After many year of using a 4 inch hose I changed my place of employment who use a 5 inch boom hose exclusively.Of course the 5 inch hose "splatters" alot by doing this I notice the concrete separating,so I changed back to a 4 inch hose.I am wondering if this separation of concrete using a 5 inch hose can cause problems in the job being poured whether it be a slab,footing or wall.Other than the hose man being alot happier with a 4 inch hose,yes the possibility of hose whipping increases greatly,that 4 inch sure holds that concrete together well.

This is only my opinion, but I have always focused on safely accommodating our customers by using equipment that makes placing concrete easier for them. Sometimes it means more work for me or our operators, but we have customers that will have us drive over 100 miles to pump for them when the big boys are 10 minutes from their job.

Answer is easy. Pro's mannage just as well with a 5''. Amatures need a 4'' or even more to get the job done in a decent way..

Help the customer as much as possible. 

I always use the hose size for the pour I'm doing. When pumping styro walls I go down to 3" so it pumps slow and smooth enough and doesn't splatter. Bigger hose on floors and bigger volume pours. I doubt using a bigger hose when not needed makes you the better operator. Correct size for the application shows you know what your doing. Just my thoughts.

Yes,I am still learning after 31 years on a boom pump.........And I heard from many older/wiser gentlemen throughout life that there are never stupid questions.         But,why force feed concrete to a customer when it can be placed in a reasonable manner.Other than the proven fact that a 4 inch hose has a much greater likelihood of whipping,why would an operator not use a 4 inch hose to please a customer?Tell me when pouring a small chainwall,there are rocks lying on the ground when the rocks should be incorporated in the concrete. No,I quess I am not a pro,you are correct.     I should have listened to my Dad and gone to college........could have been researching string theory or nuero-muscular degeneration in an air conditioned lab.

how many of u have been a hose man day after day?

oh life is great when u have a 'pro' operator.  there are not that many pro operators.  put on the fucking 4"

Conforms makes a FANTASTIC product called superflex 1250 4.5 inch fabric hose by IVG. I tried this out about 5 years ago and let me tell you you will never go back to 4" or 5". The weight is super light rated at 85 bar and has a reducing collar built at the end. If you can get it in 3500mm you wont ever be sorry do yourself a favour and order one...then 10 of them  just keep the swivel elbow clean and it will do around 300 pumping hours give or take.

http://conforms.com/product/super-flex-1250-discharge-hose

In Las Vegas, all we used forever was the 5" conforms hose. The mud was so bad here with all the crushed rock and manufactured sand. The only thing I found as state above was that unless you rally turned up the pump to get a steady steam out of it, it spashed everywhere. Once we also found the 4.5 hose from Conforms, that was the ticket. You could keep the pump turned down a bit and keep a full stream. I would strongly suggest the 4.5" Conforms hose.

I love my 3.5" for normal footings and slabs, 4" for Post Tentions, and 4.5 for laser screeds. My pipe is 4.5

you do not have to go full throttle or have your output on 10 to be smooth or have a steady stream with a 5", Bisley knows what he is doing , I just think he has been using a 4" so long that it becomes second nature , normally I idol up with volume on 5-6 and then after three or four strokes I idol down to 13-1400 rpm and the hose is full. And the pump runs smoothly.

I dont run a pump, just place/finish.  We almost always use a 5-3 reducing hose on slabs. Just a lot easier to handle. We normally place around 80 yds an hour and we dont seem to have any trouble with it. Not sure why some are saying a smaller hose is for amatuers....its what the customer prefers, cuz billdoe pumps almost every job for us and he isnt called the master for nothing....   

My response was to everyone in general not just to you pumpnfinish , everyone thinks they are the master of pumping concrete , there are many ways to skin a cat , your way isn't the only way nor does it meen it's the right way , it just meens it is right for you , if I put a 5-3 hose where I am at concrete would never get out the end of the hose , a 5-4 usually meens 2-3 plugs a day , so we just pump with 5 inch unless their are special circumstances , does that make my way right for everyone ? No it only makes it right for me and our pumps.

Mudsnake, Reducing hoses, thin endhose, pin-pour.. All have their disadvantages from time to time. I think the perfect endhose solution stil needs to be invented..

Dipstick missed something. The 4.5" is IT. Enough said.

for the record I have never seen concrete segregate because of a 5" hose

I put on what the customer requests. After all, if it isn't unsafe, I'll give hime what ever he wants. I'll even put 5" rocks in the hopper, if he wants.  

We all should try and accomodate the customer , here is my problem , the guys that are experienced and true professionals do things that are safe for them , but you put a unqualified person , a rookie in the same scenario doing the same thing , and you just may have a ticking time bomb , a locked up boom , or a accident on the job from hose whipping, there are so many different situations we are put in with these machines and so much knowledge it takes to use the accessories properly , I guess in the end it comes down to proper training , and what the material you are pumping will handle.