To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Best Air Hose?

bb29510

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 27, 2022
Messages
1,216
is it cheaper to buy a good hose or a cheap hose and replace every year?
 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

PoorUB

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 29, 2021
Messages
11,632
Location
Fargo, ND
is it cheaper to buy a good hose or a cheap hose and replace every year?
I have air hose I paid $1 per foot 40 years ago that is still in great shape. I think it was a bargain! I doubt my 50 foot Flexilla will last any where near that long.
 

cvairwerks

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 12, 2016
Messages
7,210
Location
Within hearing distance of Texas Motor Speedway
My original red Goodyear hoses lasted almost 40 years. We've bought nothing but the Goodyear or now Contitech, red hose in bulk at work. Over the years, we've probably bought at least 50 miles of that stuff. When one gets a hole in it, we simply shorten it as necessary, until they get below about 25' in length, then we send them to the company salvage yard.
 

RegeSullivan

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2014
Messages
695
Location
Canonsburg Pennsylvania (South of Pittsburgh)
First you need to decide what is important to you. Longevity flexibility kink-free lightweight or disposable.

Like ImportTuner I'm partial to the Goodyear hoses. I've one 40ish years and it still has the original brass on it and the others are all pushing 20 years. I also have a couple pvc hoses when I need to drag them out of the garage or using nailers. It's worth a little less durability to me in exchange for light weight.
 

jaw22w

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 28, 2019
Messages
195
Location
indiana
I prefer Flexzilla...got some garden hose too
Yep. Me too! Replaced the reel air hose with flexilla. Liked it so well when I needed new water hose, I replaced it with flexzilla, too. You have to work at it to get it tangled enough to shut off the water.
 

johnre

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 1, 2016
Messages
1,049
Location
Portland, OR
Goodyear for the 33' hose reel, for maximum durability when it gets pulled out, slammed back in during an accidental recoil, twisted around tires, turning sharp corners, stepped on, run over, etc.

And this 25' polyurethane coiled hose for air at my two benches, where I want maximum flexibility without the weight or having the hose continually wanting to wrestle me. I initially went too lightweight on the ones I had before these - clear poly of some kind without reinforced ends - and they were quickly destroyed. This one has some protection on the outside and seems to take wear and tear much better:

1711939559811.png

 
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

NUTTSGT

Super Moderator
Staff member
Joined
Sep 14, 2009
Messages
50,930
Location
Northern Central Ohio
Yep. Me too! Replaced the reel air hose with flexilla. Liked it so well when I needed new water hose, I replaced it with flexzilla, too. You have to work at it to get it tangled enough to shut off the water.
A few years later, all my air reels are Flexzilla, garden hoses are Flexzilla, I bought Flexzilla for the power washer and the two sections in the car trailer are Flexzilla.
 

trashauler

Well-known member
Joined
May 10, 2010
Messages
54
3/8 Rubber Air Brake Hose. Buy a spool of it and cut to whatever length you want. Ends are reusable other than the ferrule.
 

toyotadriver

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2010
Messages
1,586
SmartFlex and Flexilla are both Legacy products. My guess is Flexilla is marketed towards homeowners, Smartflex is towards shops/pros.
IDK for sure, but it seems the only real measurable differences (besides price and color) is the SmartFlex hoses have steel NPT ends, the Flexillas are aluminum. The Flexillas also have a fancier bend relief on the ends. Flexila is rated -40°F to 140°F, the Smart Flex is -30° F- 140°F. They are both rated for 300# and have the same 2 year warranty.

No brainer for me if I get new hoses, it's SmartFlex. $12.00 less than Flexilla on Amazon...

Tommy


Another vote for Smart Flex.

I have Flexilla hoses and they expand too much for my tastes once you pressurize them. The Smart Flex are slightly stiffer and don't expand much if any once you pressurize them. I now have 3 Smart Flex hoses on my shop hose reels. Side but unimportant benefit, I prefer the blue Smart Flex color over the bright Flexilla hoses.

I do have some of the Goodyear hoses that Harbor Freight used to sell and some of them I've had for more than 10 years and they are all still going strong. I prefer the Smart Flex hoses though.



Nothing in this post should be misunderstood, interpreted, misinterpreted, or construed to be of a political nature.
 

Sumboodie

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2021
Messages
10,690
Location
AK
I use something like this...

Mine is from AIH and is 3/8". I think 100ft. Bought it 15 years ago, have held up to -30*, 80*, rain, ice, snow, getting ran over by equipment, pulling on it probably too hard, oil, grease, paint, brake clean, diesel, etc, etc.
 

Sumboodie

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 20, 2021
Messages
10,690
Location
AK
Old setup was a 60 gallon 2 cylinder compressor out in the shed piped into this. Moved and currently just using this crazy loud compressor. It's a 1990s Craftsman oil less "silent series" hahaha! Easily 90db standing near it!
 

Attachments

  • 20240411_094154.jpg
    20240411_094154.jpg
    693.4 KB · Views: 10
To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!
Top Bottom