Braided vs Spiral Hydraulic Hose — How to Choose

Spiral, at the same bore, because more wire layers can be stacked. Our two-braid range tops out at 41.5 MPa (415 bar) on the 3/16 code and falls to 33.0 MPa at 3/8 inch, while a four-spiral hose of the same 3/8 bore is rated higher. The cost is wall thickness, and therefore bend radius.

Not without changing the routing. At 3/8 inch the two-braid body runs a 130 mm minimum arc, and a four-spiral body at the same bore needs 180 mm. The outside diameter also grows, so the ferrule and the clamp both change with it.

The 3/8 code is rated 33.0 MPa (330 bar) with 132.0 MPa (19,145 psi) minimum burst, on a 9.3 to 10.1 mm inside diameter. Minimum bend radius is 130 mm, mass is 0.6 kg/m and outside diameter is 21.7 mm.

From 90 mm at the 3/16 code up to 130 mm at 3/8 inch, stepping through 100 mm at 1/4 inch and 115 mm at 5/16. The outside diameter follows the same curve, 16 mm at the smallest code to 21.7 mm at the largest.

Because each spiral layer adds wall, and the arc is set by the outside diameter over that wall. Four layers at 3/8 inch push the minimum arc from the 130 mm a two-braid body needs to 180 mm, which is 50 mm of lost routing space for the same bore.

The two strand sets are laid at opposing helix angles and cross each other, so hoop load and axial load are balanced inside the same weave. At the 1/4 inch code the body holds 40.0 MPa against a 17.7 mm outside diameter without measurable growth along the axis. A spiral body stacks layers in one direction at a time, which is why its termination and support requirements are specified more tightly.

Because the crimp is where the reinforcement stops being continuous. On this range the braid runs 10.6 to 17.3 mm, and if the ferrule skirt does not cover the full braid, the wire pulls back under pressure, so the assembly fails below the 1,660 bar burst figure the body can take.

A four-spiral body, if the routing can accept it. Our two-braid range holds 330 bar at 3/8 inch, which covers 300 bar statically, but cyclic duty at that level is where the extra layer and the larger wall pay for themselves.

100 m per size, cut to length, across 4.6 mm to 10.1 mm inside diameter. Coils are wrapped and marked with size, construction and batch, and the range runs 0.33 to 0.6 kg/m, so four sizes ship in one container without a weight problem.

Price tracks the layer count: a two-braid body runs 0.33 kg/m at 3/16 inch to 0.6 kg/m at 3/8, and each spiral layer adds mass and winding time at every bore. Samples are cut free, and a firm figure follows bore, length, ends and destination.