Favorite air hose?

[JeremyS]

I'm looking for the best air hose to use for automotive work. I've always hated the heavy stiff rubber, and noticed some Goodyear 'Pliovic' during my last trip to HF. Seems like it could be decent as long as it's durable. Then I came across this stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067O0I/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Light weight and flexible sounds ideal to me.

Anyone have any experience with the newer premium hoses?

 

[79rallysport]

Goodyear does make some good stuff. You can find it here. I'm not sure how much HF charges for it.

 

[kartracer55]

Yeah, the Red stuff does get heavy, BUT in the colder weather its not as much of a PITA as the plastic stuff is. Get the red rubber hose, and buy a whip hose. A whip hose is usually about 2 ft long, and are made to be flexible. Instead of your 50ft of expensive air hose wearing out, the 10$ whip hose wears out, and its flexible. Also, get a flex coupler and it wont be such a big deal using the red hose. It will outlast the plastic stuff.

Jim

 

[Uncle Buck]

I always like to purchase 3/8 dia airline at a minimum. I have bought the cheap hose at Horrible Freight and had good luck with it. I do not know if it is true, and this makes no sense whatsoever, I heard years ago that if you buy cheap hose make sure that it is red in color because it is more durable. I do not believe that, I think it is a crock, just thought I would pass along an old wives tale. Back to the dia, unless you have a dinky compressor that runs no air tools pass on 1/4 " id hose, if you are using a 50' run of hose you will get considerably less cfm pressure drop at the tool from the compressor if you use 3/8 id hose as opposed to the 1/4" stuff. The moral being, more cfm via greater hose diameter at the tool = better performance from the tool.

 

[JeremyS]

They make the poly hose in 3/8" too, and that's what I'd get. I use whip hoses sometimes, but they can be fragile (I tend to lower tools to the floor by the hose. Bad, I know...) and make it hard to fling the main hose around when under the car.

Rubber is a PITA to keep clean. I have a bunch of black rubber hoses now, and they are durable but heavy as hell and difficult to maneuver with smaller tools in tight spaces. The fact that they are grit magnets makes me nervous whenever I have them around my cars.

I'm really looking for the most durable, lightweight and flexible hose with a tough outer skin.

 

[Fast Orange]

Word of warning regarding the whip hoses with swivel from Harbor Freight-
I read on another board that the swivel joint blows apart on these hoses-the problem seems to be a cheap,ill fitting snap ring that pops out of the groove it sits in.The guy who brought it up on the other board just missed getting hit by the whipping end of the hose.He looked at the other whips he bought at the same time,found the bad snap rings and replaced them with new ones from an assortment he had and has had no more problems with them.He said the whips sold for about $3-4 a few months ago.
If you bought em,you better check em-it's gotta hurt when that thing cracks you on the noggin!

George

 

[l_bilyk]

I use a "cold weather" hose:

http://www.kuriyama.com/images/Acrobat/Tundra-Air.pdf

I don't know where it's made, but I think this hose is worth it's weight in gold.

 

[krooser]

I've got two 50 ft hoses that bought in the late 60's and they have never failed...I don't think they came from Horrible Freight..

 

[REFLEXX]

goodyear 25ft black, 3/8" hose from HF. Failed within three years. Indoors, no extreme temps. seems to have dried out.

Bought the retracting, red, wall mounted reel from Costco. If it fails in ten years, I'll take it back!

my 2.5c

Reflexx

 

[MXtras]

I'm looking for the best air hose to use for automotive work. .... Then I came across this stuff:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000067O0I/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Anyone have any experience with the newer premium hoses?

If this is what I think it is, you will be horrified when it gets to your door. Roofing and construction types use this type of tubing (call it a hose if you like, it's tubing). The stuff is complete garbage for a shop. I think it is popular with the construction guys because they run 6 gazillion feet of it on the site and it is lightweight. It kinks if you look at it wrong and once it does, it's done - it will kink in that same spot until you get sick of it and throw it in the trash. This may not be the same stuff, but it sure looks like it to me.

Stick with a known brand of air hose as previously mentioned.

Scott

 

[eschoendorff]

Word of warning regarding the whip hoses with swivel from Harbor Freight-
I read on another board that the swivel joint blows apart on these hoses-the problem seems to be a cheap,ill fitting snap ring that pops out of the groove it sits in.The guy who brought it up on the other board just missed getting hit by the whipping end of the hose.He looked at the other whips he bought at the same time,found the bad snap rings and replaced them with new ones from an assortment he had and has had no more problems with them.He said the whips sold for about $3-4 a few months ago.
If you bought em,you better check em-it's gotta hurt when that thing cracks you on the noggin!

George

Yeah... I've had good luck with the Goodyear 50' hose from HF, but the whip hose is junk. I got a nice heavy duty one from Home Depot of all places. Cannot remember the brand (but it's grey in color and sorta heavy), but it seems to be holding up real well.

 

[JeremyS]

Yep, it seems to be popular with the constructiuon guys. I think I'll stay away from it.

What about the GY Pliovic? I picked up a 25 footer and it seems to be a decent compromise. Feels like rubber but it's a hair thinner than the regular rubber hose, and has a smooth outer coating. It's a little more expensive than the regular GY rubber, so it must be better, right?

If this is what I think it is, you will be horrified when it gets to your door. Roofing and construction types use this type of tubing (call it a hose if you like, it's tubing). The stuff is complete garbage for a shop.
Stick with a known brand of air hose as previously mentioned.

Scott