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Replacing original air hose ends?

ScaldedDog

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The hose ends on some of my HF hose reels are starting to fail, and I'd like to replace them. A barbed fitting and hose clamp would "work", but would create another thing to maintain, and be a pain to drag around the shop. Are there more elegant solutions, or is just replacing the hose the best way? Here's what the worst one looks like now:

20241024_143219.jpg

Mark
 
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welder4956

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You will need to buy the correct diameter ferrules for the hose and get a ferrule crimper. The ferrules usually have a part number stamped on the O.D., otherwise you need to measure the hose O.D. and order the matching size. This is the crimper I bought, but you also need the correct crimper for the ferrule diameter. https://www.amazon.com/Western-Ente...le-Hammer/dp/B002FCJF8O/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I slit the old ferrule with diagonal cutters or a cutoff wheel, the strip the rest of the ferrule off with diagonal cutters and reuse the barbed fitting.
 

MovingAlong

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Many hydraulic shops can fix you up with crimp fittings for air hoses. But I've used hose clamps before too. Doesn't make it the best option of course...

The whip between my hose reel and compressor has a 5' scrap of 30 yr old hose with clamps on it. Scares me every time I look at it. Kind of feel stupid even as I type this. :cautious: Yeah, that's getting replaced next week. :thumbup:
 

cvairwerks

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We use the Dixons at work. Much cheaper in the long run when you buy air hose stock by the pallet load....Shop guys are not supposed to do hose repairs, but we did it all the time when pressed for time and the tool cribs were out of hoses. Takes like a minute to remove and reinstall the Dixon, and you only need a couple of open end wrenches.
 

PoorUB

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My experience with lower priced air hose is once they start failing the rest of the hose isn't far behind. I would toss it and buy a new hose.

For air hoses in my shop, years ago I had a small engine repair. I bought hoses from a few different sources and all failed in a few months. I went over to a shop that sells Aeroquip push on hose and bought 1/4" hose and fittings. That was in the mid 80's and I am still using the same hoses.

1/4" hose seems small, but if all you use is 3/8" air tools and the occasional 1/2" drive impact they are enough. I should explain that I have a HF 50 foot hose reel with 3/8" hose, and add a 1/4" x 15 foot long whip hose on the end for flexibility. It also lowers the strain on the 3/8" hose as I am not flexing it at the hose fitting. If I were working on trucks I would run larger hose, but it works for me.
 

Farmall450

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My experience with lower priced air hose is once they start failing the rest of the hose isn't far behind. I would toss it and buy a new hose.

For air hoses in my shop, years ago I had a small engine repair. I bought hoses from a few different sources and all failed in a few months. I went over to a shop that sells Aeroquip push on hose and bought 1/4" hose and fittings. That was in the mid 80's and I am still using the same hoses.

1/4" hose seems small, but if all you use is 3/8" air tools and the occasional 1/2" drive impact they are enough. I should explain that I have a HF 50 foot hose reel with 3/8" hose, and add a 1/4" x 15 foot long whip hose on the end for flexibility. It also lowers the strain on the 3/8" hose as I am not flexing it at the hose fitting. If I were working on trucks I would run larger hose, but it works for me.
The Aeroquip (might have to look on the Danfoss site now) is pretty slick. I'm still a flexilla guy for now, though.
 

PoorUB

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The Aeroquip (might have to look on the Danfoss site now) is pretty slick. I'm still a flexilla guy for now, though.
I have a Flexzilla hose too. I use it only for home remodels. I seriously doubt it will be around in 40 years!

I should add, the Aeroquip hose was rated for oil at 300F. It is oil line, not air hose. I have seen it used on oil lines for heavy equipment.
 

Spareparts

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Imperial Easton makes a "Swedge Wheel" and it fits their tubing cutters and does a decent job
of swedging the ferrels to the hose, you can get the right size ferrels at a Hyd Shop. When I do
mine I only swedge it twice and it holds good at 175 psi. The wheel looks like a regular cutter
wheel except it is rounded over instead of sharp.
 

johnre

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That hose is done for - get a new one.

