What air hose do we like?

I'm currently looking at a new air hose or 2 for work and home. For work, it's basically just for running nail and Brad guns, so light and flexible is preferred. Home use is general workshop stuff, rattle guns, die grinders, Sanders etc.

I want something that'll roll up and unroll easy, so it has to have enough flex or memory that I can coil it up easy without a fight, but needs to uncoil and not constantly try and tangle itself when it's in use.

I currently have some white exterior, red interior air hose that I inherited from elsewhere, it's actually pretty good. A little to much memory which can lead to tangles, but doesn't kink and stays pretty pliable. I have no idea what hose it is though due to absolutely no markings, it's not a commercially assembled hose either, just a length of hose with a barb fitting in each end with hose clamps. (This is an option if there is a particularly good type of hose that doesn't come pre assembled)

So what says ye? Any favorites? And that should be avoided like the plague?

I have a black rubber Diablo line from Harbor freight and HATE it. It kinks and crimps itself and is a royal pain to wind up.

So following along

Some seem better than others but they the ones I have tried are pretty much a pain to recoil because recoiling by definition requires re-twisting them. The best answer, to me, just like garden hoses, is to get a hose reel, then it come out and goes back un-twisted.

I have the red (high end, kind of thin) HF hose and it is pretty well behaved, but I still need to uncoil it for full length and re-coil it for stowage.  I guess if you only used it to about half length you might get away with a lot less coiling.  It seems pretty resistant to kinking in general.

There is a green one that I really like.  Light, doesn't hold a coil shape. Doesn't stand up to slag from the torch, but it's not a bunch worse than anything else.

Now, to remember the brand name...

Edit: Flexzilla.

Double edit: Not cheap.

Is that the one that's not affected by the cold?

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

I have flexilla in my home garage, the zero memory is real -20c and it's still as flexible as ever. My only complaint with it is that it's also a pain to keep clean. 

I have a 75' black Goodyear hose that came from Norther Tool that works well. It's close to 10 years old and still flexible. It is on a reel that makes it pretty easy to manage. It has also gotten shorter over the years as the working end gets damaged. I'll buy another one when it gives out. 

So the flexilla is actually legit good? I don't mind the admission cost if it performs as advertised. Light weight is good, every bit of weight in the trailer counts

I may go something heavier duty on a reel on the garage though.

In reply to Mr. Peabody :

Mine never gets cold, so I don't know.  Seems likely, though.

In reply to daeman :

I have them in my shop, used hard 5 days a week for probably 10 years and if I don't drop slag or something heavy or sharp, they are still fine.

They also make an excellent compression style repair coupler or hose end.

Again, not cheap.

I use Smartflex hose. It's made by the same people as Flexzilla but it's a more budget friendly version. Think I got it at Tractor Supply if I remember right. 

Goodyear hose used to be the go to back in the day. Have two Flexzilla 50 footers from TSC. Holding up well although I don't treat 'em that good. 

I'm biased as I sell air hose mainly Parker or Thermoid oil resistant air hose.  

Red, 300psi, rubber hose (versus PVC type) with brass male NPT crimped on the ends.  

In reply to Datsun310Guy :

And I would tell you that I've never had a crimped end stay on the working end of an air hose for more than six months, no matter the manufacturer.  The inevitably have hose clamps and electrical tape.  

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Hey, I gotta pay for that kitchen remodel some how.....

I use the cheep orange HF and they have worked well for me.  

I been using Flexzillas the past several years and like them.

Datsun310Guy said:

I'm biased as I sell air hose mainly Parker or Thermoid oil resistant air hose.  

Red, 300psi, rubber hose (versus PVC type) with brass male NPT crimped on the ends.  

If this is anything like the one I inherited from my uncle, that hose is nearly indestructible. The female end is so ground down,  its remarkable it still works,  and works well. That hose is close to 35+ years old.

For those of you using the flexilla hose, how do you find the bend restrictor at the end? Seems like it could be annoying? I guess a swivel fitting could overcome that if it were a problem.

Price seems ok, on a par with most decent brand hoses available to me. 

Appreciate all the feedback

I also have a flexzilla and like it. The bend restrictor can be a bit annoying in really tight areas with small tools but it's always fairly easy to work around.

The flex restrictor is why the end doesn't fall off after a few months.  I find that the flexzilla is light and flexible enough that it will go anywhere a rubber hose will.

I use a small diameter whip hose on my small stuff.  

+ forty-eleven for the Flexzilla

I gave my green HF one to my s-i-l...he threw it away

In reply to Streetwiseguy :

Both fair points.

A coil would be way less cumbersome than a swivel.

Righto, you've sold it to me good folk of grm,

I'm off to order a 50ft 3/8 flexilla from Mr bezos.

I know you've decided already but I'll throw another vote for the flexzilla. I've got a few of them. They're great.