I want a retractable reel, but for now it just sits on the floor in a mess.

 

Funny you mentioned this as a week or so ago, I decided to buy a retractable one. I was tempted to get one from HF but quickly talk myself out of it. I remember as a kid I worked in a gas station and we had one that was used 100's of times a day both by us and the mechanics. I plan to look at what some of the older gas stations use and see if I can find that brand. The good ones should last a woodworker for many years to come.

 

I just put mine on a garden hose rack hanging on the wall next to the compressor. I only keep a 50' piece in the shop, and have some more in the barn…also on a garden hose rack. I don't use mine enough to have ever wanted a hanging hose reel.

 

I have the HF retractable reel that is connected to the air compressor. I also have two extension hoses that are loosely coiled and hang from the wall. The retractable handles the shop but I need extension hoses to reach the car or house.

 

Tied up put away and replaced with Paslode.

 

I have 2 100 foot hoses and one 50 foot one. The 50 foot one is on a manual reel that I never use. One of the 100 foot ones attached to the compressor and draped on the handle. The other 100 foot one is hanging in the barn. I have thought about the retractable ones, but am too cheap to buy one, so I just roll them up when done. Whoever comes up with a better mouse trap for this situation can be the next Bill Gates. Well, maybe not, but you get the idea.

 

bosum3919, How about one that attaches to the air compressor itself.

 

I actually just bought a 100 ' flexzilla hose and some termination kits and cut into a 15' aq 35' and a 50'. I dont have a shop set up yet but im assuming ill use the 15 for assembly and the other 2 for installation. the 35 may go either way. the stuff doesnt have too much memory so it coils fast and easy. Fastcap sells the strapping for binding them, I will probabaly grab a roll for extension cords and air hoses

 

50 footer on a self retracting reel from Sears. Has seen daily use for at least 14 years.
Have another 50 footer that is light weight plastic and is molded to have permanent coils like a spring. It stays coiled on a protruding 2X2 when not in use.

 

On the floor where I trip over it so it is always there when it needs to be used.

 

Menards had a "black Friday" sale last year on a Flex-zilla reel with 30' of 3/8 hose. Helps keep things tidier.

I still hav a 25foot 1/4 super flex hose that I bought from JCAT (a Grex dealer) in southern California (Lumberjock name JCAT) - when I use my spray gun, as it is easy to move around with. I first used the hose at Marc Adams School - - the told me about Jerry Carter Air Tool (JCAT)

but the 1/4 hose doesn't work for my impact wrench - not enough flow. need 3/8 for it.

 

On the floor where I trip over it so it is always there when it needs to be used.

- SirIrb

Lol, that's my problem ,I keep tripping over the hose which is attached to a reel so I ask myself what was the point of attaching it to a reel dummy,you are still tripping over it.

 

I bought the harbor freight retractable reel six months ago. It is one of the best most used appreciated tools in the shop. It came with 50' of those. I used 20' of my old hose to run from the compressor to the reel which is centrally located on the ceiling of my shop. It easily runs to both benches. I use the 30 remaining feet of old hose as an extension to the finishing booth ( a table in my driveway) and to air up tires on the cars.
If you are on the fence about getting one GET OFF THE FENCE.

 

Several years ago, I bought a retractable reel and hose combination from Woodworkers Supply…..Biggest piece of Chinese crap I've ever bought…That thing then was around $100, supposed to be spring-loaded, and has never worked right from the get-go…It holds 50' of hose, and I have to beat on it to get it to retract….and then it still leaves about 10' of hose dangling…..That piece of s…t ain't worth two dead flies…..But …..it hangs right above my compressor on a heavy mounting bracket w/ a 6' lead from the compressor into the reel….

 

I tie mine up in a series of knots kinda like crochet, I have tied my extension cords and air hoses like this since I worked in the framing industry. Really makes the hose and cord be neat and organized without any knots. Also helps for the sake of portability, but most woodworkers may not need that feature. The reel is by far quicker, but I think it would annoy me but maybe I should give it a try.

 

Reelcraft, mounted on the ceiling directly above the table saw.
It is very handy to be able to just pull it down, blow something off, then let it retract back up out of the way.

I still use a hand coiled hose carried to various air outlets installed around the shop when I need air elsewhere. I definitely plan on fitting in another Reelcraft to eliminate this hassle.

