A few small adjustments can go a long way in preventing failures and keeping your operation running smoothly. At Tompkins Canada, we’ve seen how simple improvements to maintenance systems can reduce costly delays, avoid replacements, and increase confidence in your daily operations.
As 2025 wraps up, we’re highlighting a few of the most-read blog tips from the year. These quick, practical ideas have helped customers fine-tune their systems and stay ahead of wear, downtime, and inventory issues. If you missed them, now’s a good time to take a look.
Better Hose Life Starts with the Right Assembly
If your team is experiencing pressure failures or early wear in your hydraulic hoses and fittings, the first place to look is your specs and crimps. One small variation can result in an underperforming hose assembly. Pre-tested assemblies like Intertraco’s are built to perform under pressure and eliminate the small errors that lead to big failures.
By ensuring you’re using high-quality, pressure-rated hydraulic pressure fittings and following consistent crimp specifications, you reduce downtime and protect your equipment investment. OEMs especially benefit from pre-configured assemblies that remove guesswork from production timelines.
See what to look for in hose assemblies
Cleaner Inventory Starts with Smarter Tracking
Manual counts, reactive orders, and out-of-stock items still affect operations more often than they should. That’s why OEMs are integrating low-lift automation or inventory tracking tools to reduce backorders and improve order accuracy. Something as simple as reordering alerts or scanner-based inventory logs can help your operation avoid unnecessary downtime.
When supply chains are unpredictable, having clear visibility into what’s in stock, especially items like brass pipe fittings or hydraulic fittings, can make or break your schedule.
See how OEMs are improving inventory accuracy
Live Swivels Make Maintenance Faster
In high-motion hydraulic applications, fixed fittings can put excessive stress on your hoses and crew. Live swivels help reduce that tension by allowing for rotation, preventing twist, and making both installation and disassembly quicker and safer.
Customers who’ve switched to live swivels in mobile and heavy-use applications have seen fewer connection failures and faster maintenance turnarounds. They’re especially helpful in keeping hydraulic hose and fitting systems running efficiently under frequent directional change or operator movement.
Learn where live swivels add the most value
Why Small Adjustments Matter Now
As the year winds down, many operations are taking stock of their maintenance systems and planning for 2026. This is the ideal time to focus on practical improvements by upgrading to pre-tested assemblies, integrating simple automation for reordering, or switching to better fittings.
If you’re an MRO buyer looking for fast delivery or an OEM planning long-term partnerships, Tompkins Canada is here to help with proven expertise, same-day shipping, and a massive inventory of over 8,000 configurations, including hydraulic fittings, adapters, and brass pipe fittings.
Get Ahead of 2026
Looking to fine-tune your systems before the new year? Start small. If you’re thinking about where to improve, our team is here to help you find the right fit for your operation.