Rockler's " Dust Right" expandable 4" hose system,

[tribalwind]

was wondering if anyone owns one ?

it seems like a great solution for my 14x24'ish shop. i dont really like all the fixed pvc and tubing all over the place as i have it now,and because it's a PITA i often dont use the big space consuming HF DC (with canister filter) ... so thats an even bigger waste of space as things are.

the reviews on rockler about it were mostly good,and ultimately i'll probably end up getting it today or tomorrow(before the sales end saturday), just having trouble pulling the trigger when i see it'll be $150 for the hose and its (plastic) accesories, thats more than i paid for the actual dust collector!!!

the hose itself seems to be a unique product only sold by rockler,$50 seems right on that,but another $55 for a few end attachments ?,and thats on sale from 70, sorry for griping i got a lil off-track.
bottom line, i think if this product works well it'll definitely encourage me to use my DC more and health is priceless. being out of work right now doesnt make it easy either... better start sellin my flutes again!

[drumpriest]

I have a 24x13 shop, and what I've done for the past couple of years is use a "quick disconnect" on the hose coming from the DC, 10' clear flex hose on the DC, and short flex hose drops from tool ports to the floor, or mounted on the tool stand ala my planer stand.

http://www.bt3central.com/showthread.php?t=42219

My longest run is about 14' to my band saw, and it all seems to work reasonably well. The disconnect was 6$ at Rockler, the hose I bought on sale for 15$ per 10' length, cut it up for the drops, and kept 1 intact for the mobile connector.

Works well for me.

[poolhound]

I do pretty much as Keith does. My DC is located in a position that I can reach all the major tools with one 10' length of 4" hose. I also use a rockler quick connect and its takes only moments to switch the hose from one tool to another.

[LCHIEN]

I was wondering whether that expandable hose is "rougher" on the inner wall than standard flex hose. Seems like it would have to be to get the extension, like an accordian. So if it is rougher then I wonder what the impact is on flow restriction?

[tribalwind]

I was wondering whether that expandable hose is "rougher" on the inner wall than standard flex hose. Seems like it would have to be to get the extension, like an accordian. So if it is rougher then I wonder what the impact is on flow restriction?

Thanks for the ideas guys'
as for ribs/roughness, guess i'll letcha's know in a week or so, it shipped out yesterday, unfortunately the tool-port adapters are back ordered till march 11, so i'll have to jury-rig something till then.

from the pictures its hard to tell, but doesnt look any rougher than the grey corrugated bendy stuff i have now(straight runs i had some pvc conduit)
actually, looks like it'll be smoother?

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=21316

youtube gives a better view actually....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=00TQIqsnb40

[dkerfoot]

When you get it, let me know how far it "really" expands. One review made it sound like the full 21' was not really available.

[tribalwind]

it arrived today .
i got a "factory defect" .. it had almost a dozen little tiny holes,and a few tears in different spots on the hose,some of the seam areas look pinched/melted together a little,like if you pinched some with your fingerd and glued it. i think thats the cause for the holes that were in it,when expanded they would rip,that or the melter machine that seams it made a booboo..

rockler's cust-service is simply fantastic. when i saw the holes i went for my camera,shot a bunch of pics. then went on their "live-chat" for a rep...gave him my order# and my problem. his next words were "im very sorry,i'll have a new hose sent out immediately,you can keep the original we dont need it returned." didnt want the pics.

so the little holes aside.(might patch them) it's actually kinda nice..does it reach a FULL 21' ? nope. at least not right out of th box..it went 17'without really tugging at it.(see pic) but i do think it will go little more after its been worn in a bit,repeated stretching.
my HF dc is on wheels anyhow.if i gotta pull it into the center of shop thats not a big deal now,no rigid ducting to worry about.

i have to say im still concerned with how well it will fare down the road, being dragged repeatedy on the cement floor,toot to tool,vacuuming, will all that scuffing wear an unpatchable hole in it? kinda seems likely. its got so heft but sure aint as durable as harder flex tubing,like the grey HF tube.

might have to think of this stuff as a consumable item?,given its active use and added conveinience.

[dkerfoot]

Well, that puts me right back on the fence again.

If this hose was perfect - it would be perfect for what I need...

[tribalwind]

what Do you need?
they also sell a 4'/28' version ,if you need the full length..some people double them up i saw.
i do think it's worth it ,if fixed plumbing isnt an option(or just too much hassle/space in my case)
i cant really tell now whather rubbin on the floor will cause tears,guess ill have to wait n see.the reviews are almost all favorable.

what i think ill end up doing is relocation my DC closer to the main tools that need DC. or just move it near the center of the 25' shop.then it could reach everyplace..

gotta say, it's SO nice not having to turn my shopvac on to clean now,that thing is LOUD...i want to try n quiet down my dc even more with some of the ideas ive seen here in the forums.

