Garden Hose to end all Garden Hoses

[Kurt]

I went to these.

https://www.google.com/search?q=aluminu ... e&ie=UTF-8

Kurt, is there a specific brand you have? How long have you had yours?

Bought first ones all stainless steel,first one went at the nozzle connect,lasted after repair another three years,we use our pool cleaning which involves the dreaded chlorine,SS steel lasts,light no kinks,here regular hoses get black mold on surfaces,have to clean them.

[SQWIB]

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Zero-G-5-8-in- ... 1000168063





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[JRinPA]

Not the end product, the process. Think of an MSDS from 1970 compared to one from 2020.

[Amateurinawe]

Sorry for the digress, but all this talk of hose has reminded me of one of my favorite sketches....

[jmsieglaff]

Ha! The video was some quality amusement!

I found a 100' Continental rubber hose I was thinking of getting but then saw it was unavailable online and found a seller for $288. Nope.

I still haven't found a time machine, so 1970s hoses are out--but I will look for some garage sales this spring, you never know.

The only Dramm 100' 5/8in. I could find was pushing $200. I just can't justify that. Similar for the Water Right brand.

The steel ones I was reading about inner diameter being rather small and a relatively low flow rate, so I decided to forgo those.

I ended up ordering one, it is Giraffe brand, it got over 3,000 reviews online and got good reviews. More than I have spent, yet not nearly as expensive as some of the others mentioned, I'm hoping the reviews and description hold up! I'm hoping I don't regret it but you never know until you try I suppose.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I suppose I'll update this thread after the growing season with my experience with the new hose, although 1 year of use isn't much of a measuring stick.

[ponyexpress]

I have a bunch of raised beds so I made a few outdoor spigots that are connected to black irrigation lines. Then I use short hoses that I can easily disconnect to move to another set of beds. The problem with long hoses is that they get tangled up easily.

[Shule]

I tried the kink-free kind a couple times, but although it actually didn't kink (much), they tended to spring leaks after a year or so. So, I went back to regular hoses. I've found that the somewhat thinner kinds of regular hoses seem to be quite a bit easier to maneuver around long and twisting distances than the thick ones. At least, that's how it is with some dark green hoses that I believe we got from Walmart; they've been sturdy and strong. I don't remember the brand, but it's shiny and dark green (it's a kind you're supposed to be able to drink out of safely, but it doesn't look like those stereotypically look: it just looks like a regular, slick hose) and I'm satisfied (even if it is a higher pressure one than I wanted). I think ours are 50 and 75 feet, but I think they had a 100-foot version. I think this is our third season with it, but it seems like it'll probably last plenty more.

[jmsieglaff]

08E69435-9C5A-4A16-9677-6C65CBA990C7.jpeg

Well there it is. Fingers crossed. Worked great today, feels flexible and yet strong. Used it to water seeds and transplants, got it caught on the garden cinder block and it didn’t break so that’s good.

[worth1]

Don't screw aluminum or pot metal fittings to brass or steel fittings.
They'll corrode and become locked up.
It's called galvanic corrosion.
Works sort of like a battery.
If you do don't leave them connected.
Another option is to grease the threads.

[Growing Coastal]

Congratulations on your new hose! I hope you get many trouble free years of use out of it.

Hoses get tangled and they get stuck or they pull over plants as they climb flower beds. I copied something I saw once to get my hose to travel well around corners. I pounded a 3' stake into the ground and put a 2' piece of pvc pipe over the stake. It acts like a roller and hose goes smoothly over it without abrasion or sticking. Works well!

[westside bengal]

Before they went under I bought 2 100 ft Craftsman Rubber Hoses at Sears. At the time I think they were the highest rated hose. Sears would always put them on sale for 30-40% off and I bought them then. They are heavy. They are at least 10 years old. I might have replaced the washers once.
And they are thick and heavy and have never kink.

I have seen Goodyear rubber hoses at HD. I do not know if they are really Goodyear or someone is just renting the name but they do look heavy duty.

[Mark_Thompson]

I have seen Goodyear rubber hoses at HD. I do not know if they are really Goodyear or someone is just renting the name but they do look heavy duty.

The Goodyear hoses are stout. They hold up well.

[Tormato]

I have seen Goodyear rubber hoses at HD. I do not know if they are really Goodyear or someone is just renting the name but they do look heavy duty.

The Goodyear hoses are stout. They hold up well.

Yeah, but can I drink from it?

[Donnyboy]

I probably have three hundred feet of water hose in various places including my garden on our property. I don't remember buying any for the past ten years. I do have a large drawer in my shop full of hose end fittings. I am very experienced at repairing hoses.

[Mark_Thompson]

I have seen Goodyear rubber hoses at HD. I do not know if they are really Goodyear or someone is just renting the name but they do look heavy duty.

The Goodyear hoses are stout. They hold up well.

Yeah, but can I drink from it?

Not sure. We use them on the boat and the water isn’t trustworthy so I’ve never tried

[Donnyboy]

I have hose running all over our property. If exposed to sunlight, the hose hardens and deteriorates quickly. Most of my hose is buried a few inches deep in the soil. It lasts for years and remains in good condition when buried. When the hose is no longer needed, it pulls from the soil easily. The water in the buried hose remains cool and normally does not develop that chemical taste from the hose.

[JRinPA]

Now I see Location North Texas...I wouldn't expect any garden hose to last through half a winter here if buried just a few inches with water in it. It would freeze and burst. Do you have some way to empty it?

[peebee]

The water from one of my hoses foams up now & smells strange. It goes away after I let it run for a bit. I looked it up & now know to buy drinking-water safe types in the future. Is the water really safe after a few minutes though? Fortunately that hose is mainly used in the non-edibles part of the garden, but I do have 3 Earthboxes there that I've been filling with water from another faucet, which is a pain

[Donnyboy]

I have one hose on my front deck which is exposed to the hot sunlight and is used to water potted plants and the dog's water bowl. I let it run wide open for a couple of minutes to let the detergent like foam get out of the hose and cool down. It really does look like soap foam coming from the hose when I first turn the water on and I don't want our dog drinking it.

Addressing the comment about buried hoses freezing and bursting in severe winter weather, I always winterize my hoses, pipes (both steel and pvc) by disconnecting them at both ends and insulating any exposed sections. It is correct that soil in North Texas only freezes a couple of inches deep. We did get down to two degrees below zero F. this winter and nothing froze on my property.

[JRinPA]

08E69435-9C5A-4A16-9677-6C65CBA990C7.jpeg

Well there it is. Fingers crossed. Worked great today, feels flexible and yet strong. Used it to water seeds and transplants, got it caught on the garden cinder block and it didn’t break so that’s good.

So how is that giraffe hose working?
We are looking for new hoses at the comm garden. We need 2 x 100 ft each. The hoses must be based inside the garden, and can't be left laying out due to mowing. The hookup is 80 ft back through the gate. I figured two hose reels back to back, with the short ends connected. Run one off to the source. Reel the other off to plots. Maybe install guides of post and pvc roller like mentioned.

Goodyear's look good? And some have used them?
A Giraffe Tools has been purchased and is being tried.
Continental mentoned.
Dramm pricey?

These don't need to be light, I would like to see them not be kinkers. One will have a straight shot out to the spigot, the other will be dragged around corners and such. 100 ft is probably enough for the second, though 125 would be ideal.