Air hose repair and new hose recommendations?

[Mike Manning]

Tom,
I apologize but I'm a little confused about what king of hoses you prefer. Sounds like rubber is out because they get so dirty. Is polyurethane the same as urethane? Am I clear to understand that you don't have a Flexzilla hose but are using their strain relief components on some other brand poly/urethane hoses?

If I've got that right are you recommending the polyu?/urethane hoses?

Again, I apologize for being a bit dense but I haven't used an air compressor for very long.

Mike

[Tom M King]

Depending on which way I end up going today, I may be able to take some pictures.

The Poly/urethane type hose I'm talking about is semi-transparent, and you can see the braid inside it. They usually come in blue. The kind I'm saying to stay away from is the cheap ones with a swivel on both ends. If I get to take pictures today, I can show you the inside of the swivel end, and why to stay away from them.

Here is a picture of the Flexilla repair end on the polyurethane/urethane hose I put it on yesterday. This started out as one of the cheap hoses I'm saying to avoid now. The hose itself is fine. The swivel ends that come on it are junk.

[Allan Dozier]

By the time I ever saw a Prevost coupler, I was so heavily invested in Milton couplers, and plugs that it would not be worth it to change. I have way too many air tools to have a coupler on each tool, so each air tool has a plug, and the hose end has the coupler. The Milton coupler does not let air out at release, so the hose does not fly around.

I agree. The flying problem happens on the male barb side which in my case is on the downstream side. It's due to the build up air in the hose, like a balloon you let go. Admittedly it is not a huge problem, usually just when having to use two hoses hooked together and dragging the connection causes the female side to release. The main reason I replaced the Miltons was they had leaks when hooked up. Listening to the hissing was irritating. The Prevost one have been air tight.
The Prevost works in two stages, you push the male barb in two stops and to release you push the button twice. The first push releases all the air in the downstream hose but still holds the barb until the second push.
I've also got a few Oetiker connectors to try. They seem to work and seal well.
They work by inserting the barb and rotating it a quarter turn until straight. If I can get an iPhone photo to upload I can post a photo but that is a different challenge.

[Tom M King]

Here are some more pictures. First picture is of two eared clamps.

Second picture is a 43 year old connector. It's the type that doesn't require a threaded adapter, as it has a barbed end built in. The 2 eared clamp tucks up close, so the ears don't ever get in the way, but allow for a connector end that has the most possible flexibility.

Third picture, of the 1/2" Speedaire, is the type of hose I'd recommend if you only have one hose. It's very resistant to kinking, but still plenty flexible enough, doesn't hold dirt that you can't wipe off like rubber hoses do, and are very tough. The old 3/8" hose in the second picture is the same type. Speedaire says it's made by Flexilla, only in their color, and it does have metal ends on it.

Last picture is rubber hose with a newer connector end, also held on with a two eared clamp. That particular connector serves as the swivel on that hose reel, also from 1975. If you ever find one of these reels, buy it. It has never leaked, and I've only worn out one of those connectors over that time. Other hose reels I have, with specially designed swivels, have all developed leaks much sooner than one of this type does. Sadly, I don't think these reels are made any more.

I prefer reels that you crank, and keep old t-shirts to wipe the hose off as it's being reeled in.

I've only had trouble with Milton ends leaking after it's been used for several decades, and just plain wore out. The one in the second picture has stayed on that reel most of its life, as the connector between two hundred foot hoses. The outer hundred foot hose is off serving another purpose right now, so that one is visible. Wear is from dragging it in and out hundreds of times, and many times through dirt. It still doesn't leak, but hasn't been disconnected many times over those years.

[Tom M King]

Here's the reason I say not to buy the cheap hoses with swivel ends on both ends. The piece with the barb on it, still attached to the hose is push/snapped into the other piece, and the only thing holding it is a partially circular piece of brass wire bent into the rounded shape for the clip. When it lets go, there is a metal end (the one with the barb in the picture) that will flail about wildly, since the hose is so flexible.

[Mike Manning]

I googled "Speedaire 3/8" air hose made by Flexzilla" and got a link to the big auction site by Cripe Dist. Looks just like your hose and comes with metal only at one end - a brass 1/4" male NPT. It does have the strain protection on that end as well. I notice that the hoses offered by Flexzilla come with aircraft aluminum metal at both ends. How well do people like these?

