The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Tool Chest Compressor Hose

I need a new hose for my air compressor. Which is better, pvc or rubber?
I had a rubber hose but it developed a lot of cracks and leaks at both ends now.
It didn't last as long as I hoped.

Jim

I recently picked up a 1/2" Flexzilla Air Hose and it is very nice, they say it's a Prmimum Hybrid Polymer.
The 1/2" hose is approximately the same OD ad the plain old rubber 3/8" hose, so no more bulk, less weight, and more air flow. They make smaller hoses too, and larger.


Grigg

I mounted a 50-foot reel on the wall and that is the cat's meow--no more picking up and coiling hose for storage and much easier to keep up and out of the way.

One day if I ever get to build a dream shop it will be hard lines to outlets every 10 feet or so around the building, with several hose reel overheads because it will be so dang big...

Yeah, I'll keep dreaming...

I have the Flexzilla on my reel and with 175lbs of pressure it swells up. Don't effect the hose any and still the most flexable hose out there, has went thru one winter and performed well. Was $36 when I got mine now there around $45. here.

Can't say that I was impressed with the Flexzilla hose. We had one installed on a hose reel, a 24" whip hose going from the main line to the reel. We got 1 week out it before it blew out. That was with only about 90-110 psi running to it.

Where I work. Plenty of hose reels. Most all of them have rubber hoses. If you get the right kind of rubber hose, they last quite a long time.

http://www.bunchobikes.com/pomona1.jpg

My preference is rubber over PVC. PVC gets very stiff in the cold where rubber doesn't.

LB55,
If you had a Flesilla failure I'd return it for a replacement. I've met with those folks at their HQ in IA and I'm confident they will stand behind their product.
Give them a chance to make it right.

Dayco service station air hose, 10 yrs on this one. My buddy had no luck with a Flexilla either, it popped when trying to coil it up with air pressure on it.

I have about 5 automatic 50 foot hose reels in my shop, but my favorite one is the spool with the crank on it. Its a 100 foot capacity reel so I welded a very heavy gauge door hinge on the mount, then bolted it to my compressor cabinet. Now it swings into any position I happen to be standing when I grab it. Been that way for years now. Good idea I got from a local farmer!

I have at least a dozen crank type reels scattered over the shop. My son installed them when he was in high school and he has been out of school for 20 years. I have them in both 3/8 hose and 1/2 hose. I have oiler/regulators on the 1/2 hose because that is what is used for the more expensive air tools. My preference is Dayco rubber hose. Goodyear puts their name on some real junk. Spring retractable reels are ok, but they are expensive, have springs to break and have a bad habit of retracting the hose while you are under a vehicle trying to change tools. Anyone who is too lazy to crank a hose reel up when they are done is probably too lazy to work for me.