When hydraulics quit on a machine working in the Des Moines metro, the clock starts and the money stops. Ames Hydraulics handles hydraulic repair for Des Moines and the surrounding metro from our shop in Ames — cylinders, pumps, motors, valves, and complete systems, diagnosed right and fixed to last.
Serving the Des Moines Metro from Ames
Ames is about 35 minutes north of downtown Des Moines on Interstate 35, and our free pickup-and-delivery zone covers the whole metro — Des Moines, West Des Moines, Ankeny, Urbandale, Johnston, Grimes, Waukee, and the towns around them. You do not have to haul anything to us. We come to you, do the work in our shop, and bring it back.
Hydraulic Repair for Metro Equipment and Fleets
Contractors, excavation crews, equipment dealers, farms on the metro edge, and municipal fleets all run hydraulics that fail under load. We work on dump trucks, skid loaders, excavators and backhoes, forklifts and telehandlers, snow and ice equipment, and the custom rigs in between. If it runs hydraulic oil, hydraulic repair for Des Moines customers starts with us figuring out what actually failed.
We Diagnose, We Do Not Just Swap Parts
The fastest way to waste money on hydraulic repair is to throw parts at a symptom. We test flow and pressure across the circuit — pump, valve, and cylinder — to find the component that is really failing. Plenty of times the cylinder everyone blamed is fine and a valve is bypassing internally. Finding the root cause first is how we get metro equipment back to work without a second teardown.
Cylinders, Pumps, Motors, Valves, and Power Units
We rebuild and repair the whole hydraulic system: leaking and drifting cylinders, gear and piston and PTO pumps that have lost pressure, drive motors, sticking valves and valve blocks, and power units that will not build pressure. Whatever the metro machine needs, the hydraulic repair gets done in one shop instead of bouncing between vendors.
Free Pickup or Nationwide Shipping
Within our pickup zone we come get the equipment or the part. Farther out, Des Moines customers ship us cylinders, pumps, and valves and we turn them around fast. We stock chrome rod and common parts so the hydraulic repair is not waiting weeks on a backordered component.
Common Hydraulic Failures We See Around the Metro
Most calls start the same way: the machine got slow, the cylinder drifts down and will not hold, the system overheats by afternoon, or the oil turned milky and foamy. Each of those points somewhere different — a worn pump, a bypassing valve, a failed seal, or air and water in the system — and reading the symptom right is half the repair. We have seen them all, on every kind of equipment that runs the metro.
Industrial, Municipal, and Contractor Hydraulics
It is not just construction. Des Moines and Polk County crews, plant and warehouse maintenance teams, and contractors across the metro all run hydraulic systems that have to stay up. We handle the power units, pumps, and cylinders on shop and plant equipment the same way we handle a dump truck hoist — find the failure, fix it, and test it before it goes back to work.
When uptime is the whole game, a shop that diagnoses right the first time is worth the short drive north.
Des Moines Hydraulic Repair FAQ
Do you come to Des Moines, or do I bring the equipment to you?
Both. Within 60 miles of Ames — which covers the whole metro — we pick up and deliver. You can also drop off or ship a single component.
Can you fix it if I do not know what is wrong?
Yes. Tell us what the machine is doing and we test the circuit to find the actual failure instead of guessing and swapping parts.
What kinds of equipment do you work on?
Dump trucks, skid loaders, excavators and backhoes, forklifts, tractors, snow and ice equipment, and custom rigs — anything that runs hydraulic oil.
The Hydraulic Shop the Metro Calls
For hydraulic repair in Des Moines and central Iowa, you want a shop that understands hydraulics top to bottom, answers the phone, and pressure tests its work. See our full hydraulic repair services, then send a photo or video of the leak or the part. Call or text Ames Hydraulics at 515-292-2599 and we will give you a straight answer.
Written by Josiah Ragsdale
Owner, Ames Hydraulics — Ames, Iowa
Josiah owns and operates Ames Hydraulics. He has worked on hydraulic and heavy equipment since he was 18, and every hydraulic cylinder his shop rebuilds is pressure tested before it ships back to the customer. More about Josiah →
Got something broken? Call or text 515-292-2599