Air Hose

[cpw]

Need to get an air hose for my finish/bad nailer to replace the cheap recoil hose that came with a Husky starter fittings kit. I don't think I will need more than 50'. The options at HD seem to be:
- 50' Orange PVC $10
- 50' Blue PVC $20
- 100' Poly $40
- 50' RIDGID Rubber Flexpress $40.

Anyone know the difference between the Orange and Blue PVC, except the cheaper one has a better warranty?

I would go with Poly based on what people on the board have said, but they only have 100'. I'm not sure if a 100' poly hose will be more manageable than a 50' PVC one.

How does rubber stack up against poly and PVC?

I thought about Amazon for a 50' poly hose for $30, but am not sure I want to wait the 2 weeks for it to arrive.

[DuckButter]

Do you have the proper licensing for this type work?

[DuckButter]

:rotflmao1:
Sorry...couldn't resist.


Check the specs for PSI ratings...odd that the cheaper has a better warranty, my guess is it's void when used over it's rating.

[Killertoiletspider]

I use Flexeel for short hoses for air tools, I use Goodyear rubber hose for lengths over twenty five feet. I avoid PVC air hose like the plague.

[woodenstickers]

I use that ridgid hose. I cut my 50 footer in two and have two 25 footers now. I like that they sit very flat on the floor when they are laid out.

Eli

[garager]

I'm ashamed to say I own 2 PVC 35'rs, never will I ever buy them again. Rubber is awesome in my climate, when it gets cold out, you want those hoses to be able to still flex when your rolling them up for the day. Poly, is not to shabby, I own probably 4 - 100'rs of the poly and a couple 50'rs. But for me, its only rubber from now on. Also, when its cold out, the rubber will lay down nicely. When hoses are sticking up 3-4"s because it won't lay down flat, they will trip everyone who tries to walk bye.

But, I need hoses and good ones, where as most other people just have a shop with a hose or two. So when this is the case, I don't think it matters too much what you buy, other then to make sure its the right ratings for what your needs are....

[cpw]

:rotflmao1:
Sorry...couldn't resist.


Check the specs for PSI ratings...odd that the cheaper has a better warranty, my guess is it's void when used over it's rating.
Its really wierd. The only difference in specs I could tell is the warranty as far as I can tell. They just label the blue one professional and the orange one economy.

[DuckButter]

Its really wierd. The only difference in specs I could tell is the warranty as far as I can tell. They just label the blue one professional and the orange one economy.
I'd go by what Garager said, I use PVC pipe in cold weather and it gets extremely brittle...I can easy understand what he's saying.
Your in about the same climate.

[springdog78]

Agree cold rubber seems to be the one you also get what you pay for and more than likely some day you'll have a low or flat tire in the cold months so rubber and I do have a goodyear 50 not sure of the others there are quicker places to get hose and possibly cheaper

[cactusman]

I suspect you're a weekend warrior and will not use these every day.

I suggest you go for the orange hose at ten bucks..

Typically you can find the orange plivac [Goodyear] 3/8 hose for $25.00 at harbor freight.
this is oil resistant. It's rated at 300psi The hose is also abrrasion resistive and meets OSHA requirements

The blue runs around $12.00 for 50 feet at harbor freight It's also rated at 300psi

The black rubber hose is rated at 200psi and runs $20.00 for 50 feet.

I have the blue hose in 50 and 100 foot lengths. I have never had any issues with them in over 10 years. I also have a 25 foot roll of the orange plivac hose. This was suggested to me when I was experiencing CFM issues..The problem was never the hose but a restriction built into a hose reel.

I have not experienced any difference between the orange or the blue hoses. An advantage of the orange hose is it's bright and you'll see it and chances of tripping over it may be reduced a bit.

So, what to do? I'd say for the price go with your favorite color, orange or blue.

