Foam brush hose

[coincarwash.ca]

I have been using the blue curley 3/8 foam brush hoses for years and I am thinking of switching to a non coiled hose. I like the idea of a clear hose in 3/8 so that I can continue using my 3/8 replacement swivel fittings.
I am looking for a hose that does not get stiff in cold weather and that does not have a polybraid.
Does a good one exist?

 

[Earl Weiss]

FWIW I use High Pressure Blue hose from KR. Switched from regular FB hose when an operated suggested it because it will not kink which stops the weep and then.....

 

[bigleo48]

Ditto and with a braid, I can use the ice thawing machine. Now all my hoses are the same.

 

[wasiknator]

Foam Brush hose

Ditto and with a braid, I can use the ice thawing machine. Now all my hoses are the same.

Are you using a 3/8" HP hose for the foam brush? Is it not pretty heavy for the customer? I like the ideas of the HP hose due to kinking issues, but would probably want a 1/4 inch hose with 3/8" fittings. Have you tried this?

 

[bigleo48]

Are you using a 3/8" HP hose for the foam brush? Is it not pretty heavy for the customer? I like the ideas of the HP hose due to kinking issues, but would probably want a 1/4 inch hose with 3/8" fittings. Have you tried this?

My booms support most of the weight...so that hasn't been an issue.

I personally find the curly hoses a pain to deal with when brushing the car.

Big

 

[cantbreak80]

I used braided poly hoses for years and dealt with kinks and splits and even hose theft...people would cut the hoses for their personal use(???). Then, I tried the coiled hoses. The coiled hoses created more issues with kinking and self-tied knots. So, after being frustrated with repairs and frequent replacement, I installed a couple of hp hoses as a stop-gap.

On the drive to the supplier, I decided to purchase 1/4" blue hp hoses with 3/8" fittings. They last longer...maybe a year or more vs. the poly hose's 4 months. And, with the approproiate swivels on each hose end, they never get tangled. 10 years later, I've not found a better solution.

 

[TurboJet]

I use black HP braided 3/8". Seems to hold up the best all 'round.

Tried a lighter advertised 3/8 foam brush hose, but mine also kinked with warm weep water. Would like to use a lighter weight hose, but haven't really found a suitable replacement. I'm willing to give some other product a try if anyone has had any luck with anything from KR or Dultmeier.

I would think that a 1/4" hose would collapse the volume of foam to the brush, so no 1/4 for me.

 

[MEP001]

I've seen 1/4" HP hose used for foam brush hose a lot, and I'm not a fan. It's heavier and makes quite a loud slapping noise on the side of a car, and one year isn't all that long for a hose to last. I use the GoodYear Instagrip, a little expensive but it lasts for 3-4 years, never kinks of gets stiff and doesn't mark paint, and it looks good until it's worn down to the braid. I've had people hook the hose on their mirror break the foam brush head off with no damage to the hose, it's that strong.

If you really want a clear hose, try the "polywire" stuff. It has a metal spiral in it which is there to keep it from collapsing under vacuum, but it also helps prevent it from kinking. It does get stiff in the cold.

I don't think you'll find anything that fits exactly what you specified.