Air hose reel---HELP!!!!

[Peter Quinn]

Guys, I need an air hose reel. I've tripped over that hose on the floor for the last time. Several minutes ago in fact. I'm done winding it back up. But all the hose reels I'm finding in my search are approaching $200. Ouch. I'd like a 3/8" hose, 1/4" would do almost everything, I'd like 40-50', 25' would actually do almost everything. Any suggestions concerning where to buy one of these at a reasonable price, and any that I should stay away from? Its for my one man home shop, doesn't need to be heavy industrial.

[Jeff Miller]

I got one of these and really like it:D



http://www.woodcraft.com/catalog/productpage2.aspx?prodid=28618




http://www.woodcraft.com/Images/products/150316_400.jpg




JEFF:)

[John M Wilson]

I picked up one at Harbor Freight. I'm not precisely sure of the details, (I think it's Item # 46104 MFR: Central Pneumatic) but it is 3/8" rubber hose (the good stuff), 25' long, and spring retractable. I had to buy the connector hose to hook it to my compressor, but even with that, after the obligatory HF coupon, I paid in the neighborhood of $50.

No leaks, no muss, no fuss, and handy as heck. I smile every time I use it.:D

Good luck!

[John A. Schaefer]

Peter-
Rather than a self-retracting hose + reel, you may want to look at a manual hose reel to use with an existing hose. I picked one up for about $30 (IIRC) from Workshop Tools, but I think that HF carries them as well.

[Tom Hamilton]

Northern Tool and Sears both have good selections. Let Google be your friend.

Also, Craig's List and Ebay can be good sources.

Makes life easier for sure.

Cheers, Tom

[glenn bradley]

Harbor Freight reel (I tossed their stiff rubber hose) and some Flexeel hose: http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?t=102702

[John Coloccia]

http://www.harborfreight.com/50-ft-retractable-air-water-hose-reel-with-3-8-eighth-inch-hose-93897.html

I've had that one for about 5 years and it's given me no headaches. Air hose and reels are one of those things you can buy at Harbor Freight and get great quality at rock bottom prices. Air fittings too.

Keep in mind that you can mount this thing on the ceiling right in the middle of the shop if you want to. If it's in the middle, maybe 25' will suit your purposes then? If so, they make a 25' also that's about $50 I think.

[Terry Welty]

I've had the Harbor Freight hand cranker for many years... cheap and easy... not a problem...

[Matt Meiser]

I can't remember what it cost, but I have an auto-retract one from Home Depot, with a replacement urethane hose from Northern that is much, much more flexible. I also have a manual one that holds my older, not so flexible PVC hoses that will reach pretty far out into my yard, etc but aren't used as much. I can't remember where I got it but Harbor Freight sells one like it. Both work well for their purpose.

[Mike Cruz]

The one Jeff pictured is the same one that everybody and their mother sells...in different colors. I've heard, but not experienced, from reviews that the rewind mechanism in them is very cheap plastic. So, I stayed away from it.

I went with the HF 50' version. Seemed to be made solidly. Weighs a ton. Not happy with the rewinding of it though. DON'T leave it unwound. I did it, and almost can't get it to rewind. Makes me afraid to pull it out, now. Just my experience. It seems other have it and like it.

If I get another one, it will be one of the $200-300 ones so I don't worry about it not being able to roll back up.

[Mike Harrison]

I got the HF reels.

The 25 foot, over the bench
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv62/mikeinkcmo/WW%20tools/Air%20Compressor/benchreal1.jpg

and the 50foot by the roll up door.
http://i670.photobucket.com/albums/vv62/mikeinkcmo/WW%20tools/Air%20Compressor/dooreal1.jpg

Had them both for about 7 or 8 years and they are used almost daily with never a problem. I highly recommend them.

[Jesse Wilson]

Guys, I need an air hose reel. I've tripped over that hose on the floor for the last time. Several minutes ago in fact. I'm done winding it back up. But all the hose reels I'm finding in my search are approaching $200. Ouch. I'd like a 3/8" hose, 1/4" would do almost everything, I'd like 40-50', 25' would actually do almost everything. Any suggestions concerning where to buy one of these at a reasonable price, and any that I should stay away from? Its for my one man home shop, doesn't need to be heavy industrial.


Might I suggest the following for your consideration:

http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PMAKA=FC326-0766&PMPANO=0565891&PMKANO=267&PMKBNO=2248&PMPAGE=5&PARTPG=INLMPI

[Peter Quinn]

Wow, thanks for the quick responses guys. Looks like I'm going to order the 50' Harbor Freight reel. I think that will fill the need very nicely. I hadn't even though of Harbor Freight for air hose. I like the self retracting feature, I'm used to that at work. I've become less of a fan of polyurethane hoses over the years. I prefer a rubber hose with a 6' urethane whip at the very end. PVC is simply out of the question, too rigid. But I have a 50' flexeel hose I'm using now that I could put in the reel to see how that works.

Thanks again for all the responses. I won't miss that snake on my floor, not sure why I waited this long to fix this problem. I guess one nail at a time gets hammered down?

