DC hose evaluation

[Glenn Vaughn]

I purchased the 4-Inch Diameter x 10-Foot Length Light-Duty Semi-Clear Dust Collection Hose from Woodcraft so I could connect the G0513X2. I picked it up at the store (did not want to wait a week for hose from Grixzzy).

The web site lists these benefits:

Economical hose solution for central and portable dust collection systems

Cost is double that of the Grizzly hose. I purchased it because of timing not price.

Translucent material makes it easier to spot a blockage vs. standard black hose

Difficult to see thru but they may be right.

Light weight polyethylene hose reinforced with an external polypropylene helix

The hose is easy to tear (see comments on installing below).

Smooth interior assures minimal friction loss and efficient air flow

This is probably true - the interior is much smoother than what I normally use.

The problem:

Getting the hose onto a fitting is a royal pain. I managed to break several fingernails and tore the hose a couple of times installing it. Most connections I only managed to get a small part of the hose on the fitting - not enough to clamp. I initially thought it was because I was using fittings from Grizzly - I had purchased a blast gate at the same time from Woodcraft and the fit was just as poor on that fitting. Same problem on the ports on the G0513X2 - almost impossible to get it on. Since I had cut the hose into the pieces I needed so returning it is not an option.

Bottom line is that I would not reccommend this hose to anyone thinking about getting it.

I ended up ordering 20 ft of 4" hose from Grizzly for the same price as the 10 ft from Woodcraft.

[Mike Cutler]

That's a shame.
I've been using the Woodcraft Clear hoses for quite a few years now,and they've been great, for what they are. It sounds like they are being sourced from a different supplier, which is too bad.
My hoses are tight to install onto a fitting, but I just turn them clockwise while pushing.
I don't think it would be reasonably possible to tear them by hand. Wow, They must have really gotten cheap!

[Jeffrey Makiel]

It sounds like they are being sourced from a different supplier, which is too bad.

Woodcraft still sells the clear hose with wire reinforcement. It's around $29-$31 for 10ft depending on whether you're looking at the annual catalog or the website. Woodcraft just introduced the semi-clear hose this past month that has no wire reinforcement for about $22. They also sell the black economy hose.

The original clear hose with wire reinforcement is pretty decent. I don't know if they will be phasing it out though in favor of the semi-clear stuff.

-Jeff

[Noah Katz]

Since I had cut the hose into the pieces I needed so returning it is not an option.

Woodcraft CS is supposed to be good; I'd put it to the test.

If you make the case that it was a waste of money they ought to return yours.

[Glenn Vaughn]

Woodcraft CS is supposed to be good; I'd put it to the test.

If you make the case that it was a waste of money they ought to return yours.

If it was defective, I would not hesitate to deal with CS. The hose is what it was represented to be. The problem is it is very difficult to install on my fittings and ports - difficult enough that I will not purchase more or reccommend it to others. I have purchased many items over the years that did not work to my expectations but were what hey were represented to be. I never returned any of them - it was a learning experience for me.

Conversely I have ppurchased items that, for what ever reason, were not what was represented and did not hesitate to return them. Only once did I get burned; I purchased a Tire Pressure Monitoring System from Amazon for my wife's Escalade. It turned out that the sensors could not be installed in the wheels thus was useless. Neither the Web or the ducumentation stated that it would not work on the Escalade wheels. Because the package was opened, there was a 50% restocking fee (on a $300 item). CS there was no help so I just ate the whole thing - eventually installing it on a pickup.

The point I am trying to make is that if it is represented correctly (the hose was) and it is not broken (the hose wasn't) then it is on me not the vendor.

[Mike Cutler]

Glenn

I too would return them, if for no other reason than to let Woodcraft know there is an issue.If I were the store owner, I don't think I'd want to risk losing a customer for $20-$30.00 bucks.
I've never had an issue returning something at Woodcraft, Warwick RI Store.