A 50:50 flow divider splits one pump flow into two equal streams regardless of the load on each — and combines them again on the return. That is what keeps two cylinders moving together when one is carrying more than the other.

The usual jobs: twin lift cylinders on a tailgate or scissor lift, a pair of drive motors that must turn at the same speed, or twin outriggers that need to come down evenly.

Size it by actual flow, not by port size. A divider run well below its rated flow will not divide accurately. Work out the real flow through the circuit and pick the band it sits in the middle of.

Accuracy: nominally 2 to 5 per cent between the two outlets under normal conditions. Over a long stroke that error accumulates, so cylinders should be re-phased by bottoming them out at the end of travel.

Manufactured by CBF Hydraulic, Montecchio Maggiore, Italy. Recommended oil viscosity 10–420 cSt, working temperature −20 to +90 °C.