Air Hose Reel
The Flexible Handy Air Hose Reel
The polyurethane or rubber flexible pipe and tube you use to supply compressed gas to activate a pneumatic tool need an air hose reel to protect it from possible cuts, scrapes, and abrasions. Apart from this protection, it also helps keep your garage or shop floor free from crisscrossing pipes or tubes, making it look clean, orderly, and uncluttered.
An air hose reel can come in either of three types, open-faced, closed-face, and manual.
An open-faced type is a wheel-like contraption around which the flexible tube is wound. The wheel is attached to a fixed mounting which could either be set on the floor or hung from a wall or ceiling. It is usually equipped with gears and springs that enable it to automatically retract the tube when not in use. Made from heavy gauge steel and rust-resistant mechanical components, it can last for years.
The closed-faced version is similar in construction to its open-faced cousin except that the wheel in is encased in a protective covering that could be made of polypropylene, aluminum, or any other strong but lightweight material. This provides full protection to the tube when it is not in use.
The manual type features a lever that you have to crank to retract the hose. Since it does not have the mechanism needed for automatic retraction, it is generally cheaper. For home use, this type is more than adequate and can also be expected to last for a number of years.