Legacy Air Hose Reels

[Dave Diaman]

Does anyone have experience with the legacy flexzilla hose reels? Not the one Home Depot sells but the more robust one. My cheap hose reel finally died on me and I'm tired of winding it by hand. To be honest the reel was never very good but my wife bought it for me so I made it work. I would like to buy something that I don't have to replace for a long time. I already have 50' of flexzilla hose which I really like so I can get a reel without hose if necessary. I tried one of the Legacy reels at a shop I visited and really liked it. The feature that winded the hose left to right is especially nice. I just don't want to buy something that will break in a year or two.

Here is a link to the reel in question
https://www.nationaltoolwarehouse.com/38...DQodFbgGOg

[sweensdv2]

I looked long and hard at the Legacy hose reel you're looking at but decided that for my uses in my shop it was way more reel than I needed. I ended up buying the "cheap one" that Home Depot sells and quite honestly it has served me well. Both have 50' hoses so no advantage there. The one you're looking at does have a more robust case and probably retracts a little better but for my needs those two points aren't worth an additional $100. I don't know what your everyday needs are so maybe that $100 would be well worth it for you.

[Dave Diaman]

I use mine every day multiple times a day. I pull the hose across my shop to blow equipment off and blow out fine dust mostly but I do use air tools also. The legacy also come in a 100' version which I may eventually get for the second of my shop but 50' just makes it across my shop. Right now I have a manual hose real with 100' of hose on it in the area with my spray booth and wood storage. I have that one long enough to pull outside and use for the vehicles and other outdoor chores but it doesn't see the daily use that the one in my main shop area does. I have tried the Husky brand reels with the generic flexzilla hose on them and I wasn't too impressed. It seemed like once the hose had pressure on it if you pulled all the hose out it didn't want to all fit back into the reel. It may have just been a bad unit though. The actual Flexzilla brand hose reel may be better than the Husky also.

[BloomingtonMike]

Sent you a PM but for the group...
I have the little 25' plasticky flexzilla reel. That little one is JUNK. It wont retract under pressure - hose swells too much. I love the flexzilla hose but that reel is junk. Not worth the $30 I spent on it.

Id get one more like the metal legacy ones like harbor freight that is more open shell.

[Gabby]

Since your talking about the hose reels , does anyone have issues with the fitting on side of reel ( banjo ) that spins around a shaft ? Mine has been leaking air for some time now . Are these a replaceable piece . I know it is a brass fitting with an o-ring . If I cannot find one will be looking also for a replacement reel . Gary

[Dave Diaman]

Gary, that is another reason ne of my concerns. Mine has leaked since the day I got it.

[Bill Holt]

Dave, my main criteria when I was looking was the same as yours.  I wanted to buy my last one.  I decided on the Reelcraft w/100'.  After six years, I think it is nicer today than when I mounted it.  It is not cheap.

[Bluepine]

Dave, I have a Legacy reel without the Flexilla hose, it works fine. If you just want to blow something off quick don't engage the rachet latch and let it retract just as quickly as you pulled it out. On that note you have to "guide " the hose back into the reel so it doesn't stack the hose up in one area, you'll learn how to snap your wrist to guide it back in. I would buy it again.
Edit, The one you are linked to does not have the Levelwind feature the L8305 does.

[Dave Diaman]

Bluepine, In the tital for the reel is says Legacy hose reel with levelwind. Maybe it was just a misprint. I thought that all the new Legacy closed reels have the levelwind feature though which was why I like them. I haven't been looking at them for long so I very well may be wrong though. Goodness knows it wouldn't be the first time.

[Dave Diaman]

Bill, I have looked at the reelcraft reels. One actually popped up on Craigslist about a week ago for a really good price but someone beat me to it. If I keep my eye on Ebay and Craigslist something always pops up. I'm patient and if it goes too long and I just can't stand turning my current auto rewind wheel by hand I'll just have to put a handle on it and look some more :-)