Compressor Hose Advice

[Jonm]

I have a 2hp 50 litre compressor. The hose is an SIP 3/8 inch diameter, see photo. The hose is stiff heavy and awkward to store. I have a small parkside nailer/stapler which works well but I tend not to use it, mainly because the hose is such a pain to unravel, use and then store. I tried putting it on a hose reel but that made it very bulky.

So I am looking for a light, flexible hose which is easy to store, coil/uncoil and use. I am not too bothered about heavy duty hose as it will not get a lot of use. Fittings are euro type and need to be reasonable quality. For length, 5 metres would be about right but most seem to be longer.

With regards to type there are the recoil type (the spiral/spring shaped ones) but I assume they would be unsuitable for a nailer as it would keep catching on things like edge of bench etc.

So, any advice on hose type, material, diameter, where to buy etc. would be appreciated.

 

[Ollie78]

Personally I don't like the thin coiled type for the reasons you stated about getting it caught on everything, then it will get tangled up like a slinky spring and be very annoying.
I don't know about the best thin light type but I have found the black rubber type better than the more plastic ones.
It is still stiff but is better and will lie flat, I got a long roll of it from machine mart and made up various lengths for different stuff, the fittings are easy to do.
Apparently you can keep it supple by using talcum powder.

For the recoil ones, I think they have a sort of lock out so once it's extended it will stay still until you give it a yank. Like those old vacuum cleaners.

Ollie

 

[Sideways]

Take a look at the Superflex air hose offered by Century Hose in Preston.
It's the same as the CX series super flexible hose sold by Ralco as far as I can tell.
I've recently bought some 6mm ID to use with my Iwata touch up spray gun. It's the most flexible hose I've come across except for ? CXL? ultra flexible hose from Ralco in Watford which I imagine is much dearer. 30 metre coil for just over £40 delivered was OK for me. I'll buy 6mm hosetail fittings and "ear" clips to do the ends.
Thin is more flexible so it's good to have a length of thin stuff for tools like blow guns, touch up spray, air pinner, etc.
I've owned and used a 15 ft length for years, love it, and finally find out what it is and bought some more.
Just visible in this pic ...

 

[alan895]

I had the Bostitch air hose kit but dumped it for the same reason you mentioned, I replaced it with a relatively cheap Clarke rubber air hose (8mm diameter version) and found it to be more than satisfactory for nailing, blowing dust out of the workshop, car tyres etc.

 

[clogs]

jonm
keep looking at Lidil, assume the same for Aldi.....
they do a retractable spring loaded air which is very good...think €29.....
Plus they also offer a standard type air line in 6mm ID....€12.....
blue in colour can't remember the length, prob 10m.....
both items not expensive.....all come with euro hi-flow fittings....
I needed some extra airline for the garage at the house.....tyre inflation blow gun and nailer....very good qual.....plus the warranty.....
Bought some expensive stuff from eBay before and was utter rubbish.....
the outer casing went hard after no time and just fell off.....
I'd say worth the wait....they have it in quite often.....

 

[DBC]

Yea. Hate those pre coiled telephone cable things. I have a 5m black line that I got from Machinemart. Not sure what it is made of but it feels a bit rubberised and is easy to coil and doesn’t have a memory of the shape it was last coiled into if that makes sense. It is a little heavy duty but this suits me as it is used both in a joinery and on building sites. I got it about 12 years ago and it was just one of their standard products hanging on the wall at the time.

 

[DBC]

Yea. Hate those pre coiled telephone cable things. I have a 5m black line that I got from Machinemart. Not sure what it is made of but it feels a bit rubberised and is easy to coil and doesn’t have a memory of the shape it was last coiled into if that makes sense. It is a little heavy duty but this suits me as it is used both in a joinery and on building sites. I got it about 12 years ago and it was just one of their standard products hanging on the wall at the time.

