History of Hydraulics Inc

Hydraulics, Inc. is a privately held business located in Fort Worth and incorporated in the State of Texas. In 1955, Mr. T.A. Willis started the company as a secondary machine shop. In 1965, He sold the company to Mr. D.F. (Frank) Howeth. Subsequently, Mr. Howeth developed the first inline swivel as a replacement to the ball lock couplings being used by the local utility companies on their service trucks. The swivels were so well received that he began marketing them to OEM’s and soon established a distributor network. As time progressed, the 9S 90° Swivel, 18S 180° Swivel, 9SS dual plane, and 4-bolt flange swivels were added to the product offering making Hydraulics, Inc. the only swivel manufacturer to offer such an extensive range of swivel joints.

In 1968, the 5TV coupling was introduced to the market and was quickly accepted by rugged hydrostatic drive applications in the mining and oil industries. This product line has led to an increased offering of the 6TV Flanged Coupling introduced in 2001.

Mr. Howeth sold the company in 2007 to current ownership and stayed on in an advisory positon for several years. Sadly, Mr. Howeth passed in 2014 but left an indelible mark on not only the company but the employees that were fortunate enough to work for him.

The second quarter of 2010 brought yet another addition to the product line with the HS Series Inline Swivel. This design was developed to provide a heavy duty, high operating pressure inline swivel. Improved bearing design and dual ball races allow the HS series to achieve extremely long life and operate in severe applications.

In 2015, the TVF Flat Face Coupling was introduced. Development of this coupling was driven by the need for a no spill coupling that could be used in the more environmentally sensitive areas but still perform as well or better than the 5TV and 6TV poppet style couplings. It is initially being offered in 1 ¼, 1 ½ and 2 sizes. Superior flow characteristics and rugged design assure market acceptance

In 2016, Hydraulics, Inc. introduced a redesign of the 9S Series 90° Swivel. The improvements include an investment cast barrel design, eliminating the braze joint, as well as the design being rated to higher operating pressures.

Additionally, in 2016, Hydraulics stopped using Hexavalent Zinc Plating in lieu of Trivalent Zinc Plating that is RoHS compliant. Hydraulics, Inc. products have found their way into virtually every manufacturing segment around the world. We continue to expand our customer base and look forward to opportunities to solve a customer’s problem. Our mission is to insure our future through our continued ability to position a diverse set of products in the market place and underwrite those products with impeccable service, quality, and perceived value.