 

I m curious to know how and where you all keep/store your air hoses? do you keep them tied up and hung them on a wall? do you have them on reels?

When I set up my air compressor in my shop a few year back I bought a manual air hose reel that you have to turn the crank handle in order to wind the hose up, now I wish I had bought an auto retractable reel instead, the manual reel is a pain in the arse to unwind /retract so I alway leave it out and hook the blower somewhere accessible which in a way defeats the purpose of having it in the first place.

Now I m wondering if the majority of the woodworkers here have come to the same conclusion and bought an auto retractable reel.
If you have one of those auto reels, are you happy with it? do they lose their ability to fully retract after a while?
I appreciate all your comments.

- distrbd

I use one retractable wheel for my primary air hose. LOVE IT. No shop should be without the auto retract design. They are so inexpensive and really improve productivity. It is always in the same place when you need it and it has a place to go when you are finished that does not seem like a hassle compared to rolling up and stacking on a shelf.

I have not had a failure in three years and I paid $50 with a 50ft hose! What else do you want. It could bust tomorrow and I would buy it again. It is that nice to have.

 

I use one retractable wheel for my primary air hose. LOVE IT. No shop should be without the auto retract design. They are so inexpensive and really improve productivity. It is always in the same place when you need it and it has a place to go when you are finished that does not seem like a hassle compared to rolling up and stacking on a shelf.

I have not had a failure in three years and I paid $50 with a 50ft hose! What else do you want. It could bust tomorrow and I would buy it again. It is that nice to have.

- timbertailor

Where did you buy yours? What brand?

 

I store my air hose on a garden hose reel mounted on the wall, like Fred.

 

I have the hand crank HF unit like yours, Ken. It is a pain to wind up, but not so much as just looping the hose on the wall or something.

I use the highly flexible hose. I started using it and liked it on site jobs, because it didn't beat people's walls and things to death if it got pulled past them or hit them. That seems to make dealing with hose less complicated.

However, I'm looking at the kits to establish air in "strategic" locations. For example, at the table saw (ceiling) and each corner of the shop, as well as outside. Ideally, I shouldn't need a hose longer than, say, twelve feet.

My old shop had retractable air and electric and I loved it. It probably would be best in areas where hose would create a trip hazard. The strategic locations I mentioned would not be as problematic as a hose out in the center of the shop or by the cabinet saw.

As I write this, it occurs to me I might do better by bringing air for the saw area down with the electric, then running it over where it was easy to tap.

In the end, twelve feet of the highly flexible stuff would be pretty easy to deal with.

 

Back in my old shop I had an air line overhead, so I had a 10' drop line at my bench and about 125' hanging over by the big sliding door for outside work.

But here in this shop my compressor is in a small "lean-to shed" outside the building. So I just drilled a hole in the wall and ran a hose thru it. I have a garden hose hanger inside directly beside the compressor with 100' of air line on it and I just un hook as much as I need at the time.

 

It looks like most of you have the self retracting reel and are happy with it, our local version of HF (Canadian Tire) happens to have a them on sale for $60 from $150, I'm going to get it for sure.It will be used every day ,the old one which has a lighter weight hose will be installed in the far corner of the shop to be used with staple guns,paint gun, etc.
Thank you all for your comments.I enjoyed reading them.
Ken

Several years ago, I bought a retractable reel and hose combination from Woodworkers Supply…..Biggest piece of Chinese crap I ve ever bought…That thing then was around $100, supposed to be spring-loaded, and has never worked right from the get-go…It holds 50 of hose, and I have to beat on it to get it to retract….and then it still leaves about 10 of hose dangling…..That piece of s…t ain t worth two dead flies…..But …..it hangs right above my compressor on a heavy mounting bracket w/ a 6 lead from the compressor into the reel….

- Rick Dennington

Rick, have you tried to open the one you have to see if the coil spring is broken ,it may just need more tension to work properly.

 

Flexzilla reel with 30' of 3/8 hose mounted on the wall in the shop right above my compressor. I also have a 25' 3/8" hose that lives coiled up in the garage where I keep my Bostitch Trim-Air.

 

I use one of these… http://www.amazon.com/Geckos-Toes-Gecko-Hose-Rack/dp/B004KTLF10 Doesn't retract but it's easy enough to use.

 

Rolled up on top the the compressor. Sounds like you really want this retractable hose. Just get the one you want you will regret in the long run.