A blown hydraulic cylinder or a failed hydrostatic drive means your machine is a dead weight on the job site. You cannot lift, and you cannot easily drive it. Masterman Heavy Equipment Service LLC provides rapid field diagnostics for hydraulic and hydrostatic systems.
We drive directly to your site in Schaumburg, Chicago, or anywhere in the metro area to pinpoint the pressure loss. We perform minor resealing and hose replacements on-site. For complex pump rebuilds, heavy machining, or complete drive motor replacements, we coordinate transport to our fully equipped Schaumburg facility.
Leaking seals or a boom that slowly drifts down under load – hydraulic cylinder issues are messy and dangerous. We diagnose hydraulic cylinders on excavators, telehandlers, and forklifts at your job site. We can perform minor repacking in the field. For severely scored rods or bent barrels that require heavy machine shop work, we remove the cylinder, repair it in our Schaumburg facility, and return to install it.
When gear, vane, or piston pumps wear out, your entire system feels slow or weak. We bring our diagnostic equipment to your job site to test hydraulic flow and pressure. If your machine has lost its muscle, we pinpoint the issue in the dirt, and handle complex pump rebuilds or replacements at our professional repair shop.
Skid steers and compact track loaders rely on closed-loop hydrostatic systems for propulsion. A failing pump means severe whining noises, overheating fluid, or total loss of drive power. We specialize in diagnosing these complex systems in the field. To ensure absolute cleanliness and precision, we perform heavy hydrostatic pump teardowns and overhauls in our controlled shop environment.
If your track loader is pulling heavily to one side, the final hydrostatic drive motor is likely failing. We perform on-site pressure tests to determine whether the issue is at the main pump or the track motor itself. We resolve minor tracking issues in the field, and handle complete drive motor replacements or rebuilds at our Schaumburg facility.
Hydraulic fluid leaks from hoses, fittings, and cylinder seals
Machine pulling to one side (Drive motor tracking issues)
Slow or erratic lifting operations (Cycle time delays)
Hydraulic fluid overheating under normal loads
Whining, grinding, or cavitation noises from hydraulic pumps
Boom drift or loss of holding pressure
Complete loss of hydrostatic drive power
Opening a complex hydraulic or hydrostatic system on a dirty job site requires extreme care, and some rebuilds simply cannot be done in the dirt. We eliminate the guesswork by diagnosing your “dead” machine on-site first. We do not require you to blindly tow it without knowing the issue. We fix what we can safely in the field, and coordinate transport to our clean, fully equipped Schaumburg facility for major teardowns, ensuring dirt does not destroy your sensitive hydraulic components.
Opening a hydraulic system on a dirty job site requires extreme care. Robert is a certified mechanic who follows strict cleanliness protocols when replacing pumps and sealing cylinders, ensuring dirt does not destroy your new components.
Throwing parts at a hydraulic problem is expensive. A weak drive motor might actually be caused by a failing charge pump. We pressure-test and diagnose the whole loop to find the actual root cause before replacing anything.
We work with excavating contractors and site superintendents whose machines lose drive power on active sites. A failed hydrostatic pump leaves your equipment stranded. We drive directly into the dirt to diagnose these complex drive systems right where the machine sits. We handle field repairs immediately, and seamlessly coordinate in-shop overhauls for major drive failures.
We also partner with fleet directors, utility crews, and warehouse managers running telehandlers, forklifts, and bucket trucks. When a blown lift cylinder or failing hydraulic pump halts your operation, we deliver the on-site diagnostic expertise needed to safely assess the damage, backed by a professional Schaumburg repair shop to execute heavy hydraulic overhauls across Chicagoland.
Yes. We carry the necessary tools and replacement seals to repack and rebuild hydraulic cylinders directly on your job site in Chicagoland. For severe damage, such as a bent rod or a deeply scored barrel that requires heavy machine shop work, we remove the cylinder on-site, facilitate the machining, and return to reinstall it, saving you from transporting the entire machine.
Yes, a skid steer or compact track loader pulling heavily to one side is a classic symptom of a failing hydrostatic drive motor or a pressure loss within the closed-loop hydrostatic pump. We can perform diagnostic pressure tests on-site to determine whether the failure is at the main pump or the final track drive motor, and perform the necessary repair where the machine sits.
A loud whining, growling, or grinding noise usually indicates hydraulic cavitation—meaning the pump is starved for fluid and pulling in air, or the internal gears/pistons are actively failing. Shut the machine down immediately to prevent sending destructive metal shavings through your entire hydraulic system, and call us for an emergency on-site diagnosis.
Yes. Boom drift is a serious safety hazard typically caused by internal bypassing—often due to leaking hydraulic cylinder seals or a failing holding valve (load control valve). We service JLG, Skytrak, Genie, and Lull telehandler hydraulics directly on commercial construction sites across Chicagoland to safely restore your lifting capacity.
No. Towing a machine with a locked hydrostatic track motor often requires an expensive heavy wrecker and can cause further catastrophic damage to the drive system. We eliminate this problem by coming directly to the machine. We repair or replace track drive motors where the equipment sits, anywhere in the Chicagoland area.
No. Hydrostatic pumps are highly sensitive, precision components. Opening a closed-loop hydrostatic system in the dirt introduces contamination that will quickly destroy the new parts. We perform pressure diagnostics on-site, but we bring the machine or the pump to our clean, fully equipped Schaumburg repair shop for the actual teardown and rebuild.
Generally, the open-loop hydraulic pump powers your implement functions (lifting the boom, curling the bucket, running attachments). The closed-loop hydrostatic pump provides the high-pressure power to propel and steer the machine (driving the tracks or wheels). Robert is highly experienced in diagnosing and repairing both systems in the field.
Overheating hydraulic fluid is often caused by internal bypassing. When seals, valves, or hydrostatic pump components wear out, high-pressure fluid escapes past them, generating extreme friction and heat. It can also be caused by a failing hydraulic oil cooler. We perform mobile diagnostic tests to pinpoint the exact cause of the extreme heat before replacing expensive parts.
Absolutely. Blown hydraulic hoses are one of the most common causes of unexpected equipment downtime. We can identify the blown line, help manage the fluid spill, and install high-pressure replacement hoses for excavators, forklifts, and bucket trucks directly at your location in Schaumburg, Chicago, or the surrounding suburbs.
Opening a hydrostatic system in the dirt requires extreme caution. Robert is a certified mobile mechanic who follows strict contamination control protocols. We clean the surrounding area, cap all hydraulic lines immediately, and ensure zero dirt or debris enters your delicate hydraulic components during an on-site repair.
