84, страница 46

great Gear

selecting a

T Swivel Fitting.

A brass swivel fitting at the end of the shaft that holds the reel allows it to turn without twisting the hose.

46 ShopNotes No. 84

More and more, I find myself reaching for air-powered tools while working in the shop. But as useful as air tools are, there's one aspect about them that I don't like — coiling up the hose when I'm done working. That's where an air hose reel comes in handy

Although there are lots of hose reels on the market, they all work more or less the same. The hose is wound around a spool-like reel. A short length of hose connects the reel to your compressor. And a swivel fitting allows the reel to turn without twisting up the connector hose. The main difference between the various reels is the way they retract the hose. Some work manually, while others are automatic.

MANUAL REELS

The most basic type of air hose reels are manual (see photos at top of opposite page). These use a simple hand crank to wind the hose back onto the reel. The main advantage of this type of reel is its low cost. You can pick one up for around $30 or $40. And because they're so simple, there aren't too

▲ Same Concept — Different Styles. Although they may have different mounting styles and hose retraction systems, all hose reels work basically the same.

many things that can go wrong with this type of reel.

A manual reel is a good choice if you use air tools only occasionally. It serves its purpose by keeping your air hose neatly coiled and stored. But having to roll up the hose by hand takes more time than the automatic reels. Plus, you have to manually guide the hose back