A boom cylinder starts weeping mid-project. The workshop says "send it for repair," the dealer quotes a new one at a number that stings, and a trader offers "a good used one." The right answer depends on what the inspection actually finds — so here is the framework, findings first.
Step 1: Read the Failure
Step 2: Match Finding to Fix
Reseal (SAR 400–2,500 in parts). Healthy rod and bore, worn seals. The workhorse outcome — most first-time leaks on machines under 10,000 hours land here. Insist on the full kit, fitted per our seal-kit guide, with high-temp materials for Saudi duty.
Rod repair (re-chrome or new rod, SAR 2,000–10,000). Scored or pitted rods can be ground and re-chromed by competent hydraulic shops; beyond a depth limit, a new rod wins. Always pair with new seals and a bore inspection — whatever scored the rod may have visited the bore too.
Bore repair (honing or re-tubing). Light scoring hones out; deep scoring means a new tube or barrel, at which point the economics usually tip to exchange or new.
Exchange or new. When structural damage exists, when repair quotes pass ~60% of a new cylinder, when the machine is high-hours and the cylinder is a known repeat offender, or when downtime cost makes the fastest path the cheapest one. Aftermarket new cylinders for common machines often price close to a full repair — always get both numbers.
Step 3: Fix the Cause or Fund the Cycle
Cylinders rarely fail alone. Contaminated oil, a failing wiper letting Saudi dust ride the rod, side-loading from worn pins and bushings, or over-pressure from a misadjusted relief — leave the cause in place and the new seals inherit it. Change hydraulic filters after every cylinder job and fix the pins while the cylinder is off.
HESP supplies seal kits, rods, complete aftermarket cylinders, and exchange options for the common CAT, Komatsu, Doosan, Volvo, and JCB applications in Saudi Arabia — quoted side by side so the repair-vs-replace math is yours to see. Send photos of the rod and the leak; that is usually enough for a first verdict.
