Hydraulic hoses are designed to handle a lot of stress. From constant sunlight, swinging temperatures, and continuous vibration, the magic hoses endure everything mother nature and us silly humans can throw at it (don't actually throw items at your hoses, unless you're into that sort of thing). Inevitably, with enough stress and general use, your hose will fail.

Fear not my fledgling hoser, there are a few products out there that will help extend the life of your hose. One is referred to as hose sleeve. This sleeve is typically nylon and looks like a big sock. It's anti UV and helps protect against rubbing. Another option would be spiral wrap. Spiral wrap, or sometimes called a "pig tail" is a corkscrew shaped product, typically made of some type of plastic in varying sizes and thickness. What's really going to bake your noodle is that spiral wrap even comes in different colors (pretty!).

When would you use hose protection you might ask? The following list should help answer your question.

1. Rubbing / Vibration - Any time you have a hose that is rubbing against a bracket, bracing, part of the machine, or even another hose, it's a good idea to use spiral wrap or hose sleeve. Pulsation of pressure inside the hose will cause it to move back and forth. Even if this movement is very small, it is not of zero consequence. Over time, this rubbing back and forth will wear through the hose, causing a failure. Using hose protection where rubbing or vibration is involved will greatly extend the life of your hose
2. Constant Weather Exposure - Nature is beautiful, and her weather is awe inspiring. It can also be super inconvenient, annoyingly relentless, and absolutely awful on hydraulic hoses. The sun can cause UV exposure, which will add to the brittleness and hardening of the hoses outer cover. Constant shifting of temperature is also not good for the life of a hose. Using protective hose sleeving that is anti UV is a great additional barrier to have between your hose and that golden flaming ball in the sky.
3. Strain of Tight Routing - When hoses are routed around lots of corners and bent into tight areas, there are a few problems that could occur. One is that the tight turning around corners could cause the hose to dig into the frame and begin to cut the outer cover of the hose, eventually working its way into the wire braid (not good!). Another issue with straining the hose past the bend radius is that it will prematurely wear down the liner. A bend radius is how many inches of space is needed for the hose to curve 180 degrees. pushing the hose past that measurement will result in premature failure. Using spiral wrap on a hose will prevent the rubbing on the corners and also act as a strain relief for areas where the hose bends.
4. Traceability and Organization - Keeping hoses bundled together is a nice way to maintain a degree of organization if the machinery in question has lots of hoses going to multiple areas. As stated earlier, spiral wrap can also come in multiple colors. If a hose runs the length of a long chassis, or perhaps spans a long building, colored protective spiral wrap is a great way to indicate which hose is which when spanning long distances.
5. Budgetary constraints - This last one is the golden nugget that is rarely thought of, my friends. The cost of spiral wrap or hose sleeve is usually 25-35% the cost per foot of the hydraulic hose it is covering. True, this can add to a larger cost up front, but in the long run, assuming the hose isn't ripped apart or pinched by the loose nut behind the wheel (aka the guy you hired last week), a larger investment up front can prove to be a wise financial move. Having additional hose protection installed on your product can double the life of your hose (at least!).

As Willie Shakespeare put it - "To protect, or not to protect, that is the question."  Well at American Hose and Supply, we think we know this answer ol' Bill is asking for. Yes. If it's in the budget, protect your investment and save yourself some grief. If you aren't sure which protective product is right for you, call a hose specialist today at 918-234-0585, or dart us a quick email here. We are happy to help!

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