Pneumatic Hose Reels?

[Steve Mathews]

Thanks for all of the comments and suggestions. I remembered being given an old air hose reel (pic below) and will probably refurbish and put it to use. It's a heavy beast and will require a sturdy ceiling mount. It already has some 3/8" rubber hose, which is probably a good fit for the metal working area of my shop. I plan to also purchase a few more hose setups. The CoxReels and ReelCraft hose reals seem like good candidates as they are made in the US, my preference. I may also try a polyurethane coiled hose if it makes more sense than a hose reel. Overhead hose reels seem more appropriate to me for most of my applications though.

My plans for shop air consists of a 3/4" x 200' copper loop around the perimeter with only a few 1/2" drops with quick disconnects along the wall. The majority of the outlets will be overhead. One of the compressors is 5hp, 220VAC single phase with a 60 gallon vertical tank. This will be used to primarily maintain system pressure and for limited demand. The other compressor is 10hp, 220VAC 3 phase with a 120 gallon horizontal tank. I'll run this when needed but will use the larger tank to increase storage capacity. Most of the pipe and fittings have been ordered so I should begin the install soon. This should be a fun project and long overdue.
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[Jim Becker]

I have a Flexzilla hose & reel hung from the ceiling. Not expensive & it works great. About the only complaint I have is that the put about 5 or 10' of too much hose in it so I have to pay attention when the last few feet go in so it doesn't bind. One day I'll shorten the hose a bit to eliminate that, but it really hasn't been a big issue.

I have the same and yes, the binding/locking can be awkward sometimes. That said, mine leaks so I may rip it apart to use the hose when spraying finish and get a different one for the new shop when it comes along.

[Cassius Nielsen]

I just installed a Lincoln Value Series hose reel up above my workbench. My compressor is tucked away and I did not want to be dealing with 50 ft of hose in a cramped hall way space. Seemed like the build design was closer to a Reelcraft than the ones you find in the $80-$90 range is why I went for it. It was worked well for me the 3 weeks I have had it pressurized.

[Ronald Blue]

I have no idea where they fall on the price point but it's not likely you would find a higher quality reel than Hannay. We've used them on our service trucks for years in harsh conditions. They always work as designed and the locking mechanism is dependable. Our acetylene welding hoses are also Hannay. Link attached.

https://www.hannay.com/en-US/applica...eumatic-tools/

[Paul Haus]

I have a couple of reels on the ceiling in my shop and I've hung another 4 in others shops. Most were either HF or Northern Tools items. I plumbed them in with copper and ball valves along with a drip leg. One developed a minor air leak a number of years back but being it's only used rarely, turn off the air when not needed and it works fine when needed.

[John K Jordan]

I'm installing compressed air piping in my shop and thought of using hose reels overhead instead of wall mounting. Seems like having them overhead in various central locations would be more convenient. One would be over top of my work bench, which is in the center of a U-shaped work bench top area. The other would be centrally located between my Bridgeport mill, metal lathe and surface grinder. A few others might be installed near my table saw, wood lathe, etc. Anyone else find overhead hose reels more convenient than wall mounted stations? Any recommendations for a good 25' hose reel would be appreciated.

Inside the shop I have wall mounted air outlets and use coiled hoses similar to this: http://www.amazon.com/Hromee-Polyure...dp/B07R4ZT2BC0 These are much less bulky and easier to manage than the larger hoses on the reels described below. The hose is smaller ID so it may limit the air flow a little but it's still fine for blowing chips, running pneumatic ROS, etc.

I use two small reels at house and barn. The best is ReelWorks Mini Hose Reel. looks like this but air instead of electrical cord: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01GJ7OBMU. The reel is a lot small and has is 26' of 1/4" hose, more flexible, and easier to manage than a 3/8" hose. The whole thing is only 11" in diameter compared to the 18" dia of the Goodyear described below. It would be far better for use inside the shop than a large reel.

BTW, for heavy use I went with heavier-duty reels. I'll describe them but I do NOT recommend these for inside the wood or machine shop.
I use two large spring-loaded reels inside and outside the shop and through a roll-up door. and it easily reaches to the far side of the tractor with plenty to spare. These are mostly for outdoor use: equipment maintenance, plasma cutting, pneumatic grease guns, changing and filling tires and such.) Both have 3/8" hoses. My favorite is a Goodyear (from Northern Tool), tough 50' hose, very sturdy and well-made, good ratchet mechanism - it just feels like quality. The other is a Flexzilla (from a Napa auto parts store, same as this one: https://www.amazon.com/Flexzilla-Ret.../dp/B003O556QG). It's OK and a cheaper but the reel is not as sturdy as the Goodyear - I wish I'd bought another Goodyear. Note that Goodyear sells several type of reels - this is the one I use, much sturdier than the other style I've seen: https://www.amazon.com/Goodyear-Retr.../dp/B01GFA3622

I am careful in the hose placement when I retract the hoses in both. Also, if you haven't used one with a spring you can't just release the ratchet and let go of the hose - likely to damage something.

JKJ

[Michael J Evans]

Coxreels has a soft / slow close rewind reel. John is right and some of those reels will really suck the hose back in with some force.

I believe the coxreel model starts with EZ.

As far as hose goes. A real quality USA made rubber hose from Gates, Goodyear (conti now) or Parker are all heavy duty and standard in industrial shops. They last for forever.

The hose that comes on coxreels now is a cheaper pvc/rubber hybrid that is okay...

Another really good option for hose, for any shop would be a 100% polyurethane hose like coilhose pneumatics make. They will far outlast rubber, are at least 30% lighter, virtually kinkproof / very very kink resistant. The only downsides with PU is it can tend to have a memory depending on how big of a reel it was spoiled up on when it came off the extrusion line and they are not cheap.

TBH for a home shop with light use, I'd probably go with a cheaper model home depot / harbor freight reel. I can buy cox/reelcraft at wholesale cost and there still expensive although either option would likely last at least one lifetime with hobbyist use.

I had a tire shop finally break a spring on a Coxreel after 17 years of use, if that says anything.

[Alan Schaffter]

I have a Reelcraft reel with Flexeel hose (I replaced the rubber hose) and a Rockler 120V cord reel with tri-tap outlet at the end of the cord. Both are mounted to the ceiling over my assembly table. They work great and I wouldn't change a thing. I also have a 1.75" vac hose looped over a hook and plumbed to a shopvac in a cabinet.

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