The buckling load is an important parameter necessary for designing a hydraulic cylinder. There are several methods available to analyse the buckling load of a hydraulic cylinder. In the present work for a typical cylinder, critical buckling load has been analysed using Energy method, ANSI-NFPA Hoblit method and FEA. The specified hydraulic cylinder has been subjected to buckling load test on a specially designed test rig. The results and conclusion are presented.