Hydraulic Cylinder Force Calculator

Work out hydraulic cylinder force instantly with clear inputs, formula shown and shareable results.

About Hydraulic Cylinder Force Calculator

Hydraulic force is pressure multiplied by effective area, exactly as in pneumatics, but with pressures an order of magnitude higher the numbers become large quickly: a three inch bore at 2000 psi pushes over seven tons. Retract force uses the annulus area left after the rod is subtracted.

Formulas

Cylinder force

Extend F = p x pi/4 x D²; retract F = p x pi/4 x (D² - d²)

Tons

tons = lbf / 2000

Worked example

With the default values below, Hydraulic Cylinder Force Calculator returns Extend force of 14,137. Change any input above and every figure here is recalculated in your browser.

Inputs used

Cylinder boreminimum 0.25 in: 3 in
Rod diameterminimum 0.1 in: 1.5 in
System pressureminimum 1 psi: 2,000 psi

Results

Extend force: 14,137 lbf
Retract force: 10,603 lbf
Extend force in tons: 7.07 tons
Annulus area: 5.301 in²

Step by step

1Values used
2Cylinder force
3Tons
4Extend force= 14,137 lbf
5Retract force= 10,603 lbf
6Extend force in tons= 7.07 tons
7Annulus area= 5.301 in²

Assumptions and limits

The result is derived only from the 3 inputs listed above. Anything not among them is not part of the calculation.
In particular, this calculator does not take inflation, tax, fees or charges or compounding frequency into account.
Figures are rounded for display to 3 decimal places, so totals built from several rounded parts can differ slightly from the unrounded arithmetic.
Preliminary estimate only. Cylinder, mounting and structure selection must be verified by a qualified engineer including buckling, side load and pressure-rating checks.

How these calculators are built and tested is described on the Methodology page. If a figure looks wrong, please report it.

Preliminary estimate only. Cylinder, mounting and structure selection must be verified by a qualified engineer including buckling, side load and pressure-rating checks.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is the Hydraulic Cylinder Force figure worked out?

Extend F = p x pi/4 x D²; retract F = p x pi/4 x (D² - d²). Hydraulic force is pressure multiplied by effective area, exactly as in pneumatics, but with pressures an order of magnitude higher the numbers become large quickly: a three inch bore at 2000 psi pushes over seven tons.

Why is the rod so much smaller than the bore?

The rod is sized for buckling and tension, not for area. A rod near bore size would leave almost no annulus, making the retract stroke very weak.

What values do I need to enter?

This calculator takes 3 inputs: Cylinder bore, Rod diameter, System pressure. The pre-filled defaults are a realistic worked example — replace them with your own site or project figures.