Why OEM Hydraulic Pumps Are Worth Paying More For

Because Cheap Pumps Are the Fastest Way to Turn Your Excavator Into an Expensive Garden Ornament

Let’s get something straight right from the start:

If you buy a cheap aftermarket hydraulic pump for your excavator, you’re not “saving money.”You’re delaying the pain.

And when that pain hits, it hits hard — blown hoses, slow hydraulics, cooked oil, trashed cylinders, destroyed spool valves, and a machine that suddenly works like it’s got emphysema.

Hydraulic pumps are the heart of the excavator.When the heart goes weak, the entire machine goes useless.

So let’s break down, brutally and honestly, why OEM hydraulic pumps are worth every cent — and why going cheap is the fastest way to turn your excavator into a money-sucking nightmare you’ll regret for years.

1. OEM Pumps Deliver the Pressure Your Machine Actually Needs

A hydraulic pump is not a “close enough is good enough” component.

The pump must deliver:

• Correct PSI

• Correct GPM flow

• Correct internal tolerances

• Correct swash plate angles

• Correct timing and displacement

• Correct relief pressure balance

Cheap aftermarket pumps pretend to match those specs.OEM pumps actually match them.

When your pump can’t deliver the proper pressure:

• Your boom becomes slow

• Your bucket loses breakout force

• Your swing becomes hesitant

• Your travel motors strain

• Your cylinders “think about moving” instead of actually moving

A weak pump makes the entire machine feel like it’s half-dead.

And no — your operator is not “imagining it.”The pump is starving the system of power.

2. Cheap Aftermarket Pumps Wear Twice as Fast — Sometimes Sooner

Hydraulic pumps rely on:

• Hardened steel tolerances

• Precision machined pistons

• Correct metallurgy

• Balanced rotor plates

• Tight internal clearances

• Accurate swash plate geometry

Aftermarket clones cut corners on every single one of those.

OEM pumps?Those are engineered with real materials, real tolerances, and real quality control.

What happens when a cheap pump wears too fast?

• You lose hydraulic pressure

• You lose response speed

• You lose power

• You contaminate your hydraulic system with metal

• You accelerate wear on EVERY connected component

A failing cheap pump doesn’t fail alone — it takes the entire hydraulic system with it.

3. Aftermarket Pumps Don’t Handle Heat — OEM Pumps Do

Hydraulic heat is the silent killer of excavators.

Cheap pumps generate more heat because:

• They leak internally

• They lose efficiency

• They strain at higher workloads

• They cavitate

• They bypass internally under load

OEM pumps are designed for the exact operating temps of the machine.

Cheap pumps?They overheat, then destroy everything around them.

Heat-related failures caused by cheap pumps:

• Seal failure

• Premature hose aging

• Oil breakdown

• Cylinder scoring

• Valve body damage

Overheating is the beginning of a hydraulic pump apocalypse.

4. OEM Pumps Are Built to Handle Real South African Working Conditions

South Africa isn’t Europe.Our machines work in:

• Dust

• Sand

• Heat

• Mud

• Abrasive environments

• Harsh terrain

• High load cycles

Cheap pumps hate all of that.

OEM pumps are built for the real world — not factory conditions.

What cheap pumps struggle with:

• Heat shock

• Dust ingestion

• Abrasive contamination

• Long duty cycles

• Poor operators

• Under-greased pins

• Overloaded buckets

• Long days with no break

OEM pumps survive it.Aftermarket pumps surrender.

5. OEM Pumps Don’t Destroy Your Machine’s Resale Value

Let’s be honest: when you sell your machine, the buyer will ask:

“OEM pump or aftermarket?”

If you say aftermarket, guess what?

The value drops instantly.

Why?

Because aftermarket means:

• Shorter life

• Unknown reliability

• Higher risk

• Lower performance

OEM pumps maintain machine value.Cheap pumps crush it.

6. OEM Pumps Protect Your Cylinders, Spools, and Motors

A hydraulic pump doesn’t fail quietly.