Cactus Man

[Woussko]

CPW

Up where you are it does get cold in the winter. PVC hoses will get stiff like wood in the winter. Please do yourself a real favor and look in your yellow pages under "Rubber Products - Industrial" and call a few places. There are some other good USA bases companies that make quality air hose besides GoodYear and you may as well check them out. My idea is to buy a few really good 3/8" ID hoses and be done with it for years. :) You'll totally love the difference. Harbor Freight only touches what GoodYear makes. I personally have some nice hoses using a Boston Rubber Products hose with swivel ends on them and a custom crimped on sleeve. After over 15 years they are still very serviceable and in use. While it doesn't get as cold here, I can say that at 20F they are still easy to uncoil and then coil back up for storage. By all means it does pay off to get oil resistant inner sleeves and outer jacket. The color really is a personal choice but bright orange or yellow does show up better than dull colors do and especially under dim lighting.

If you do buy from Harbor Freight, please go with the orange ones. If you want to use quick couplers try to find a Foster dealer and go with standard industrial interchange ones. That way other brand products should work with them. Leave the Made In China stuff stay put. There's a reason why it's cheap and also why no serious dealer will sell it. KaPoom and the wicked flying whip comes to mind.

[Frankiarmz]

My vote is for "Rubber", and if you have a dedicated work area and don't want a lot of hose lying around consider running some ridgid pvc or other pipe against the wall or over the ceiling and rig a three or four outlet manifold to work off of. Depending on the space you have to work with, your compressor might even fit on an elevated shelf freeing up more floor space?

[cpw]

My vote is for "Rubber", and if you have a dedicated work area and don't want a lot of hose lying around consider running some ridgid pvc or other pipe against the wall or over the ceiling and rig a three or four outlet manifold to work off of. Depending on the space you have to work with, your compressor might even fit on an elevated shelf freeing up more floor space?
Frankie,

I've got my unfinished basement, which although we aren't as cold as Minnesota can get pretty cold in the winter, which is why I think I'll go with the 50' rubber hose. I may be a weekend warrier, but if I'm doing this stuff at least in part to enjoy it, I don't want to go cheap and make myself hate the tools I'm working with. My theory is that it is probably OK to sacrifice on durability because I won't be working things too hard, but that I should think twice before sacrificing on performance [obviously I've got to do a bit of that too, but I want to at least realize what I'm doing].

I am pretty darn sure that you don't want to use PVC for air, because it turns into shrapnel. For air you should go copper or in plastic Pex-Al-Pex for it. My space and compressor are small enough (42'x12') that a 50' hose should work out pretty nicely though.

[reConx]

I would go with Poly based on what people on the board have said, but they only have 100'. I'm not sure if a 100' poly hose will be more manageable than a 50' PVC one.
How does rubber stack up against poly and PVC?
I thought about Amazon for a 50' poly hose for $30, but am not sure I want to wait the 2 weeks for it to arrive.[/quote]


CPW
FYI: If you have any interest in poly and if there is a Costco in your area they have the 50' poly for $12.99 and I think its good for 200psi

[joe_d]

cpw, PVC is horrible even in warm California weather. I immediately regretted buying my PVC hose. I used it once, wrestled with it, then threw it in the trash. I couldn't roll it up nicely enough to store it. Harbor Freight had a genuine Goodyear 50' rubber hose on sale for something like $18, so I grabbed it. Easy to work with and rolls up perfectly. A lot of other people prefer the poly hose too, but I have never needed anything beyond the rubber hose. Some things you can skimp on, but your air hose isn't one of them.

[Frankiarmz]

CPW, check out the burst and operating pressures for ridgid PVC. I usggested this as a cheap way to route air around a fixed area, which could be tapped off of in several locations along it's length.

PVC and CPVC Pipes
Nominal Pipe Size
(inches) Required Minimum Burst Pressure
(psi) Maximum Operating Pressure
(psi)
Schedule 401) Schedule 802) Schedule 40 Schedule 80
1/2 1910 2720 358 509
3/4 1540 2200 289 413
1 1440 2020 270 378
1 1/4 1180 1660 221 312
1 1/2 1060 1510 198 282
The schedule 80 is very strong stuff. I'd have to agree with you that if bursting is a concern the copper should be safer. I wonder if black pipe would be a problem because of moisture and rust?

