Air hose repair and new hose recommendations?

[Mike Manning]

I need to buy a new hose for my air compressor but I also want to repair my old hose.

Recommendations on a new hose for use with a 1HP California Air Tools 5510 SE air compressor?

Are rubber air hoses generally repairable in cases where air is leaking at the end of the hose where the metal fitting is crimped onto the hose? The old hose is a 25' 3/8" Chinese rubber hose that came with a used PC pancake compressor I picked up off CL. This is the end that attaches to the compressor. What is this piece called that allows the rubber hose to be used with an air compressor? What tool is used to crimp the metal fitting onto the hose?

Any other related thoughts are appreciated.

PS
Some background on how I use my air compressor. I don't use it a lot. Mostly for the occasional nail gun (18 gauge) use and to blow wood or metal parts off. I usually move the compressor to where I'm using it.


Thanks!
Mike

[Peter Kelly]

3/8 x 25' USA made hose is $13.85 at Harry Epstein.

https://www.harryepstein.com/index.p...-air-hose.html

[Mike Cutler]

Mike

I've been using the Flexzilla line of hoses. They seem to be fairly decent. I also like the fluorescent yellow color. It sticks out.

The factory hose end is crimped into place with a hydraulic crimper.( I have to tool at work.) The fitting is just a crimped NPT fitting. They come in all sizes and configurations. You could probably find a manual model if you looked, but I think the cost would be more than just buying a new hose.

[Ken Kortge]

I like my green 3/8" Flexilla air hose with 1/4" fittings. It is - well - flexible - and easy to work with. I had to purchase and attach the metal Type D quick-connect couplers (male on one end - female on the other) myself, but it's easy to do with some teflon tape and a wrench.

[Myk Rian]

HF sells Goodyear hoses. Like the ones I used in my working days.

[Tom M King]

I've used nothing but the 2-ear air hose clamps for 40 years. There are special pliers sold to crimp them, but I've never used anything but end cutting nippers. I'm still using a couple of air hoses I bought from Senco in 1975, that came with that type of clamp. I think you might be able to buy individual ones at Fastenal. The hose end fitting has to be the barbed kind that slides into the hose, but you can get those at Ace hardware.

You might think that the ears would stick out the sides too far, but it has never been a problem.

https://www.amazon.com/Swordfish-323...W88GGQYN691YJQ

[Jim Becker]

I use Flexeel reinforced poly hoses and really like them...they are very light-weight and flexible. I also have a Flexzilla 3.8" hose on a reel which is "convenient", but it tends to have a mind of its own sometimes. The only rubber hose I have is now dedicated to the CNC machine that's about to live in my shop, but I can affirmatively say they can be repaired/re-terminated quite easily with barb connectors and hose clamps. You can get the repair parts at Home Depot or Lowes or whatever big box store is convenient to your geography.

[Dave Richards]

What is this piece called that allows the rubber hose to be used with an air compressor? What tool is used to crimp the metal fitting onto the hose?

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.

[Bill Dufour]

Watch out for HF hoses they switched to China made hoses several years ago. the problem is the brass fitting hex is to short for a normal wrench. the wrench jams between the fittings about one turn before the joint is tight enough to stop leaking. Only cure is to grind the wrench so it is thinner or buy a service wrench thin enough to use.
Sears garden hoses have the same issue now, but I refuse to grind my thumb width down to fit, so i have to use a wrench to prevent leaks.
Bill D.

[Bruce Wrenn]

Grainger used to sell, and may still do, sell replacable ends. They screwed into hose, and then furrel screwed over hose. But with a new 50' hose costing less than $20, it doesn't make economic sense to repair an existing hose. That's coming from a true tight wad! Look up "tight wad," and my picture is the illustration.

[Mike Manning]

Bruce,
I don't mind at all buying a new one for myself and throwing away the old one BUT I want to sell my old PC pancake compressor and I figure it'll sell quicker if I advertise it with a rubber hose. That and I'm also not the person adding that waste to the local landfill. It;s it is going to cost me more than $10 to fix...forget it.

Mike

[Jim Becker]

Shouldn't cost you more than about five bucks with a repair kit from HD...I looked at them today, as a matter of face while I was browsing for other things.

[Roy Petersen]

I use Flexeel reinforced poly hoses and really like them

I like the look of those, and will probably get one at some point. Good and strong 1/4" is hard to come by.

they can be repaired/re-terminated quite easily with barb connectors and hose clamps. You can get the repair parts at Home Depot or Lowes or whatever big box store is convenient to your geography.

^^This.
I've repaired ends as well as mid hose (building partner cut through them with alarming regularity) with these, and it's cheap and durable. For mid hose repairs, adding a wrap of duct tape to prevent snags while dragging the hose is a good idea.

[Dave Cav]

I can affirmatively say they can be repaired/re-terminated quite easily with barb connectors and hose clamps. You can get the repair parts at Home Depot or Lowes or whatever big box store is convenient to your geography.

I keep a box of air hose repair fittings and hose clamps in the shop because it seems like something is always springing a leak. You can re-use the factory fitting without too much trouble. I cut the crimped-on ferrule off using a dremel tool cutoff wheel (cut along the long axis in two places and peel it off with pliers), then cut the hose back and use a small hose clamp to hold the fitting in place.

[Rollie Meyers]

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.

I bought a crimper like that at estate/ yard sale for $5, just bought a couple of sizes of brass ferrules off Amazon, but not put them to work yet, but did use one at a past employer & they do the job well.

Edit: when I did not have access to a crimper used hose clamps, they did the job cheap but hose clamps can snag on things.