DeWalt 1/8" NPT Grease Gun Hose Assembly (42")

Why I reached for a longer hose

Greasing tight spots is a game of angles and patience. On compact loaders, PTO shafts, and the inside zerks on front-end loaders, the stock 18–30 inch whip on most guns just doesn’t quite snake in without contortions. That’s what pushed me to try DeWalt’s 42-inch grease gun hose. It’s a simple part—a longer, high-pressure whip with 1/8" NPT ends—but in practice it changes how you approach hard-to-reach fittings.

After several weeks using it on a battery-powered gun in my shop and a pneumatic gun on the service truck, I’ve got a clear picture of where this hose excels, where it complicates things, and who will benefit from the switch.

Setup and compatibility

Installation was straightforward. The threads are 1/8" NPT on both ends, which matched every gun and coupler I tried. I used pipe dope on the gun end and transferred a locking coupler onto the business end. The threads cut cleanly and seated without grunt work or re-tapping. If you’re planning to extend your existing hose rather than replace it, you’ll need the right union (female-to-female or union fitting, depending on your current setup). It’s doable, but replacing the stock hose entirely keeps the assembly simpler and reduces potential leak points.

The hose ships without a coupler, which is fine in my book—most folks have a preferred coupler anyway. The length is the star here.

Reach and handling in the field

Forty-two inches doesn’t sound dramatic until you’re threading a gun around a radiator shroud and up to a bearing flange. The extra length absolutely helps. I could stand clear of spinning belts and still snap onto a zerk tucked behind guards. On zero-turn mower spindles and U-joints, I didn’t need to crawl under as often; I let the hose do the work while I found a safe stance to pump.

The flip side is management. A 42-inch hose wants to coil and wag; if you’re used to shorter whips, it’s a change. The outer jacket has a balanced stiffness—supple enough to route around obstacles without kinking, yet not so limp that it tangles on everything. I found the sweet spot was looping the extra length once around my forearm while guiding the coupler with the other hand. With practice, the fuss goes away.

Pressure and performance

The hose is rated to 10,000 psi, which is the benchmark for modern battery and pneumatic guns. In real use, I didn’t notice any meaningful pressure drop relative to shorter whips. Sticky fittings that usually take a firm trigger squeeze broke free as expected, and I could still pop spring checks open on high-resistance points.

One thing to be aware of with any longer hose: there’s more internal volume to fill. Priming a fresh cartridge took a few extra pumps compared to a 20-inch line. Not a dealbreaker—just plan on a brief burp and bleed when you swap cartridges. Once primed, it keeps pressure consistently, and I never experienced a pressure “bounce” or spongy feel at the trigger.

Durability and leak resistance

The crimped ends feel solid, and after plenty of cycles—some of them pushing toward a gun’s upper pressure limit—there were no weeps at the crimps or threads. The jacket shrugged off scuffs against frame rail edges and the lip of a steel deck without cutting. I intentionally forced some tight bends to see whether the hose would collapse; it resisted kinking better than most budget whips I’ve used. The memory set is moderate—if you store it tightly coiled, it remembers the curve—but it relaxes with use.

Thread engagement is deep enough to inspire confidence. With thread sealant, I didn’t chase any micro-leaks. If you’re a tape user, use high-density PTFE and mind the first thread; the tighter taper on these fittings makes it easy to overbuild tape and risk a split.

Ergonomics and safety

The extra length gives you the space to keep your hands out of pinch zones—a real benefit. It also introduces a classic high-pressure hose risk: if the coupler lets go under pressure, you’ve got a four-foot whip with energy behind it. Use a locking coupler and verify engagement before you pull the trigger. I also recommend routing the hose so it bears lightly against a bracket or frame member near the zerk. It helps stabilize the coupler during pressurization and reduces the chance of an off-axis pop-off.

Hose routing matters on spinning equipment. I looped the hose around a fixed point whenever I worked near pulleys or PTO shafts so there was no chance of it drifting toward rotating parts. Common sense, but worth stating.

Using it as a replacement vs. extension

I tried both configurations. As a direct replacement for stock whips, it’s great—cleaner, fewer joints, less to snag. As an extension, it’s workable if you need extreme reach for a specific task, but the added weight and joints are noticeable. Pressure loss was still a non-issue for me, but the more fittings you add, the more potential for leaks and wobble at the coupler. If you’re frequently in deep or obstructed cavities, consider making the long hose your primary and keep your original as a backup for compact work.

Practical tips from the shop

• Prime smart: After installing the new hose, crack the coupler slightly and pump until you see grease, then tighten and go. It shortens the initial bleed.
• Control the coil: A small Velcro strap around the midsection keeps the hose tame in a bag or drawer.
• Match your coupler: A locking coupler makes a world of difference with a longer hose. It takes the strain off your non-trigger hand and reduces pop-offs.
• Don’t overtighten: The hose fittings seat well. Over-torquing into the gun body or coupler can deform threads; snug plus a quarter-turn with sealant is plenty.

What I liked

• Real reach without fighting the hose. It gets to buried zerks in one shot.
• A 10,000 psi rating that holds up to aggressive use.
• Crisp threads and solid crimps—no teething leaks or remedial wrench work.
• A jacket that resists abrasion and doesn’t kink easily.

Where it could be better

• Storage bulk. At 42 inches, it demands more drawer or bag space and can be unruly if you don’t strap it.
• Slightly longer priming and marginally more grease “waste” in the line when you swap cartridges, simply because of the extra volume.
• No coupler included. I’m fine with that, but newcomers might expect a turnkey assembly.

Who it’s for

If you work on equipment with guarded bearings, recessed fittings, or anything that forces awkward gun angles—ag, construction, municipal fleets, even heavy lawn care—this hose is a quality-of-life upgrade. If your greasing is mostly on open fittings at waist height, a shorter whip stays tidier and is a bit quicker to prime.

Reliability over time

I’ve run enough cartridges through this hose to trust it. No jacket splitting, no crimp creep, no mystery weeps at high pressure. The 30-day money-back window is there if you discover it doesn’t suit your workflow, but I didn’t find any early-life defects or finish issues to nitpick.

Recommendation

I recommend the DeWalt 42-inch grease gun hose for anyone who regularly fights to reach recessed or obstructed fittings. It retains full-pressure performance, threads up cleanly to standard 1/8" NPT gear, and strikes a good balance between flexibility and resistance to kinking. The longer length takes a bit of handling finesse and slightly increases priming volume, but the trade-off is worth it for safer stances and fewer contortions around guards and belts. Keep a locking coupler on the end, manage the coil with a simple strap, and this becomes one of those small upgrades that makes daily maintenance smoother and faster.