[Mike Cruz]

Well, lucky you! You are about to have a spare hose. The 50' real comes with a hose...;)

[Larry Fox]

The one I have I got from the BORG a year or so ago and I think I paid about $40 for it. Works out great.

[Alan Lightstone]

I have the Sears 50ft one. Has functioned like a champ, forever.

[Don Jeansonne]

I had same problem and didn't want to pay $80 - 100. I bought the HF manual crank for $20 and then bought a quailty flexible 1/4" hose to use with it. This made all the difference to me. I think the 3/8" hoses are just too stiff no matter what.

[Neil Brooks]

Guys, I need an air hose reel. I've tripped over that hose on the floor for the last time.

In a way, you're quite fortunate.

I'm CERTAIN that I'm going to trip over mine a few dozen more times, before I get the sense to do anything about it :(

Actually, though (sounding like a commercial), this IS a job for Harbor Freight.

They just bombarded me with new sale flyers. I'll see what's in them.

You ever notice, by the way, that you can leave that length of air hose in ONE place, after closing shop for the night, but it will appear somewhere ELSE, in the morning ... JUST so you can't develop a memory way to prevent tripping over it ?

Evil things. Vile, evil things.

[Eric DeSilva]

Grizzly has 'em too.

http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hose-Reel-1-4-x-33-Pvc-Casing/H5683
http://www.grizzly.com/products/Hose-Reel-3-8-x-50-Pvc-Casing/H5684

I've been happy with mine.

[Ken Burner]

According to the latest HF flier:

#46104 Retractable Air Hose Reel with 25 ft. Air Hose, $60 -> $40 with coupon
#93897 50 ft. Retractable Air/Water Hose Reel with 3/8 in. Hose, $100 -> $90 *
#40131 50 ft. Capacity Air Hose Reel (includes 30 ft. 3/8 in. poly cord rubber hose), $40 ->$30 *
25, 50 and 100 ft. Goodyear 3/8 in. rubber air hoses 25% off *

* Eligible for additional 20% off with printable coupon on the HF web site:
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/SingleMagLanders/americanprofile/images/20_c.jpg

And don't forget the FREE FLASHLIGHT coupon:
http://www.harborfreightusa.com/html/SingleMagLanders/americanprofile/images/flash_c.jpg


Ken

[Neil Brooks]

BAH !

Haven't yet found any reasonably-priced options for 1/4" x 50' -- the hose I'm using (http://www.amazon.com/Pack-Amflo-12-50E-Blue-Polyurethane/dp/B0035VRMBQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1285954664&sr=1-1), and with which I'm mighty happy !

Couple hundred bucks seems high. Didn't SEE anything on HF's site that would work.

Don't particularly want to spend the $$, AND/OR pay for hose I don't need.

Ah, well. If anybody knows of something ... please lemme' know !

[Brian Penning]

As per Jim Becker in that older reference post.." 3/8" holds more air than 1/4"...so for tools and the like that use more air, the larger diameter is more efficient. "

Is the difference in diameter really all that noticeable?? Is it like one has a slightly larger volume tank?

[Mike Cruz]

My understanding is that if you are using tools, like impact wrenches and sanders, that require a large volume of steady air, you need the larger hoses. However, if you are just using a nail gun and filling tires (which may be slow but will work perfectly fine) you can use the smaller diameter ones.

[ray hampton]

will a water-hose reel work for your air hoses ?

[Peter Quinn]

My understanding is that if you are using tools, like impact wrenches and sanders, that require a large volume of steady air, you need the larger hoses. However, if you are just using a nail gun and filling tires (which may be slow but will work perfectly fine) you can use the smaller diameter ones.

It was recommended to me that the LVLP conversion spray gun I use be fed with at least a 3/8" hose close to the end device for proper air supply. 3/8" rubber hose is a bit clumsy to drag around while spraying, so I use a short piece of polyurethane hose for the last 6 feet before the gun. I do the same at work with a pneumatic ROS. Of course it was also recommended that I use a hose for the gun dedicated to spraying and never used for air tools that involve oil so as to avoid contamination. Following that logic this hose reel won't be used for the spray gun, though I'm guessing it could be a feeder if an appropriate filter were used upline from it? My spray set up is at this point very adhoc and generally needs to be improved. Nothing a few lengths of 3/4" copper and some fittings couldn't fix, but I waited over 5 years to get a hose reel and don't want to rush into anything with the spray set up!:rolleyes:

I am building a knock down spray booth for water borne's this weekend that seals off a small area of my shop when needed and is exhausted to the outside. Sort of a shop made wall of ladder frames wrapped in plastic to make a quick zip wall. I guess I'll add a drop down fed by 3/4" pipe with its own regulator and filter there. That will get rid of the "other" hose I have been tripping over. So between these two improvements I will have gained almost 100' of extra hose! What to do with all that hose?

Maybe I'll set up the back up compressor I found at the dump last year in my garage...in another year or two....then I can trip over those hoses 'there' instead of 'here' !:D