A hydraulic drive system includes control valve and operating devices, a variable displacement pump, and a flow regulator. When an operating lever inclination angle becomes a value, a control valve opening area becomes a reference. When the operating lever inclination angle maximizes, the opening area maximizes. The flow regulator: until the operating lever inclination angle becomes the value, increases the pump discharge flow rate with the inclination angle, so a differential pressure between pump discharge and actuator load pressures is constant; when the operating lever inclination angle becomes the value, controls the pump discharge flow rate, so a control valve passing flow rate is an actuator maximum flow rate when the differential pressure is constant; and when the operating lever inclination angle is between the value and the maximum, defines a maximum pump discharge flow rate, so the pump discharge flow rate is kept to the actuator maximum flow rate.