Sorry I missed the post by Alan when I wrote the above. I think we are talking about the same product.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

So, any advice on hose type, material, diameter, where to buy etc. would be appreciated.

The answer is don’t buy any pre made hoses. The end fittings should be easily available either as screwclamp or shark bite for the hose the shark bite tend to loosen off after a couple of years. The hose you want is polyurethane mesh

the orange one translates to Urethane air hose.

This is expensive to buy in comparison to the usual pre made hoses material, but then they breakdown after a few years. I have had quite a few of the cheap ones that are now totally useless. The reinforced polyurethane has been going for years now, it mig be slightly stiffer but won’t split and crack like the cheap ones.

 

[Spectric]

Something else that you can ensure is that you do not have a hose that is to long for no reason. I have a couple of hoses, one is only 15ft and is used for most things in the shed, I have another that is sixty foot and a real pain to roll up but handy for those tyres and un expected jobs outside.m Also to state the obvious, do not try and roll it up, it will have a natural desire to loop in a certain way so don't fight it.

 

[Alasdair]

I have the polyurathene reinforced which is ok but still a bit stiff but seems indestructable. Bought 10metres it out of lidl cheap. I think its 3/8 I use it for length but bought a couple of metres of good quality flexible rubber hose and joined it to the end I am working with for flexability to make it easier to use. I find that 3/8 is ok for most tools but my impact socket wrench could do with a bigger 10mm diameter hose for more air supply.

 

[Mike.R]

Rutland offer a flexible hose with no memory. I'm expecting one to arrive early this week so I'll let you know how it is.

https://www.rutlands.com/sp+nailing...xi-hose-with-quick-connectors-rutlands®+r7103

 

[Spectric]

Rutland offer a flexible hose with no memory.

It is probably very old!

 

[Rich C]

I have a 10m rubber hose I got from screwfix, erbauer or something like that? It's not bad, fairly heavy but lies flat and doesn't try to spring into odd shapes.

 

[pe2dave]

Sorry if it's OT.. Talking of air hoses, are they all specified by internal diameter?
Air nailer, blower, tyre blower-upper etc, all Machine mart, are these typically 3/8" or ...
Interested in making up my own lengths, any websites for 'bits' please?

 

[sometimewoodworker]

I have the polyurathene reinforced which is ok but still a bit stiff but seems indestructable. Bought 10metres it out of lidl cheap.

that is very probably exactly why it was cheap. The Japanese polyurethane ones I showed above are the most flexible I have found. Not all polyurethane is equal

 

[Sideways]

 

[guineafowl21]

This Erbauer 15m retractable rubber hose reel is one of the best things I ever bought for the workshop. I had a PVC one before that was a real nuisance in the winter.

 

[Rich C]

Sorry if it's OT.. Talking of air hoses, are they all specified by internal diameter?
Air nailer, blower, tyre blower-upper etc, all Machine mart, are these typically 3/8" or ...
Interested in making up my own lengths, any websites for 'bits' please?

Hoses are quoted by bore, however they often have different fittings. For instance I have a 3/8" hose which has 1/4" bsp fittings. Most tools will have a 1/4" bsp screw thread on them, you would usually fit quick connects to everything though as threads need sealing up with tape or goop.

Not sure on the availability of fittings to go on to bare hose, I assume they must be though you might need a specialist supplier.

 

[sometimewoodworker]

Not sure on the availability of fittings to go on to bare hose, I assume they must be though you might need a specialist supplier.

here is one specialist supplier

https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=air+ho...x=Air+hose+,aps,290&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_4_9

 

[kinverkid]

Around twenty years ago I had my air supply permanently plumbed in. I have four inlet/outlets along the length of a tandem garage. Up until then I used a black rubber type which sounds like it might be the same as what DBC is describing. I still need to unreel the black hose for use in the front or rear garden now and then and it's still in perfect condition. I am a rarity I see reading the previous comments. I still use a coil hose from the outlets although it doesn't need to be pulled out far since I'm always near an outlet.