Flex hoses are obviously lighter than tank truck hose. A 4″ flex hose may weigh 1.8 lbs/ft, while a 4″ tank truck hose might weigh 3.3 lbs/ft (of course, this is empty, and doesn’t count the weight of the connection fittings). Going to a 6″ hose increases weight a lot…a 6″ tank truck hose could weigh 7.5 lbs/ft, which is why they most often are supplied in 15-foot lengths, vs 20- or 25-foot for the 4″ size. A 4″ hose is about the maximum a man can realistically work, and it often makes sense to move the work to the hose, instead of the hose to the work (using squeegees, shovels, etc). Many times, the hose is reduced at the working end to a smaller size on the last joint, so that the man can more readily handle it. It is also often possible to tee off at that point, to have two working ends, with lightweight flex hose. Such a 2″ hose may weigh 0.7 lb/ft, or a 3″ hose about 1 lb/ft. A 3″ tank truck hose may weigh 1.8 lbs/foot – again empty, and without fittings.
