Your bad air hose experience?

[gdocktor3]

I am looking for a 1/2" air hose to use with my 3/4" impact wrench and instead of asking what brand hoses are good, I'd rather hear about the bad, 1 star hoses. Goodyear, Speedaire, Legacy, Tekton, Reelcraft, etc, etc.. Who's had a hose blow apart, burst, or fittings fly off, what brand hose was it, and were you properly using it? I want the best bang for my buck, without it failing. It will get seldom use, but move lots of air at 90-100 psi.

 

[countryroad82]

An air hose WILL fail eventually. That said the only hoses I've had fail were old. I mostly ran Dayco and Goodyear hoses. Now I am slowly swapping over to Flexzilla hoses. I have one going about 3-4 years now with no trouble as of yet.

 

[L.Cheapo]

I have some older Craftsman USA hoses that don't leak and haven't caused any headaches, except when its cold out. Good luck uncoiling one when its below about 40*. I really, really love my Flexzilla hoses and Milton Hi-Flo couplers.

 

[RedneckWelder]

We love the flexzilla hoses at my shop. I do not like our safety couplers though they tend to come unscrewed and loose and whack you upside the head (two piece body). Don't know the brand name of the couplers they look unusual

 

[smittyjones]

Okay okay okay, this is more funny than bad.

This guy, we'll call him Slacker McGee, or SM for short. He really doesn't do anything, and is the only one in the shop paid hourly. Pisses everyone off, but we have fun with it.

So SM is in bay 1. Bay 2 is a "communal" bay, anyone can use it if they get ******* with a wrong part or something. One day, I was over in bay 2, it's also where the grinder is. I had to turn to use the grinder, and didn't notice bay 2's air hose was resting on the wire wheel. After a bit of grinding, that hose pops a hole.

SM wasn't anywhere to be found, as is normal. So I sneak over, turn off his air at the wall, and swap the blown hose with his good hose. He comes back and goes to use his impact (which is attached to the now blown hose), and there's nothing. He turns it on, and there's a big ol' hole blowing out!

He gets all upset about it, grabs his hose and goes into the office to whine. He got a new one from parts, but he still had to change out the fittings. When he came back, I just said "it started leaking, so I shut off the air!"

 

[JJThrasher]

I've had plenty of hoses blow. Usually the hard plastic ones. Rubber hoses are good. Flexzilla hoses are hot right now.

 

[nikerret]

I had a nice Legacy that developed holes due to leaving it on the garage floor and it got kicked around and DRIVEN OVER multiple times. I didn't know she was going to park there and she didn't seem to be worried enough to move it. It now has two pin-sized holes. It was a great hose and would still be great, if it was properly cared for.

On my air reel, that's not currently in use, I have a rubber hose that came with it. The reel is a Grip-On or GRIP.

I have a couple of cheap PVC hoses that were only a few dollars from Tractor Supply, those ****. Where the rubber is flexible, yet firm; the PVC is stiff, yet will kink.

My next longer hose purchase will be a good rubber one, probably a Legacy, or whatever is cheapest, but seems good quality.

 

[stearn786]

We have Flexzilla's at work, and other than me dropping brake rotors on two of them and hot slag from torching getting a third, they've been fantastic. They coil easy and they hold up. Not much more you can ask from an air hose.

 

[sberry]

With seldom use it wont matter. I have only had 1 hose issue and have some now been in service near 30 years. It was a cheap pvc on a legacy reel and I yanked on it in my storage building in very cold weather. I unplug it in the fall.

 

[rhandwor]

Shut off air to air hoses after work and bleed off pressure they will last a lot longer.

 

[gdocktor3]

I saw a Flexzilla somewhere and I thought it seemed cheap. It reminded me almost like a cheap garden hose that bubbles out from too much pressure. That's good to hear all the positive reviews though. How about Tekton hoses? They say made in USA. Same as Goodyear I wonder?

Now onto another question. Has anyone used those Chicago twist lock couplers? Are they really big and bulky? My thing is right now I can only afford to fit a 30 gallon compressor in my garage. Its 5hp 220v and really works well considering. I just bought an Aircat 1600th (amazing) and want to get as much air to it as possible. I plan on buying a 1/2" 3-6' whip hose to thread directly into the gun (so it can still fit in my toolbox) and then use one of the Chicago twist locks to connect it to a 50' 1/2" hose that will be threaded directly into the compressor. I do a lot of research and read that no matter what size air fittings you use, they still cut down the air flow considerably. Air flow I cannot afford to lose with my current compressor. Which is why I'm interested in these twist locks. They have no real restriction it seems. Any info or advice is appreciated. Thanks

 

[alfagarage]

I deal with a lot of air hoses at work.

We use the Goodyear air line that you cut to length and Insta-grip fitting.

The only problems we have are the idiots that like to "smash" the ends of the hose to get the fittings in, instead of a little lube and pushing them together right. They can be difficult to seat all the way.

We use Reelcraft hose reels almost exclusively and the hose it comes with is pretty much junk for an industrial setting. I have replaced a lot of it with the Goodyear and no problems afterward.

Hope this helps.

 

[gdocktor3]

Anyone have any input on the Chicago twist lock couplers?

 

[gdocktor3]

Shut off air to air hoses after work and bleed off pressure they will last a lot longer.

Not only do I remove the hoses and coil them up, I drain the entire tank when I finish. When I first bought my compressor it was used, probably 10 years old, and I brought it into work so the electrician can take a look at it. I was having some problems with the wiring and getting it going. After rewiring it and playing around with the pressure switch, we finally got it running right. After letting it build up some air for minute, a tiny tiny plug blew out of the bottom. We later determined the plug was a safety mechanism, but why would it blow out at only 80 lbs? We then realized the compressor must have sat for some time with water inside and it began rusting. I took my chances and welded it up, haven't had a problem yet. Its good practice to drain every time I think.

On to another topic, when HF first opened up I bought a 3' whip hose with swivel and it leaked from the swivel from the get go. Traded it in for another, but same thing. That was when I decided to never by anything with moving parts from HF. And I haven't.

 

[gdocktor3]

Anyone ever use a ViperFlex hose by OEM tools? Says its made of a polymer material to help it stay soft and flexible in all weather. Its a rather expensive hose depending where you look.

 

[back2class]

I bought the black Harbor Freight 50ft black rubber air hose about 3 years ago. Cracked and fell apart in literally months of light use. Replaces with black Goodyear and after a year outside still excellent.. Goodyear red air hose good too. The cheap pvc woven stuff is awful..but I guess ok for very light occasional use.

 

[Bennylava]

One time my airhose somehow filled up its skin with air.

Also, the immigrants that work for my grandfather, thinking duct tape will seal up the air leaks.

 

[Roberts210]

Bought a Goodyear, rubber, U.S.A hose and a few months later one of the brass end fittings came off. I got a hose clamp and clamped the fitting back in, but I was disappointed with it. Still works great tho. I've used it 3 years now.

 

[jallyn]

Twist lock fittings work fine and do not restrict flow. I've used large 2" size ones to connect portable compressors into plant air.