Air Hose Recommendations

[Todd Willhoit]

The 3/8" air hose on my hose reel has developed a leak near the fitting. I would cut it off and install a barbed fitting, but the outer jacket is cracked over most of the length and I doubt it will last much longer. I have looked at Goodyear rubber hoses and find many reports of new hoses developing ruptures and leaks near the fitting.

Has anyone bought any hose lately that they can recommend?

[Jerry Bruette]

I have some Flexilla hose and love the stuff and so has anyone that's used it.

[Rick Johnston]

X2 flexilla

[Rick Johnston]

X2 flexilla
or others with same features.

[Andy Giddings]

x3 Flexilla

[Ben Rivel]

Flexilla you all say huh? Good to know. Ill have to order one.

Ha! And it appears they are bright green, so theyll nicely match a Grex nailer!

[Andy Giddings]

Yes, Ben and the color helps me avoid tripping over it

[Todd Willhoit]

Have you guys had any issue with the aluminum fittings? Is the strain relief removable for use on a hose reel?

[Jerry Bruette]

No and yes. We've put some Flexilla hose on reels at work. Only problem we had was the stop didn't fit the 1/4 inch hose.

[Jim Becker]

I use Flexeel branded hoses and love them. There are several similar products available under other names and I'd choose them over rubber any day. Lighter, less "memory", etc.

[Ben Rivel]

Any of you guys own this bad boy: LINK (https://www.amazon.com/Flexzilla-Retractable-Enclosed-Lightweight-ZillaGreen/dp/B007QV1RLM/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1489801642&sr=8-4&keywords=flexzilla)

Never had a retractable air hose, and that one looks nice. Pricey though.

[Todd Willhoit]

What is the best place to source Flexeel or Flexzilla? Flexeel is twice the price of Flexzilla on Amazon.

[Jerry Bruette]

Bought it at the local Borg, Menards, waited for it to go on sale. Bought two 50 foot 3/8 hoses for nailers when I built my cabin.

Used a flexeel when I helped a friend build his house and I think the Flexilla is nicer. Easier to see and lays flat with just a shake even when it's 20 degrees outside.

[Warren Lake]

doing a roof rebuild in near winter my fancy blue line was horrible and dangerous up there would not even lay flat and got very stiff. The 3/8 Flexilla solved that. In the summer when its warm I like the Blue line better. Its soft and light and there was something about the fliexilla almost like it had a memory and didnt wind right where i hang it, found in the warm I liked my other line better. I cut the ends off the flexilla and gave them away too big and goofy, put on one brand of ends I like very small with six balls in there and Oeteker clamps, they are not perfect but better than the usual band type clamps.

[Michael J Evans]

Working at a industrial hose shop and having manufactured our own air hose I may be a little biased. But I believe for durability and overall performance, a quality real* industrial grade rubber air hose hard to beat. Not trying to knock a product I've never used, but I've handled a flex zilla hose and they definitely feel nice, but i don't see them used in mills, truck shops etc. I've had people come in who have had quality rubber garden hoses ( same type of material) for 20 yes or more.

High grade Polyurethane are also very hard to beat. (my preference) almost*** impossible to kink, Extremely light, equal to or more durable than rubber,non marking and dont stiffen in the cold. On the flipside though, They do have some elasticity though and if your reel has a very tight spring, you might notice they feel like their stretching. it's not going to hurt the hose, but it's weird to get use too. But I have experienced a slight memory in some hoses.

Anyways that's just my take from having worked with Industrial business's (mills,ship yards, truck shops).

And I understand the needs of those places are different than those of a hobbiest.

[Mike Cutler]

Flexzilla here also. Nice product.

Pay attention to the details because Flexzilla supplies hoses with 1/4" and 3/8" npt ends. I got mine at Tractor Supply.

PS
Don't tell anyone, but I use one of their 100' garden hoses to extend my airlines. It's rated for 150 psi and the end fittings are the same quality. Zero pressure drop at 100' with that hose. ;)

[Robert Parent]

I have a couple Goodyear hoses and hate them..... They will not lay flat on the floor.. It's like they were coiled when manufactured before being cooled so they have a set in the material.

