Pipe-work and Hoses

When I first started out in hydraulics, hoses were as rare as hen’s teeth.
My apprenticeship gave me many skills and the opportunity to discover various disciplines including the pipe fitting.
We bent and manipulated pipes of all sizes, including filling some pipes with sand to prevent them collapsing.
One day we were given hoses to fit and told that they were suitable for high pressure and could flex and bend, unlike steel.
Nowadays things are very different, hoses are no longer fitted just because they can bend. They are mostly fitted because of quickness and cost.
But are they better?
Steel pipe-work is often fitted for life, where hoses have a much shorter life and will need replacing. Personally I love to see well fitted steel pipe-work, it looks smart and is an integral part of the machine. Hoses often look like bird’s nests, untidy and tide on. The other day I was working on a mobile machine where I had to track the pipe-work, it was a nightmare trying to leaver the hoses apart.
Some systems require “stiffness” to provide good accuracy and steel pipe is better, however hose can provide compliance and help reduce noise and hydraulic shock.
I have no doubt that hoses have their rightful place but I also believe that we should be more discriminate and not just fit a hose because it is quick, easy to fit and cheap.
If you have views I would love to hear from you.
Cheers
Bob