And looking at that hose end, it appears it has suffered a lot of abuse from overbending at the ferrule. To put less strain on the new one, practice pulling out more air hose than what is needed (a retractable reel helps here), then double back to where you will use it, leaving a loop at your feet. Never use an air tool with the reel not latched and constantly pulling on you, which means you will be constantly fighting it for where you want to use the tool.
 

Lumpy102

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We used those fittings when I worked for a safety company, for breathing air. In the 26 yrs I was with the company we never had one of those fittings fail, when we scrapped hose, we recovered the fittings and reused them, some several times. I have a few of them in my shop, still in use.
 

johnre

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.... a foot off the end will make that hose (almost) like new
Maybe, but I did speak from experience when I said to replace it. I had a situation where the entire hose was embrittled about the same as I see on the crimped end in the OP's first image. It hadn't been in sunlight much, it was just old and oxidized. While it did look better when I cut further back, the repair just split it again where the clamping pressure was applied.

Perhaps OP can attempt the repairs as suggested, but don't count on it not splitting again.
.
 

Sumboodie

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The Aeroquip (might have to look on the Danfoss site now) is pretty slick. I'm still a flexilla guy for now, though.
Flex Eel is way nicer, no coating that absorbs oil and grease like a sponge and they when you go fill a tire with the 1 pair remaining of good pants in and smears it all over like you just greased a Hitachi ZX200. 🤣

I've had the same 100ft one going on 15 years.
 

MileHighRover

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I've used the Dixon fitting for pressure washer hose without any issues. They make fittings for hydraulic line as well. So I certainly wouldn't be concerned using one for an air hose.
 
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vwpieces

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Look into Flexzilla Pro line with reusable ends.
Or if you don't initially buy the Pro line hose you can always buy the reusable end later.

I have a couple flexzilla hoses and their garden hose. I like them.
But I also have invested in a large variety of various size brass ferrules and a crimper to make and configure my own lengths for what ever I need.
 

scooby074

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Best air hose I ever had was Parker Pushloc in 3/8" and 1/2" hose sizes but it's like $5 a foot now...........

Parker Pushlok is very nice hose. Smooth transition to the barb/threaded end is very nice. Safer around painted finishes too. As you said, too bad its so much money now
 

The Cobbler

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by far the best hose I own is made by Kuri Tek , their Tundra line . Princess auto used to carry it . it's lightweight, flexible , doesn't stain like the flexilla does, wraps up nicely without much of a bias . seems to last a long time even under hard on the job use . I have more than a lifetime supply of it , some still in original packages . Flexilla doesn't compare to it .
 

johnre

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Barb fitting and a double ear Oeteker clamp will give you a nice, smooth connection to the hose.
I like those kind of clamps as well, but what about the clamp tool to compress them into place? Are those pincers like I see on Amazon adequate?

I don't like worm or thumbscrew clamps in my dust system, and am looking for alternatives.
 

LopezBart

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Firebrick43

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Best air hose I ever had was Parker Pushloc in 3/8" and 1/2" hose sizes but it's like $5 a foot now...........
They used parker at in the machine shop at cat. It was some good stuff. The only reason we would have to fix was It would wear on the non skid on the floor and even after 3 or 4 years old in oil it would be great after cutting a few feet off the end. We made them longer than necessary when we put them on the reels. Used hammerlock clamps and oeitiker swing air fittings. Flexilla was used on the assembly line. It didn't hold up as long (cut easier on sharp edges) but of course was much more flexible for the kind of work they were doing.

We used goodyear hose at the last place. If a fitting was leaking it was time to replace the hose. It got hard and if you did cut some back and reclamp, it would be leaking again in a few weeks. It didnt last but a couple of years around oil
 

scooby074

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I like those kind of clamps as well, but what about the clamp tool to compress them into place? Are those pincers like I see on Amazon adequate?

I don't like worm or thumbscrew clamps in my dust system, and am looking for alternatives.
I just use diagonal cutters. There are special Oeteger clamp crimpers that Ive used at work, but theyre unnecessary IMHO
 

scooby074

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3/8" Parker Push-Lok is $2.59/ft (5 ft min) here:


1/2" is $3/ft... not super cheap, but if it lasts...
I think they are ends of reels, thats why its cheaper. There is some fine print.