Tom,
Thanks for all the info. It's a lot to absorb. I gather that you prefer the double ear clamps over any other would that be correct? That hose is $31 for 50' with shipping. I think I'm gonna go with that.

Mike

[John K Jordan]

...hoses offered by Flexzilla come with aircraft aluminum metal at both ends. How well do people like these?
...

I haven't tried those but in given the choice I avoid aluminum hose fittings for both air and water. Quick-connect fittings wear quicker with repeated use. Aluminum fastened to a dissimilar metal can corrode quicker, especially on water hoses. I've had them nearly bond and needed tools to remove what should have been a hand operation. Maybe this is not be a problem with air hoses since they aren't usually left out in the weather and the tape or goop might protect the aluminum. Also, we seldom remove threaded air hose connections once made.

JKJ

[Tom M King]

I guess that Flexell repair end I used was aluminum, instead of plastic. I didn't spend any time reading anything about them. It is so lightweight, and the black coating on it so perfect, that I thought it was plastic. They have their whole line based on those ends, so I expect they are okay.

I've never spent any time to amount to anything thinking about an air hose purchase. I bought five Senco nailguns, that reel in the picture, and the air hose on it, from a salesman that came to my jobsite in a boat in 1975. He came back the next day with my order, and gave me a handfull of those two eared clamps, that I still have some of, and use occasionally.

I'd certainly use that type over a regular, worm screw type of clamp that has the big screw on one side, and a metal tail to stick out.

If you question the boat, I thought it strange to start with too, but when I asked him, and got the answer, I thought he was a genius. It was a still day on the lake. He said all he had to do was go out in the middle of the lake, turn the motor off, and listen for hammers.

[Scott T Smith]

We make up a lot of hoses here on the farm, including high pressure hydraulic lines. For air hose, I've used brass crimp fittings, Oetiker clamps and regular hose clamps on my air hoses. Recently I switched over to Gates Power Grip hose clamps. These are a very heavy-duty heat strink clamp that works well with multi-barbed fittings.

Although primarily marketed for automotive applications, they have worked just fine with my air hoses. It is important to have an aggressive barb though.

I prefer them because I don't have a metal part sticking out from the clamp to hang up or scratch surfaces.

Here is what they look like installed.

Gates power grip clamp.jpg

[Scott T Smith]

If the air is leaking out the end of the hose around the fitting, you can most likely reuse it. You'll need a ferrule to fit the hose and a crimping tool to fit. Cut an inch or so off the the hose to get to good material. Slip the ferrule on the hose and shove the fitting in. Sometimes it helps to use a little water to lubricate the end of the fitting. I've terminated more than 500 gas hoses over my career in Anesthesia. Mostly for medical gasses. We had several different crimpers from ones that could be used in a vise and ones that look like a Vise Grip to ones with a long lever and different sized crimping dies. My favorite was like this.


https://www.zoro.com/zoro-select-hos...c4/i/G0440973/

If you have a Praxair near you, you could check with them. For one crimp it probably doesn't make sense to buy a crimper. They might be able to repair the hose for you.

Dave, that's a nice looking crimper. I have a welding hose repair kit that I've been using for two of the standard weldign hose sizes, but I like the one that you linked to better. Thanks for sharing.

[Mac McQuinn]

I like rubber hoses, they stay flexible in the cold, they're easy to wind and they last. My hose; https://www.tekton.com/3-8-inch-id-x...air-hose-46335
Made in USA and I've found Tektron to be great to deal with.
Mac

[Dave Richards]

Dave, that's a nice looking crimper. I have a welding hose repair kit that I've been using for two of the standard weldign hose sizes, but I like the one that you linked to better. Thanks for sharing.

I actually enjoyed using that crimper. For medical gas hoses I would crimp once, turn the hose 90° and crimp again. If the fittings are too large to pass through the die when the handle is fully raise, you can leave the screws on top loose and remove the front one so you can slide the hose out.

[Mike Manning]

I purchased the Speedaire 3/8" 50' hose made by Flexzilla from Cripe Distributing via that big auction site. $31 to my door with arrival slated for Friday. Sounds like it has the strain protection on the ends but metal on only one end - brass 1/4" NPT.

PS I didn't get a chance to fix that old rubber hose. A guy was at my home yesterday buying a Delta shaper from me. He decided he wanted my little PC pancake compressor and I sent the hose with it. But at least I've learned how to do it if/when I need to.