HF Rubber Air Hose?

[JoeyGee]

Anyone use the HF rubber air hose? They have 25' on sale for $9.99. Is this any better or worse than I would get at a big box?

I am currently using the HF plastic (PVC?) hose, and it is just a PITA when it gets cold. I have 50' which is WAY more than I need, which just compounds my problem. I only spent $3.00 on it, so I guess it was a cheap lesson.

[cabinetman]

I haven't tried any of the HF hoses, rubber or PVC. The hoses I use I've had for years are reinforced rubber, with a high bursting pressure. I did buy a PVC hose to try out, and it's much lighter, but does get squirley and stiff when cold. A good spring loaded retractable air hose reel does take the anguish out of coiling up a long air hose.

Just a note on fittings. I noticed that HD carries air fittings from China. I've always used Milton fittings, and don't have any complaints. Don't know if the China ones are inferior, but they are cheaper. Maybe not worth the savings.
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[LarryG]

Yeah, PVC hoses are the pits. The hose that came with my Porter-Cable pancake compressor is PVC. It looks good, but it was a pain to work with in any temperatures below about 70deg F, so I soon replaced it.

HF carries Goodyear brand rubber hoses, which are excellent, and often puts them on sale. Ten bucks for a 25-footer sounds right ... I think I paid either $15 or $20 for my 50' Goodyear from HF. (They may have other brands, too, so check the label.)

[Uncle Cracker]

...but does get squirley and stiff when cold.

So do I...

[mater]

I also like the rubber hoses and bought a couple 50' of those Goodyear from HF because of the price compared to Lowes and Sears. After I had used one about 3 months I started noticing a slight moisture on it when I used it and my hands would get black from handling it. I switched to another HF one and after a little while it did the same thing. I then bought some Craftsman rubber hoses and tried them and it has been about 3 years and I haven't had that problem since.

[LCHIEN]

...

HF carries Goodyear brand rubber hoses, which are excellent, and often puts them on sale. Ten bucks for a 25-footer sounds right ... I think I paid either $15 or $20 for my 50' Goodyear from HF. (They may have other brands, too, so check the label.)

ditto... get the goodyear branded ones. no problems.
p. s. i imagine goodyear makes the basic rubber hose and some offshore contract assembler cuts it to length and puts the ends on it.

[Bill in Buena Park]

I bought one

I've bought several of the rubber hoses, and the GY are good - the last one I bought was "generic", and I didn't catch that the hose feels oily... that's the only way I can describe it. Not like the GY, which feel dry in comparison.

I don't know what the ramifications of this are - whether it's inferior rubber, or what - but I used a cloth to try to wipe down the hose, and it still feels oily.

So I'd echo the sentiment of stick to the GY.

Any ideas on what that oiliness is?

[LinuxRandal]

We have a local company (IBT) that used to be down the street from my work (they moved to KS). You could buy Goodyear hose to whatever length you wanted.

HF came in and started carrying standard length (25, 50 and occasionally I would see 100') and the local garages started buying them there. They would buy the ends elsewhere (Milton or whatever from the auto parts suppliers), but the hoses were just fine.

Yellow ones (unknown brand), were the least marking. Red the second least (can buy some Goodyear in red), but since they are always dragging the ground, you just keep a towel handy and one to wipe the hose as you roll it.

The other one that HF started carrying, that I hear good things about, is their polyurethane hose. They have had two different brands (Central Pnuematic was one) but I bought the PC one from the new wood supplier, in the same shopping center. Most of their tools are overpriced HF eqivalents, but I would like them to remain in business. (HF doesn't carry wood)

[eccentrictinkerer]

I got my first polyurethane hose 3 years ago (really expensive back then) and a second one last fall at HF.

I do kitchen and bath remodeling and a little cabinet work. I'll never go back to the old style. They stay flexible even in the cold.

Next summer all the old hoses go on the garage sale including two new Goodyears!

[dlminehart]

HF poly hose

Is the polyurethane HF hose the green Amflo one? I notice it's only rated for 200 psi, while the red rubber Goodyear ones are 300. An issue to consider? My PC compressor only goes to 135 or 150, I believe.

[LinuxRandal]

Is the polyurethane HF hose the green Amflo one? I notice it's only rated for 200 psi, while the red rubber Goodyear ones are 300. An issue to consider? My PC compressor only goes to 135 or 150, I believe.

What tools are you using on it? If your dragging your hose across the floor, getting it into chemicals, etc, your more apt to snag it or pull the end out then get it to burst.
If your only using it for a brad nailer, in the shop, nothing to worry about. The main reason for the burst pressure, is if your pressure regulators fail on the compressor, you will want your air hose to leak, before your hard line bursts.
Your going to need a larger compressor and more consuming tools, to worry about that difference in burst pressure.

[LarryG]

I haven't noticed the hands-blacking problem that Ken mentions with the Goodyear hoses (which is not to say it isn't there, only that I've not noticed it personally). Anyone else experience that?

Also, Ken, are your Craftsman hoses black, or some other color?

[gordons]

Ditto on the Goodyear hose. Have used the HF 3' rubber hose that's made in India to connect the compressor to the water filter. First one blew after about 2 months, second one leaked at one of the couplers right off the bat. Have yet to connect the replacement. HF will replace if no good, so it's usually worth a try.

[Carlos]

I've had the cheap red hose from HF for about six years. It has a few slight bulges, but no leaks. I've abused it, run it over, doing fine. I did buy the black Goodyear hose when they had it on sale, expecting the other one to fail, but it never has.

[mater]

I haven't noticed the hands-blacking problem that Ken mentions with the Goodyear hoses (which is not to say it isn't there, only that I've not noticed it personally). Anyone else experience that?

Also, Ken, are your Craftsman hoses black, or some other color?

Larry, my Craftsman are black also and I just looked to see if they had Goodyear on them and all they say is Craftsman Made in the USA. The only other difference is the Craftsman are 300 PSI and the HF ones were either 200 or 250. The moisture I am talking about had a sticky feeling and it would get black all over my hands when handling the hose. I thought it may be caused by the humidity but I put them upstairs in my garage and it does get hot up there and when I got rid of them they were not as sticky as when I was using them. Sometimes when I work back to back days in my shop I don't drain my air compressor and I also thought maybe somehow that caused it. But I do the same way with the Craftsman and it hasn't happened with them. Whatever the reason was I won't buy anymore HF Goodyear air hoses.