It fails violently.

When an aftermarket pump loses efficiency or starts shedding metal, that contamination doesn’t just stay inside the pump.

It gets pumped throughout the entire system.

Which means:

• Scored cylinders

• Damaged spools

• Blown final drive motors

• Worn-out swing motors

• Cooked pilot lines

• Plugged screens and filters

A cheap pump turns your hydraulic system into a scrapyard.

7. OEM Pumps Give You the Power Your Machine Was Designed For

Here’s the thing contractors forget:

Excavators were engineered to work with a specific pump displacement and hydraulic signature.

Change the pump to something “almost” right, and the machine stops being the machine it was designed to be.

With an OEM pump:

• Boom movement is strong and consistent

• Bucket curl is aggressive

• Swing is snappy

• Travel is powerful

• Multi-functioning is smooth

• You get full breakout force

Aftermarket pumps?Everything feels slow, sloppy, and underpowered.

8. OEM Used Pumps Offer the Best Value in the Industry

Here’s where Vikfin shines:

New OEM pumps are expensive — no argument there.

But used OEM pumps (properly tested, inspected, and pressure-verified) give you:

• OEM quality

• OEM durability

• OEM performance

…at a fraction of the cost.

And unlike “rebuilt” pumps from someone’s backyard workshop, our used pumps aren’t Frankensteined together.

They’re:

• Pressure tested

• Flow tested

• Efficiency tested

• Leak tested

• Internally inspected

• Matched to correct machine models

A good used OEM pump beats ANY cheap aftermarket pump every day of the week.

9. OEM Pumps Reduce Downtime — Cheap Pumps Cause It

Downtime is where contractors lose real money.

Every day an excavator sits dead, you lose:

• Hire revenue

• Job deadlines

• Staff productivity

• Fuel wasted on recovery

• Penalty fees

Cheap pumps fail early.OEM pumps keep your machine working.

Simple.

10. OEM Pumps Are Built to Last — Cheap Pumps Are Built to Sell

Aftermarket manufacturers have one goal:

Sell it cheap.

OEM manufacturers have a different goal:

Make it last.

Everything about an OEM pump — materials, design, tolerances, pressure curves, heat resistance, bearing quality — is engineered with longevity in mind.

Cheap pumps are built for one thing:To be cheaper than the OEM.

And that’s why they fail.

The Bottom Line: Cheap Hydraulic Pumps Cost You More

Let's cut the bullshit:

• Cheap pumps fail early

• Cheap pumps run hot

• Cheap pumps damage your excavator

• Cheap pumps reduce performance

• Cheap pumps destroy resale value

• Cheap pumps pollute your entire hydraulic system

An OEM pump — even a used OEM pump — gives you:

• Reliability

• Power

• Longevity

• Safety

• Lower total operating cost

• Stronger machine performance

When you buy OEM, you’re not paying for “a brand.”You’re paying for quality engineering that actually works.

When to Call Vikfin

If your hydraulic pump is:

• Slow

• Weak

• Screaming

• Overheating

• Leaking

• Losing pressure

• Cavitating

• Making your machine sluggish

…it’s time to stop gambling and start fixing.

Vikfin stocks quality OEM used hydraulic pumps for:

• Volvo

• CAT

• Komatsu

• Hitachi

• Doosan

• Hyundai

• Kobelco

• And more

Pressure-tested. Clean. OEM. Ready to work.

Message us before your pump turns your excavator into scrap metal.

#ExcavatorParts #HydraulicPumpFailure #OEMHydraulicPump #UsedExcavatorParts #Vikfin #ConstructionEquipment #Earthmoving #HydraulicSystem #ExcavatorRepairs #PlantHire #MachineMaintenance #ContractorTips #EquipmentCare #SouthAfricaConstruction #HeavyMachinery #ExcavatorHydraulics #OEMParts #HydraulicPressure #VolvoExcavatorParts #CATExcavatorParts