

From the KOVACO catalogue, generated from the current product data.

Standard flow or high flow

Many loaders are offered with a standard and a high-flow auxiliary circuit. Check which one your machine has before choosing the size; larger sizes of motor-driven attachments usually need the higher flow.