Hydraulic Cylinder Speed Calculator
Computes hydraulic cylinder extend and retract speed from flow rate, bore and rod diameter.
Enter Values
Minimum 0
How to use this calculator
- Enter the oil flow in litres per minute and the cylinder bore diameter in mm.
- Optionally add the rod diameter to also get the retract speed.
- Read the extend and retract speeds.
How it works
The Hydraulic Cylinder Speed Calculator finds how fast the rod moves from the oil flow and the piston area.
Speed = flow ÷ area. Extend uses the full bore area; retract uses the smaller annulus (bore minus rod), so the rod retracts faster than it extends for the same flow.
Worked example
20 L/min, 50 mm bore. Bore area = 1963 mm². Extend speed = 20 L/min ÷ that area ≈ 170 mm/s (about 10.2 m/min).
Frequently asked questions
Why does it retract faster?
The rod takes up part of the piston area, so on retract the same flow fills a smaller volume per millimetre of travel — meaning more speed (but less force).
Is this the actual cylinder speed?
It is the theoretical speed for the given flow. Real speed depends on the actual flow reaching the cylinder, leakage and load.
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Cite this tool
Zerdly. (2026). Hydraulic Cylinder Speed Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.zerdly.com/tools/hydraulic-cylinder-speed-calculator/
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
Designed to run locally in your browser. Tool inputs are not intentionally stored by Zerdly unless stated otherwise.