"Continuous lengths available up to 30’. Lengths over 30’ not guaranteed to be continuous. "
 

cvairwerks

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We used goodyear hose at the last place. If a fitting was leaking it was time to replace the hose. It got hard and if you did cut some back and reclamp, it would be leaking again in a few weeks. It didnt last but a couple of years around oil
We've found exactly the opposite around our company. We've bought and used probably several hundred miles worth of the Goodyear (now Continental) red hose for the plant since 1942. We make all our own hoses due to varying length requirements, from as short as 5 feet, to as long as 90 feet Oil, hydraulic fluid, jet fuel and everything else they get exposed to, doesn't seem to reduce their life. Getting them caught in doors, or pinched in crew stands seems to do more to kill ours than anything else.
 

Wrench97

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We've found exactly the opposite around our company. We've bought and used probably several hundred miles worth of the Goodyear (now Continental) red hose for the plant since 1942. We make all our own hoses due to varying length requirements, from as short as 5 feet, to as long as 90 feet Oil, hydraulic fluid, jet fuel and everything else they get exposed to, doesn't seem to reduce their life. Getting them caught in doors, or pinched in crew stands seems to do more to kill ours than anything else.
The current Goodyear branded hose is not the same as older Goodyear(now Continental) hose, I see Goodyear drive belts popping back up at parts houses now too I wonder who is making them.........Goodyear sold their Engineered Products division(Belts and Hoses) in 2007 to Carlyle Group which renamed it Veyance Technologies, Veyance Technologies was bought by Continental in 2015.
The current Goodyear branded air hose is licensed by a company named Great Circle Products, Looks like Adventry Corp is licensing the Goodyear name for Belts, idler pulleys and tensioners..
 

Firebrick43

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The current Goodyear branded hose is not the same as older Goodyear(now Continental) hose, I see Goodyear drive belts popping back up at parts houses now too I wonder who is making them.........Goodyear sold their Engineered Products division(Belts and Hoses) in 2007 to Carlyle Group which renamed it Veyance Technologies, Veyance Technologies was bought by Continental in 2015.
The current Goodyear branded air hose is licensed by a company named Great Circle Products, Looks like Adventry Corp is licensing the Goodyear name for Belts, idler pulleys and tensioners..
The “Goodyear hose” I mentioned was from 2020-2022 so it would have been made by Great Circle Jerk products and not continental.
 

Farmall450

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We used goodyear hose at the last place. If a fitting was leaking it was time to replace the hose. It got hard and if you did cut some back and reclamp, it would be leaking again in a few weeks. It didnt last but a couple of years around oil
I remember HF selling USA Goodyear (as one of their first USA items). Just got a couple from a buddy, probably 100' of 1/2. It's old, but I figured for those rare projects far far away.
 
OP
S

ScaldedDog

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Thanks for all the help, guys. Lots of options. I love the idea of just reversing the hose, but I noticed the hose reel end is starting to expand, too, so I'll probably just replace the hose. I have three reels in the shop, but this is the only one that's under pressure all the time, and is the most used, too.

I'd like a decent hose, but don't need a great one. I found a Goodyear (branded, but it's just a made in USA knockoff, as discussed earlier) one for $40, and a Milton for $70. Do any of you have any experience with Milton hoses? The ends look different than the cheap Goodyear one, but I don't know if they are, or if they are better.


Mark
 

welder4956

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Thanks for all the help, guys. Lots of options. I love the idea of just reversing the hose, but I noticed the hose reel end is starting to expand, too, so I'll probably just replace the hose. I have three reels in the shop, but this is the only one that's under pressure all the time, and is the most used, too.

I'd like a decent hose, but don't need a great one. I found a Goodyear (branded, but it's just a made in USA knockoff, as discussed earlier) one for $40, and a Milton for $70. Do any of you have any experience with Milton hoses? The ends look different than the cheap Goodyear one, but I don't know if they are, or if they are better.


Mark
Different type of crimper was used, but the crimps look very good.
 
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