Robert

[Bill Dufour]

I used to buy rubber hoses at harbor freight. They are no longer rubber but some synthetic that does not flex in cold weather. Only gets to freezing here so hard to imagine what they would be like in colder weather.
Also the new hose fitting are too short on the hex. A standard wrench is too thick and the sides of the wrenches jam together before the threads stop leaking. Needle nose pliers had too little torque I had to get a service wrench or grind a standard wrench flatter to stop the leaks.
Bill D.

[Todd Willhoit]

But I believe for durability and overall performance, a quality real* industrial grade rubber air hose hard to beat.

High grade Polyurethane are also very hard to beat.
Do you have any specific recommendations that won't break the bank?

[Michael J Evans]

Do you have any specific recommendations that won't break the bank?

Sent you a pm.

[Larry Edgerton]

I have been using Flexeel for 20 years. I have at least 600' of the good gray hose hanging in the shop, but use Flexeel unless I need a long run of hose. Flexeel is an American company, the originator of this type of hose, so I stick with them. The Chinese knockoffs, well they are just that knockoffs and I will not support such things to save five bucks.

The original Flexeel I bought by accident as I forgot my air hoses and stopped and bought one of these. I was working on a 36" cathedral ceiling, and the light weight was amazing! That original hose is still in service today after 20 years of commercial work. The ends have had to be shortened a couple of times as they wear, but it is still working.

One thing they do not do well at is handle heat. I use rubber hoses at in the welding/plasma cutting area as a hot slag will burn a hole in one of these fast.

[Michael J Evans]

Do you have any specific recommendations that won't break the bank?

Todd did my pm come through?
It isn't showing in my sent folder.

[Todd Willhoit]

Got it, Michael.

Wow, guys. Rubber hose was the only thing on my radar, but the weight and flexibility of the other styles have me reconsidering my position. Which means that it will take longer to make up my mind... :rolleyes:

[Larry Edgerton]

Just a note. the one thing I do not like them for is spraying, by nature they are kind of uncontrollable and always end up in the paint. For that I use a good rubber hose.

[Todd Willhoit]

I thought it would be appropriate to provide an update to my original question. In the end, I purchased a 3/8" x 50' Contractors Choice polyurethane hose from A-1 Coupling. The hose has a slight octagonal shape that I would guess adds a bit of material and should last a little longer. I specified 3/8" MNPT fittings on each end to match my hose reel and coupler setup. Out of curiosity, I cut the barbed fittings off of the old hose and found that the new fittings have a considerably larger ID.

It does voluntarily coil more than rubber, which I suspect is partly related to the reduced weight. Sort of a plus and minus at the same time, but I do like the lighter weight.

Overall, I am very satisfied and look forward to observing if there is any improvement the next time I use my impact wrench.

[Ben Rivel]

Ha Just placed an order for a Flexzilla not 5 minutes ago then saw this thread pop up again.

[Mike Heidrick]

I like the flexzilla lines. The 25' retractable flexzilla reel is lousy though. They designed it to reel up empty no pressure lines. Pressurized the line will not recoil fully. I have not tried the 50' reel. Cheap but got what i paid for.

I like the 25' flexzilla coiled lines too.

[Jack Lemley]

Flexila! I have a reel/felixila combo I bought fro,m Sears a long time ago and love.I am even looking at replacing my garden hoses with Flexila.

Jack

[Curt Harms]

Flexila! I have a reel/felixila combo I bought fro,m Sears a long time ago and love.I am even looking at replacing my garden hoses with Flexila.

Jack

We did that a couple years ago. I'm away from home at the moment so can't check the brand but it's light green and was purchased from Tractor Supply. It's some sort of polyurethane or polyurethane hybrid and a HUGE improvement from the rubber hose we had. Lighter, kink-resistant (not kink-proof) more flexible and stays flexible when temperatures drop. We had a hose cart but the water connections started leaking and eventually weren't worth trying to repair. I just wrap 100' of the Tractor Supply hose on a hose hangar. It's light and flexible enough that it's not a chore.