Need a new air hose

[58Yeoman]

I was working in the shop today and hear air escaping when I was using my tire inflator. Thought the fitting was loose, but then noticed the cracks in the hose...for at least 4' before they got smaller. Time for a new 50' hose to put on my wall unit. Looked at HF, Menards and Farm & Fleet. A lot of different kinds, some hybrid. I'm thinking pvc is usually very flexible (I have 25' pvc jumper cables), but what has everyone found that works well for them? I'm looking at 3/8" x 50'. I still use some air tools such as 1/2" impact when needed, smaller air tools and mostly air guns and filling tires.

 

[nadogail]

I buy the middle grade hoses from Harbor Freight. They last for years.

 

[rustrunner]

I bought two 25' yellow Goodyear air hoses about 25-30 years ago at a discount tool sale and are still in good condition today.

 

[fourjeepin]

Goodyear or Flexzilla have both worked well for me.

 

[Walkers]

I bought a 250’ spool of Flexzilla. Very impressed with it.

 

[rlitman]

...I'm thinking pvc is usually very flexible...

PVC air hose is the type that gets rigid and brittle in the winter. This is my most recent purchase, and I'm very happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RM868P/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It's a smaller OD than the red rubber hose it replaced and more flexible, so it spring returns onto my Reelcraft much more easily.

 

[Firebrick43]

Goodyear or Flexzilla have both worked well for me.

+1 on the flexzilla. The only time I want a floppy hose is with an airline.

 

[Bondo]

Ayuh,...... Ditto on the flexzilla hoses,......

 

[58Yeoman]

PVC air hose is the type that gets rigid and brittle in the winter. This is my most recent purchase, and I'm very happy with it.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B073RM868P/?tag=atomicindus08-20

It's a smaller OD than the red rubber hose it replaced and more flexible, so it spring returns onto my Reelcraft much more easily.

That's odd, as the jumper cables I have are very flexible in any weather, and the one you show on Amazon is pvc, rubber and nylon. I'll check on the Flexilla hose. Thanks for the replies.

 

[kaymccampbell]

If you don't want to shell out, then the HF Fakezilla hybrid hoses are pretty nice. I've got a couple. When my slowly hardening PVC hoses STB I'll be getting new hybrids to replace them.

 

[rmack898]

Ayuh,...... Ditto on the flexzilla hoses,......

Yup

 

[kaymccampbell]

Make a liar out of me. Flexzilla is only $10 more than HF for a 50' length. So, if you're getting a few lengths, it's not that much more expensive. There used to be a significant difference.

 

[Allan00]

+1 Flexzilla

 

[bdbecker]

Another vote for Flexzilla. I have both a knock-off (Husky from HD?) and a real one. There is a noticeable difference between the two even though they are supposed to be the same.

 

[CraigStu]

I bought red Goodyear a couple months ago to re-hose my Eastwood reel. My other reel is this from Lowes.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kobalt-3-8-in-50-ft-Poly-Hybrid-Air-Hose-with-Retractable-Hose-Reel/50419808

The reel is **** and the hose kind of iffy. It is only about a year old but the hose has always felt like a rubber band as I pull it out of the reel. It may last a long time but I doubt I will have it long enough to see how long.

 

[dzahm]

I wasn't as happy with flexilla- but I absolutely love my goodyear -its prob 25 yrs old and still soft, pliable, and rolls up nicely- I don't use a reel so when I roll the flexilla is seems to be slightly more finicky. (like a memory sort of- you have to kinda roll it around to make a nice roll up) If I used a reel with the flexilla; it would probably be ok- But I will probably spend the money for goodyear because of how long it lasts

 

[tstaude]

Flexzilla over here, have two 50' and one 25' for the shop.

Absolutely love them.

They go on sale around Black Friday too

 

[tester19]

Really liked the old Harbor Freight Diablo hose. It's now been replaced by the Merlin version which looks about the same. Very nice with a small diameter and end protectors.
Merlin Air Hose
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[rlitman]

That's odd, as the jumper cables I have are very flexible in any weather, and the one you show on Amazon is pvc, rubber and nylon. I'll check on the Flexilla hose. Thanks for the replies.

Straight PVC is what gets really stiff in the winter, but PVC is often alloyed with other elastomers (like rubber, which also can stiffen in the cold, but not to the point of becoming brittle) that improve it's flexibility in the cold. This applies to extension cords, jumper cables and hoses equally, and unfortunately, unless the manufacturer makes cold weather claims, you can usually just assume they're using the cheapest (stiffest) materials.

Flexzilla makes good stuff, but so do lots of other companies. Be aware of the difference between a hybrid hose and a polyurethane hose. 1/4" polyurethane hoses have their place, but too many of mine have gone brittle and fell apart after 10 years or so. Time will tell how good the hybrid replacements are.

I chose the Amflo hose I linked specifically because the thinner outer diameter allowed me to pack more 3/8" hose onto my reel. The rubber hose it replaced was a bit too chunky and I routinely had issues getting it to retract all the way.

 

[quilty]

I'm using a 1/4" Flexzilla now and like dzahm mentioned, it does have a bit of a "memory" to it so it can be challenging to roll up nicely when you're done with it. I'm thinking about upgrading to a Reelcraft unit. I like the idea of the reel so I don't have to unwrap and wrap up a hose every time I want to use the compressor.

 

[58Yeoman]

Flexilla for the win. Bought it at Menard's for around $35. The original hose lasted for quite a few years, so this should last at least as long. Thanks for all the replies.