A good inexpensive, but usable, source for 4" flex hose?

[Joshua Dinerstein]

I finally got my HF 2hp DC unit up and running. Wow! It works so well it is scary. I can't believe I waited this long to get it working. My goodness. It works so well it is amazing! I was sanding at my lathe after getting things put together last night and I could see this amazing swirl of dust coming off where I was sanding and shooting straight into the inlet port of my custom made dust hood. I sanded the bowl a lot more than was needed just because it was so cool to watch. Should make a major difference in the cleanliness of my garage-shop.

So now that I have met with awesome success on the DIY lathe hood and gotten things read to roll I am looking for some flex hose to connect up to some machines that move around my shop as I do the simple wood working I do.

I have in the past "saved" myself into some very expensive do-overs. Especially after I have to count the cost of the first super-cheap attempt. I am trying not to do that to myself anymore. So I wanted to ask here.

I have done the searches here and on the internet and I have found a number of options. There is the PSI 50" box of hose for about $55, a Jet 10 hose for $17, the Peechtree 50' host for about $80, and some massively stretchy hose from Rockler which was $64 for 28'.

The super-stretchy looks interesting for putting away when not moving around the shop. The others are less easily adjustable in length but substantially cheaper for typical just leave it out use.

My planned use for it the roving run around the shop. From a bench-top hood when sanding, cutting with either my chop-saw or hand-held saws at my bench, etc... over to machines when and if they are pushed out of the way and so on...

So I am wondering if anyone has used these for similar uses and what their thoughts are on the setup and choice of which flex pipe to use.

Any advice?

Thanks,
Joshua

[mickey cassiba]

Joshua, I can't tell you what to buy but I can tell you what not to buy...the specialty shop manager at work wanted the very same sort of thing and we got 100' of 4" black plastic flex hose from Grainger. The static build up was so bad that the hourly guys were afraid of it, not to mention the sawdust/shavings would stick to the inside of the hose and clog it...
Still searching for a 100' vacuum cleaner hose, I will follow this thread pretty closely.
Mickey

[jason lambert]

Best place I found was http://www.blastgateco.com/Flex-Hose.htm
I think I got the r4 econo for my cyclone. It is clear so that is just cool watching the dust and about hte cheapest I found in real hose this stuff is pretty tuff, much better than some others that just crush if you step on them. Just give them a call they are very helpful.

[glenn bradley]

The PSI hose is VERY flexible. This means it sucks up short and kind of acts like a shock absorber to all that air you want to move. I finally got all mine rotated out of my system and it is a definite improvement. So I'm saying the 50' of black from PSI does not get my vote.

I am using mostly (if not all) clear hose from Rockler (may be some Woodcraft stuff in there). Several folks sell the same basic quality and I purchased based on who had it on sale. Rockler was having a 2 for one and I bought a few sections. Some are still new as most of my system is 6" pipe but, I digress.

I have been very satisfied with this (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=16957&filter=4%22%20hose)including a section that gets quick coupled between the planer and jointer, drug on the floor, bumped and bashed with no ill effects. This is not the "Dust Right Expansion Hose" which has all the characteristics of the black hose that I did not care for. That's just my experience; YMMV.

P.s. if you get any of the thread in quick connect ends (http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=18196&filter=4%22%20hose), pay attention. Some hoses are right hand and some are left hand threaded. I read somewhere that Rockler gives free shipping if you list them as a "fan" on facebook. I've don't do facebook or my space so I am not sure but you may want to check that out. Lee Valley and Woodcraft and others carry similar hose.

[Bill Arnold]

There's a lot of information in this thread (http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=121390).