Going over the old beater last night in preparation for the upcoming All Deuce Run I noticed the vacuum hose had started to crack where it connects to the carburetor base plate so I pulled it loose thinking I would just shorten it a inch or so and reconnect it, I also noticed it had gotten hard and probably brittle. I stopped by the auto parts house this morning to buy a couple of foot of vacuum hose and was shocked when I went to pay for it and was told it's 2.29 cent a foot for a total of $4.90 . I guess anything made with petroleum products has skyrocketed. HRP
You bought a short piece of a large roll? You don't really pay for the hose then, you pay for the work involved in selling it piece by piece of varying lengths rather than one package with a specific length and price. All the extra time and handling in such sales means more cost for the company selling, so the price must go up.
What about epdm hose? https://www.mcmaster.com/epdm-rubbe...-plastic-and-rubber-tubing-for-air-and-water/
The price of EVERYTHING is going up. Inflation is out of control right now...yet my "inflation adjusted" Social Security check went up only 1%
You can buy it from rockauto for a pretty cheap price per foot, if you buy the roll, or even by the 6 foot length...but if you buy a foot, it's gonna cost you!
I bought it by the 50 foot roll when I ran a shop 30 years ago, and my rolls finally ran out several years ago...but the hose was 20+ years old by then. Maybe getting a 6' length of each size, would be the way to go.
I didn't stop at my normal auto parts house, I was on the other side of town, once inside I was greated by a young lady playing with her cell phone, she looked up and ask if she could help me, it told her I needed some vacuum hose and with the dumb look I got I figured pretty quick she was new at this game. She ask another employee where the vacuum hose was and he told her in the back with all the hoses, I followed her to the back only to see the pipe holding the empty plastic reels that once held vacuum hose and she said it looks like we are out of it. Me being about two foot taller than her I ask whats wrong with these rolls still wrapped in clear plastic and she said she didn't see them, I reached in and picked up three rolls and got the size I needed, she started trying to pull the plastic wrap off and I pulled out my pocket knife and removed it, I told her I need 2 feet and she started trying to guess what 2 feet looked like, I pointed out on the counter this it is plainly marked out in foot increments, I also had to cut the hose with my pocket knife due to the fact the hose cutter was missing. We went back to the front of the store and she entered the sale, she had trouble with the computer and said she would get me at the other one, after fiddling with it she finally handed me a receipt and then said I need to go in the back and get your change from the manager, it took about 3 minutes for her to return and hand me a dime. At first I was shocked at the price of the hose and now thinking about it how seemingly inept the young lady was at her job. Prices are high,service is at a all time low and unlike times past very few of the employees behind the counter don't have any knowledge about cars. I should have drove across town, the guys there are old farts and have been in the business since they were in their teens. HRP
The last time I needed some 5/16's hose I had the same thing happen, only it was a young man, not a lady. He started by asking me the year and model of car. I told him that didn't matter, you have the hose in the back. He asked one of his co-workers and he agreed and told the guy to take me back and let me pick out what I needed. So we walked down the aisle and he points up to a bunch of formed hoses, all at least 1" or larger, I pointed him to the rack behind him that held the spools "no, right here". So we looked through the spools and I found what I wanted and I told him how many feet of it I wanted. He was dumbfounded again. "I think you have to buy the whole roll" he says. "No" I laughed, "you can sell it by the foot. See the measurements on the floor, that what you use to measure it." And I pointed to the cutter attached to a small chain hanging nearby "and this is what you cut it with". He wasn't sure, so I told him to go ask one of the other guys, and I walked back out to the customer side of the counter. One of the other guys asked me if I needed help and I said "No, I don't, but I think that guy back there does". And he went back and helped the poor kid figure it all out. It's not the kid's fault, it's poor training. And it's from hiring people with zero experience. I wasn't mad and didn't give anyone a hard time about it, it just took a little longer than it should've. But next time the kid will know what to do.
I probably do have a piece of hose laying around, my problem is organization is not my strong suit. HRP
I thought you were going to start a "Go Fund Me" account to help with the cost of the hose when I first read the post.
I can't remember when I last bought vacuum hose but just normal 3/8" fuel hose over here was $11/metre (bit more than 3ft) and had to buy a metre minimum. I'm surprised one of the wags on here didn't tell you to go traditional and eliminate the booster to save the $4.90.
- sounds like you went to the "Abby-normal" parts house ( a quote from Igor in movie "Young Frankenstein")
HRP, at one time those old farts were just as knowledgeable as the young lady. You and Blues4U took some of your time to help those young people become better at their new jobs. You may run into them again. We need to remember that young people in their first jobs are trying to figure out where their talents and skills fit in the job market.
It was a miracle that she didn't ask you what year and make of vehicle it was for so she could look up a part number in her computer.
You have me scared now. I need to pick up some 5/16 fuel injection hose this weekend to replace some on my car and lawnmower. I buy the FI hose because it usually lasts longer. Got to get about 3-4 foot of it, probably cost me $50 knowing my local parts store!
Fuel hose, gates barrier, rock auto. I bought a 25’ roll of 5/16 and 3/8 years ago. I like having stock at the house and the leftovers of all hoses goes into a large labeled box.
I work at a Continental plant, used to be Goodyear plant. We can order stuff for the cost of manufacture plus shipping from the warehouse to my door. The last 50 ft. roll of vacuum cost me around $7.00 I think. Needless to say, I usually order my limit. A couple years ago-one of my orders didn't go thru. They told me I was ordering to much stuff. I had to wait awhile to run the order thru again.
I haven’t seen hose sold by the foot around here in a good 20+ years or so, all the AP stores sell by the inch. Good thing is they know where it’s at and how to measure and cut it
Granted, although the guys I am referring to have always been interested in cars & trucks, they sell parts during the day and work n their own stuff when they get home. I would think the young lady in question stays on the phone and really doesn't take any interest in her job, remember I found the hose after she glanced at the rack and said it looks like we are out, I cut the plastic wrap off and pointed out how to measure the length, the only thing I didn't do is ring up the sale. HRP
BTW, I don't have anything against females working a auto parts counter, 20 years ago the was a girl working at the local NAPA and she was as knowledgeable as any of the long time employees, actually better than some. She originally was hired to drive a parts delivery truck but she started helping out on the counter when she didn't have any delivery's, she knew all the guys that built hot rods and if they needed to look for a specialty radiator hose or adapter for brake lines she would led them to the back and let them dig until they found what they wanted. Obviously, her employer took notice of her actions and she moved on up in the company and took on outside sales. HRP
Thank you. Unfortunately, whining about "bad" auto parts experiences and younger generations is a favored (and redundant) topic here.
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