I got tired of tangled air hoses hanging on wall racks but was too cheap to buy hose reels. Stumbled across this design on Instructables site so decided to build some. I made 4 reels from a single 4x8 sheet of 3/4" Radiata plywood and assorted pipe fittings and put them around my shop. They easily hold a 50', 3/8" hose. Key part is a $5 Harbor Freight swivel fitting. They work great and cost way less than half the cost of the commercial ones.
That's basically what I had. Every time you reel the hose off you have to unwind it, then putting it back on you need to wind it back. I am getting old, can't afford that wasted time. These reels are great. Hose pulls out un-twisted, winds back on untwisted.
Did that too. Getting too uncoordinated, always tripping and almost faceplanting on hoses and extension cords.
I've had hose reels before infact I've had a new one in the box for over twenty five years. The only way I care to use them in the shop is when they hang from the ceiling....
That's me too. I have a hose reel but it's a pain to roll it all out to reach something outside. So I plugged in another hose to it. Back to square one.
I have two self retractables and one crank one. Now all I have to do is retract the hose, but I usually don't and so the trip hazard is still on the floor.
The Jalopy Journal
