OT: Air Hose Reel Not Retracting All The Way

[DerbyDad03]

This Husky 50' Hose Reel is giving me problems.

Yes, I know that it is mounted upside down. That's due to the position of the garage door track. Maybe that's why it's giving me problems, but it had been working perfectly for over 4 years. Maybe being upside down finally took it's toll.

For the past few months the reel has been reluctant to pull the hose all the way back into the case. It doesn't appear to be evenly disbursing the hose across the center hub. It's kind of piling it up sloppily, so as the wound up hose gets "thicker" in some spots, it creates resistance that slows the retraction down until it eventually stops. I can tell when I try to pull out the hose that it's getting hung up in spots. It tends to stop retracting when there's about 3' - 4' left to go. If I pull the hose out a little, let it go back in, repeat, repeat, etc. I can usually get it retract fully as shown.

AFAICT the intake guide is moving back and forth as it should. I've even lubed the guide and rail to see if that would help. Nope.

Has anyone dealt with this issue? Thanks.

[Leon]

Yes, I have a DeWalt, mounted correctly. It slows way down if there is pressure on the hose. The pressurized hose is stiffer and requires more room on the reel. Try, if you have not, releasing all the pressure from the hose.

If that helps you might also try wiping the hose down with some RuGlyde rubber lubricant. You might find smaller containers.

[DerbyDad03]

Thanks, but it’s not pressure related. It “bunches up” on the hub even with no pressure plus it never displayed this issue when under pressure in the past.

I’ve been watching it more closely over the past few days. It looks like whatever internal mechanism drives the front guide back and forth may be shot or out of adjustment or in need of lubrication, etc.

The front guide does not always complete the full side to side travel. Sometimes it reverses long before it reaches the side, which cause more hose in certain areas than others. Eventually it piles up so thick, it causes too much drag and stops. IOW there’s no more clearance between the wound up hose and the case.

I’ll take a look at it after I finish trimming out the room we’re renovating. It’ll suck if I need a new one. Not because of the cost but because I know that I won’t throw the old hose out, even though I already have enough hose to reach just about anywhere I would need it. 50’ of perfectly good air hose? Why would I get rid of that? ;-)

[Leon]

Are you sure that there is a mechanism that moves the hose back and forth? My hose simply goes through the hole and winds, often not falling to an empty spot. Your hose may be winding taller in spots and hitting the inside of the case. Mine has no case.

If the hose is dry, no longer has that slippery feel, it can stack on it self and not fall into the shallower spots.

I would recommend an open reel. Mine is like this.

[DerbyDad03]

100% sure.

In the following clip the narrator says "as you pull it out" but in reality he is rewinding it while describing (and showing) the mechanism that I think is not working correctly.

Yep...that's what I said yesterday. Look down about 5 rows. Instead of "tall" I used the word "thick". ;-)

If I have to get a new one I will consider an open one. The one I have was a gift from my son and one of those gifts that keeps on giving. If I can fix it, I'd really like to. I often think about him when I'm using air.

[Markem618]

There is probably a cam driven by the take up maybe it has collected a bit of dust not letting it track right?

[Leon]

Got it. Likely because of the enclosed reel. Not necessary for the open reel types.

So there is likely a pivoting piece in the guide that engages the threaded rod. If the piece wears out or breaks it will not properly follow the threads on the rod.

Longer hoses are good for fence building. I have about 220 feet of hoses and can reach anywhere in my yard. I got the 100' one when I "was" building fences 15 years ago. A 20 footer came with the previous compressor, before 1995. And my regular 50 footer was being used until I got the hose reel with the 50' hose.

There is That. I have a desk lamp that my son bought for my birthday with his allowance money about 27 years ago. He was 7~8 years old. He actually asked my wife to take him to my favorite lighting store and researched which one with the owner.