[Mike from Pa]

I just got the blue poly. A couple of years ago, I told my friend who just bought a compressor, to definitely get a rubber hose.
When I got one last month, even the rubber hoses were all made in china...so I got the blue...
1. I like blue..
2. Larger diameter.
3. Not too many options around for USA anything..much less air hose.

womp womp!
:mad::mad::mad:

[CWSmith]

I'm down in Painted Post, near Corning... weather being what it is and basements around here being what they are, I'd go with the rubber hose. If you want to check other sources and prices, look at your local Tractor Supply store. Stuff there is usually cheaper than buying from the big box stores.

I bought two rubber hoses back in the late 70's and still have one that works fine, lays flat in all kinds of temperatures, but it a pain to roll up... I'd like to get a reel, but they're not cheap.

The other hose, I didn't take care of and it ended up falling off the back of the steel shelf where I stored it. It layed there for some time (I'm embarassed to say how long) and when I was cleaning out the basement I found that it had rotted. The hose that stayed dry though is still great and I use it in my future home in Binghamton. So for the investment, it will last you a long, long time; as long as you take care of it.

CWS

[Kneescar]

I paid $40 for the fancy / supple rubber hose from Ridgid. I had planned on campaigning for it as a Christmas gift, but I had a lot of work to do in October, and when I built a porch at my rental house in November, I decided I couldn't wait. I'm very happy with this hose. I kept the blue hose because it might be useful this summer when I'm building a deck at my camp.

The $40 Ridgid gray fancy dancy hose gets my vote.


You wouldn't believe how many hours this equipment has on it for a weekend warrior.
And no I am not licensed for this type of work.

[Woussko]

Yea olde saying from yea howling hound.

Quality only cost more until you use it, then it actually costs far less than the cheap junk. Please everyone think about the PITA factor that kicks in when things go wrong in the middle of a very special job. Quality tools and accessories are investments that will pay you back. Junk is money tossed into a fire.

[Andrew M.]

Costco has a 50' braided blue poly 1/4" lightweight hose for $13.49, excellent for brad nailers and light use.
For HD use I have 1/2" Goodyear red rubber hoses from HFT. I also use 3/8" smooth green poly hoses from Amflo.
I have the $10 PVC hoses which I do not like in the cold, too stiff.

[cpw]

The $40 Ridgid gray fancy dancy hose gets my vote.
I voted for the RIDGID hose this afternoon. The box claims it handles like an extension cord, and so far that seems to be true; but I'll let you know if I still think so after I finish up the two chairs and the closet I am working on. Also the $40 is in reality a bit cheaper than the 100' poly because it comes with both quick connects already attached.

Thanks to all for the good insights.

[Andrew M.]

The Coctco poly hose is $13 for 50 feet, and you want 100'?
$80 for 100' of the Ridgid is way over priced. QD are $2.78 for female auto connect at Lowes or HD , $1 for the male. I do no understand your math.
Amazon has yellow rubber, soft goodyear hose 3/8" made in USA 3/8" ,50' for $20.
http://www.amazon.com/GoodYear-045-8-Inch-Safety-50-Feet/dp/B0000225E0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1212446257&sr=1-1

[cpw]

The Coctco poly hose is $13 for 50 feet, and you want 100'?
$80 for 100' of the Ridgid is way over priced. QD are $2.78 for female auto connect at Lowes or HD , $1 for the male. I do no understand your math.
Amazon has yellow rubber, soft goodyear hose 3/8" made in USA 3/8" ,50' for $20.
http://www.amazon.com/GoodYear-045-8-Inch-Safety-50-Feet/dp/B0000225E0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1212446257&sr=1-1
I only wanted 50', 100' provides no value to me at least right now and I would have had to deal with 50' more of hose to tangle.
I was probably unclear in my original post, what I meant is that RIDGID was $40 with the fittings. The 100' poly at HD would have been about $45 with the fittings, so the RIDGID (I understand for 1/2 the length) actually does come out slightly cheaper in comparison.

Amazon would have been a better deal, but I was impatient. If I had a Costco nearby and was a member, then I would have gotten the Poly. The only discount warehouse that is reasonable from my house is BJs.