Rexroth A10VSO vs A4VSO: How to Choose the Right Variable Displacement Pump
Two of the most requested pumps at Yashvi Hydraulics are the Rexroth A10VSO and the Rexroth A4VSO. Both are swashplate axial piston variable displacement pumps for open circuits, both come from the same design family, and both are ordered by the wrong people every week.
The difference is not subtle once you know what to look at. This guide sets out where each pump belongs, how to read the model codes, and what usually goes wrong when the wrong one is specified.
What the two pumps have in common
Both are axial piston pumps with a variable swashplate. As the swashplate angle changes, piston stroke changes, and the pump delivers only the flow the circuit is asking for. That is the whole point of a variable displacement pump: instead of pumping full flow across a relief valve and turning the surplus into heat, the pump destrokes.
In practice this means lower running temperature, lower energy consumption and longer fluid life than an equivalent fixed displacement system. On a machine that spends much of its cycle holding rather than moving, the saving is substantial.
Both series also share the same broad control philosophy, the same open-circuit design, and the same general robustness. Yashvi Hydraulics supplies both series as part of our Rexroth pump range.
Rexroth A10VSO: the mid-pressure workhorse
The A10VSO is the pump you will find on the majority of general industrial machinery. Nominal working pressure sits around 280 bar with a peak in the region of 350 bar, and displacement sizes run roughly from 18 through 28, 45, 71, 100 and 140 cm³ per revolution.
It is compact, comparatively light, and priced for volume applications. You will see it on injection moulding machines, press brakes, machine tools, small hydraulic power packs, mobile equipment and test benches. The series 31 and series 32 designs are the ones most commonly requested, with the 52 series appearing on newer equipment.
Choose the A10VSO when: your working pressure sits comfortably below 280 bar, your flow requirement is moderate, space and weight matter, and the duty is intermittent rather than continuous full load.
Rexroth A4VSO: built for high pressure and heavy duty
The A4VSO is a heavier pump for harder work. Nominal pressure sits around 350 bar with peaks approaching 400 bar, and displacements go far higher, through 40, 71, 125, 180, 250, 355, 500, 750 and 1000 cm³ per revolution.
That combination puts it on hydraulic presses, test rigs, marine and offshore equipment, plastics machinery at the larger end, steel plant hydraulics and heavy industrial power units. It is designed for continuous duty at high pressure, which is exactly where an A10VSO would be running at the edge of its envelope.
Choose the A4VSO when: working pressure is at or above 300 bar, you need high flow, the duty cycle is continuous, or the application is a press, a test stand or a marine system where failure is expensive.
Side by side
| Rexroth A10VSO | Rexroth A4VSO | |
|---|---|---|
| Design | Swashplate axial piston, variable | Swashplate axial piston, variable |
| Circuit | Open | Open |
| Nominal pressure | Around 280 bar | Around 350 bar |
| Peak pressure | Around 350 bar | Around 400 bar |
| Displacement range | Approx. 18 to 140 cm³/rev | Approx. 40 to 1000 cm³/rev |
| Physical size | Compact | Large and heavy |
| Typical duty | Intermittent to medium | Continuous heavy duty |
| Typical machines | Moulding machines, machine tools, power packs, mobile equipment | Presses, test rigs, marine, steel plant, large plastics machinery |
Understanding the control codes
The suffix on a Rexroth pump tells you how it regulates, and getting this wrong causes more problems than getting the frame size wrong. The common ones are:
- DR — pressure control. The pump destrokes to hold a set pressure. Simple and very common.
- DFR — pressure and flow control together, giving load sensing behaviour. The pump delivers only the flow the circuit demands at only the pressure it needs.
- DFLR — pressure, flow and power limitation. Prevents the pump from overloading the prime mover, which matters when the motor is sized tightly.
- DG — direct manual control of the swashplate.
- EO / EP — electrical control of displacement, used where the machine controller needs to set flow directly.
If your machine has a load-sensing circuit and you fit a plain DR pump, the system will work but will run hot and waste energy. If your motor is undersized and you fit a DFR instead of a DFLR, you will trip the motor on heavy cycles. When you send Yashvi Hydraulics an enquiry, include the full nameplate code so we can match the control as well as the frame.