[dkerfoot]

they also sell a 4'/28' version ,if you need the full length..some people double them up i saw.

Well yes, but they charge $30 more for an extra 7' of hose!

I have a tiny shop (10' x 11') Which houses my CM 21829, a Shopsmith MkV, a workbench, Belt/Disk sander, Jointer, Planer and all my hand tools. I keep my DC and my Router Table about 12 feet away in my laundry room area.

Currently I roll the DC up to the door of my shop when in use. I'd like to leave it in place and this collapsible hose would work nicely for that. It is probably just long enough.

But - if I am going to pay $50 for the hose, plus another $100 for the fittings, etc, I expect it to be well made and to last. The pictures you posted do not inspire confidence in the quality of the hose.

[JeffG78]

it arrived today .
i got a "factory defect" .. it had almost a dozen little tiny holes,and a few tears in different spots on the hose,some of the seam areas look pinched/melted together a little,like if you pinched some with your fingerd and glued it. i think thats the cause for the holes that were in it,when expanded they would rip,that or the melter machine that seams it made a booboo..

rockler's cust-service is simply fantastic. when i saw the holes i went for my camera,shot a bunch of pics. then went on their "live-chat" for a rep...gave him my order# and my problem. his next words were "im very sorry,i'll have a new hose sent out immediately,you can keep the original we dont need it returned." didnt want the pics.

so the little holes aside.(might patch them) it's actually kinda nice..does it reach a FULL 21' ? nope. at least not right out of th box..it went 17'without really tugging at it.(see pic) but i do think it will go little more after its been worn in a bit,repeated stretching.
my HF dc is on wheels anyhow.if i gotta pull it into the center of shop thats not a big deal now,no rigid ducting to worry about.

i have to say im still concerned with how well it will fare down the road, being dragged repeatedy on the cement floor,toot to tool,vacuuming, will all that scuffing wear an unpatchable hole in it? kinda seems likely. its got so heft but sure aint as durable as harder flex tubing,like the grey HF tube.

might have to think of this stuff as a consumable item?,given its active use and added conveinience.

Hmmm, I bought this hose back in early January and still haven't even opened the box. I sure hope mine doesn't have any defects . As far as the 17' vs. 21', it was SUPPOSED to be 21', but they found out that some of the hoses were only measuring 17', so my store was first told to unbox each hose and measure it, and then they were told to weigh each box to find the short hoses, and finally, they were told to sell it all on clearance rather than try to sort it. I don't recall what I paid, but I'm thinking it was in the $27 range.

[Tom Slick]

my cheapest source for industrial dust collection hose gets $2.78/ft for a 21' clear economy hose, that's $58.38. Rockler is $10 cheaper so it is not going to be the most heavy duty hose money can buy.

I think the kit is neat. The other kits I've seen use 2.5" hose and don't really have the suction/flow that a shop vac provides.

[dkerfoot]

Well I ended up buying this and am very glad I did. It really does stretch out to 20' and retract to 3'. By covering the end with the DC running, it easily retracts and lies neatly on the base of my HF DC. A very, very nice solution for my small shop.

[dkerfoot]

2 1/2" Dust Ports Review

Well, I love the hose and the overall system, but I am really disappointed with the 2 1/2" tool ports. I was impressed to see they mount on the outside, but couldn't believe my eyes when I looked inside - they narrow down to just over 1 1/2"...

Here is the review I just posted to the Rockler site - It will be interesting to see how they edit it (or not)


Submitted by Doug, from Holland, MI on 3/13/2009
I am a big fan of the Dust Right system. The retracting hose and the handle that snugly connects to each machine (once the Tool Ports are added) without tools is one of best tool advances I have seen in a long time.

BUT - This review is for the 2 1/2" Tool Port, which is poorly designed in its most critical aspect: air flow.

Connecting a dust collector to a 2 1/2" port is much less than ideal to start with. They operate very differently than a shop vac and the narrow restriction absolutely kills air flow. Unfortunately, the inside of these Tool Ports narrow even further to a ridiculous 1 1/2"!

Rockler: Please measure the actual air flow through one of these when connected to 21' of your 4" retractable hose and ANY of the dust collectors you sell. I'll be very surprised if you get even 100 CFM.

The Dust Right System is wonderful, but you really need to go back to the drawing board with these tool ports.

[dkerfoot]

They still haven't posted my review, but the favorable review I submitted of the hose system was immediately posted - big surprise.

Here is a picture showing just how constrained the airflow is: