Junk Chinese rubber parts

[TodFitch]

Back around 1980 I purchase my air compressor and miscellaneous accessories including some air hoses. Not sure about the brand of the the long black air hose as the markings have worn off over the years, but the rest was all Speedaire.

 

About four years ago I decided I wanted a hose reel. Shopped around and ended up getting a made in China one from Lowes. About 1 1/2 years ago the end of the hose split open, so I cut it back and reinstalled the disconnect. When setting up the reel in my new garage I examined the rest of the hose. Full of cracks for the entire length, ready to fail. The 35+ year old hose I have is still in great shape so I removed the junk hose from the reel and put on my old U.S. made hose. The design of the reel itself seems okay and the fit and finish of the interior parts seems okay, they just had junk for the rubber hose. As a side note, I noticed that the Chinese hose would visibly expand when I applied air pressure. I don't see that on my old U.S. made hose.

 

The other year I bought a Chinese made tire filling tool from Harbor Freight. Worked okay for about 6 months until the flex hose on it burst. Again I cut out the bad section and spliced it back together again. The other week a different spot on the hose burst. The fitting on the valve side of the hose was some weird machine thread with an O-ring seal that I was unable to match, so I disassembled it and reused the interior barb portion to put a new hose on.

 

Seems to me that the quality of Chinese made tools will be dramatically improved when they figure out how to make decent rubber parts.

 

 

 

 

[Plymouthy Adams]

I will not and do not buy rubber hose just for the reason pictured...chaffing and cracking is something they are truly prone to do on use and exposure especially in the size that is common to the private home shop.  I get the polyvinyl hose as it is lighter weight, better built and reinforced and less subject to abrasions and swelling.  When I bought my hose reel and attached to the ceiling of my garage in the lift bay, I bought one without hose as all they offered was this cheap rubber imitation of a hose.  Once in a while I will lube the seal fitting on the reel to protect against air leaks and have to admit my reel has served me well all these years.   Only draw back to the poly vinyl is that they tend to be less flexible in cold weather.

[P15-D24]

Try http://www.tptools.com I've been using their equipment for years with very good results. 

 

Hose: http://www.tptools.com/GOODYEAR-Heavy-Duty-Air-Hose,3399.html?b=s*air+hose

[Don Coatney]

About 45 years ago I bought a nice hose with a swivel in the middle. Bought it at Granger and do not recall the name nor country of origin. About 10 years ago when I was under my car the swivel failed and smacked me along side my head to close to my eye for comfort. At that time I did an inspection of all my hoses. Found several cracks so I replaced them all with Goodyear hoses made in the USA.

[TodFitch]

Try http://www.tptools.com I've been using their equipment for years with very good results. 

 

Hose: http://www.tptools.com/GOODYEAR-Heavy-Duty-Air-Hose,3399.html?b=s*air+hose

 

If/when my 35 year old unknown brand US made air hose fails, I'll certainly look for that US made Goodyear hose.

 

 

About 45 years ago I bought a nice hose with a swivel in the middle. Bought it at Granger and do not recall the name nor country of origin. About 10 years ago when I was under my car the swivel failed and smacked me along side my head to close to my eye for comfort. At that time I did an inspection of all my hoses. Found several cracks so I replaced them all with Goodyear hoses made in the USA.

 

My old US made hose certainly looks good. I went over the full length looking for signs of distress or failure and found none.

[Jeff Balazs]

I bought a Goodyear hose from Sears a couple of years ago. They hold up well.

 

I have had problems finding rubber grease seals for tie rods that last. I think they are all made in China these days. I have two that tore apart on the truck and they are the second ones I have replaced. Not sure if you can even find good ones anymore?

 

Jeff

[VFFFrank]

Tip: Never use Chinese made condoms.

F

[plymouthcranbrook]

I think that the Chinese manufacturers seem to have the old Philosophy that a lot of American companies used to have. Bleep the customer one time real good. If he never comes back, who cares cause we got him once.  Not good in the long term or if you get good competition(IE. US auto manufactures up to the late 80's or so) but great as long it it works.

[LowOiLer]

Sorry Tod, I am going to use your post as a refresher placemark. I have not posted in a number of years and figured some forums kick off people that do not post every so often. I still lurk and don't want to lose my username (though I lost my old name of LowOiL already)...  Thanks for your posts gang, long time lurker.

[Don Coatney]

Welcome back Lowell. You still a sock maker?

[busycoupe]

About a year ago I bought a fifty foot hose at Harbor Freight. When I got home I was pleasantly surprised to find that it is a Goodyear hose made in the US. I had assumed that all of Harbor Freights products were made in China, apparently they are not.

[JBNeal]

material quality is an ongoing problem in china & india...they can make stuff the way the American companies specify, but then somebody over there decides to go cheap for more profit and we get stuck with buying their carp...what a bunch of tools