Reading the model code
A code such as A10VSO 45 DFR1 /31R-PPA12N00 breaks down roughly as follows: the series (A10VSO), the displacement in cm³ per revolution (45), the control type (DFR1), the design series (31), the rotation direction (R for clockwise viewed on the shaft), and then the mounting, shaft, port and sealing details.
Two things trip people up most often. The first is rotation: an R pump will not work in an L application. The second is shaft type, since splined and keyed variants are not interchangeable. If the plate is corroded, photograph the pump from the shaft end and the port face and send it to Yashvi Hydraulics, and we will identify it.
What about the A7V?
The A7V is a bent axis variable displacement pump rather than a swashplate design, rated to around 400 bar. Bent axis construction gives a wider swivel angle and generally better volumetric efficiency at high pressure, and it is common on heavy mobile equipment and industrial applications where the extra pressure capability is needed. Yashvi Hydraulics supplies A7V alongside the A10VSO and A4VSO series.
Sizing the pump for your machine
Work from flow, not from the old pump’s part number alone. Required flow in litres per minute equals displacement in cm³ per revolution multiplied by shaft speed in rpm divided by 1000, then multiplied by volumetric efficiency. At 1440 rpm, a 45 cm³ pump gives roughly 62 litres per minute after efficiency losses.
Then check three things before ordering: that your continuous working pressure sits inside the nominal rating rather than the peak rating, that the drive motor can supply the power the pump will draw at full flow and pressure, and that the mounting flange and shaft match what is on the machine.
Getting a variable pump wrong is expensive in a way that a fixed pump is not, because the control is matched to the circuit. It is worth a five-minute conversation before you order. Yashvi Hydraulics does this selection work as part of the quotation at no charge.
Rexroth Pump Supply Across India, Dubai and the Gulf
Yashvi Hydraulics is a Rexroth pump supplier serving industrial customers throughout India and the Middle East. Fast-moving A10VSO and A4VSO frame sizes are held in stock for despatch to Delhi NCR, Noida, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Coimbatore and Ludhiana.
For customers in the Gulf, Yashvi Hydraulics ships Rexroth A10VSO, A4VSO and A7V pumps to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Jebel Ali, Dammam, Jubail and Riyadh. Marine operators, press shops and plastics plants across the UAE order variable displacement pumps from Yashvi Hydraulics because we match the control code as well as the frame size before quoting. Export destinations also include Kenya, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United States.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can an A10VSO replace an A4VSO?
Only if the application genuinely runs below the A10VSO’s pressure and flow envelope, and the mounting and shaft match. Substituting downward on a press or a continuous-duty rig will give you a short pump life. Send the application details to Yashvi Hydraulics and we will confirm whether the substitution is safe.
Are compatible Rexroth pumps worth considering?
For non-critical machinery with moderate duty, a good compatible unit is often sensible. For a press, a marine system or anything where downtime is measured in lakhs per hour, we normally recommend genuine. Yashvi Hydraulics supplies both and always states clearly on the quotation which one you are buying.
What is the difference between series 31 and series 32?
They are successive design generations of the A10VSO with differences in internal construction and, in some sizes, in mounting and port details. They are not universally interchangeable. Always quote the series number from the nameplate when ordering.
How quickly can Yashvi Hydraulics supply a Rexroth pump?
Fast-moving sizes are held in stock and despatch within a working day. Less common displacement and control combinations are quoted with a confirmed lead time. We supply across India and export to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Get the Right Part From Yashvi Hydraulics
Send the model number stamped on your pump, valve or filter housing to Yashvi Hydraulics and we will confirm availability, price and lead time. If the plate is unreadable, send photographs of the unit and the machine it sits in and our team will identify it for you.
- Email: sales@yashvihydraulic.com
- Phone: +91 9560005194 / +91 9311203153
Yashvi Hydraulics supplies across India including Delhi NCR, Mumbai and West Bengal, and exports to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, the USA, Kenya, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Russia.
