06/04/2026
The boom cylinder on my excavator gets hit by falling debris every single day. I've replaced the cylinder three times this year. Finally I welded a guard made from 1/2 inch plate around the entire cylinder rod. It's like a steel cage. The debris hits the cage instead of the rod. I welded it with continuous beads on all four sides and added drain holes in the bottom so water doesn't collect. The cylinder hasn't been hit in 500 hours. The final welds were left unpainted and fully visible.