high quality garden hoses, spouts, nozzles, etc

Status
Not open for further replies.
G

greenjp

Joined
May 19, 2004
Messages
1,853
Location
Germantown, MD
So another year, another set of failing hoses, nozzles, 2-way splitters, etc at the house. It seems like this stuff (sourced from the usual places - Home Depot, Lowes, Target, etc) just is not made well. Just watering the garden, washing the car, etc and none of it can hold up more than a year or two. Anyone have any suggestions for quality brands and the places that carry them?

jeff
 
Good post. I'm curious what people suggest.

I bought this "no kink" hose from HD 3 years ago. It's still working, although it does kink, maybe slightly less than another hose that I have...
 
Just went through this and spent a lot of time looking into hoses. For reasonable prices, here are my recommendations. My wife and i love the Gilmour 1/2 hose. It is much lighter than the 5/8 hose. The ends are not machined but stamped so some may not like this. The 5/8 inch version has the HD machined ends. We have had ours for a few months now and we both really like it. The other hose we have had for a long time, 4 years, was a Gilmour 5/8 professional hose. You can get it at walmart for a decent price. It is black and very heavy duty. Those are my votes for a light duty one and a heavy duty one. I have a few cheap Apex hoses and they kink up a lot. The two mentioned above do not kink up and are good quality.

http://www.amazon.com/Gilmour-Series-Fle...4841&sr=8-1

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Gilmour-Professional-100-Garden-Hose/8591381
 
Last edited:
I bought a couple 75' garden hoses from Costco more than 10 years ago, no kink what so ever. both are still working without any problem.
 
Gilmour makes good hoses are made in USA and they have a no hassle warranty. APEX makes decent hoses but their warranty is a hassle.
I really like the Water Right polyurethane hose. It's really lightweight and doesn't kink. It has a smaller diameter so it doesn't flow as much as a larger hose if that;s a concern.

Gilmour nozzles are decent but are imported. Bullseye hose nozzles are good and are made in USA.
 
Apex at Sam's. A little over $20 when I purchased. 120 feet. Never had one leak. Fittings are heavy duty. Though reviews at Sam seem to indicate they are not what they used to be. I have bought three without any problems. I run over them occasionally and close the garage door on them. Kinda like a Timex watch, they take a licking.....
 
We like the "Never Kink" from Lowes. It is the best garden hose we've had. The only thing that has gone wrong with it is my wife running it over with the lawnmower (she likes to mow for the exercise). That isn't something that the lifetime warranty covers.
 
There is a strong correlation between the price of the hoses and their longevity. You can find good hoses at HD or Lowes but they cost a lot more than the cheap ones which last only 1-2 years.
 
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
We like the "Never Kink" from Lowes. It is the best garden hose we've had. The only thing that has gone wrong with it is my wife running it over with the lawnmower (she likes to mow for the exercise). That isn't something that the lifetime warranty covers.


Which one do you have? It appears there are different levels of Never Kink hoses. Series 2000, 4000 ect.
 
Originally Posted By: jstutz
Originally Posted By: wallyuwl
We like the "Never Kink" from Lowes. It is the best garden hose we've had. The only thing that has gone wrong with it is my wife running it over with the lawnmower (she likes to mow for the exercise). That isn't something that the lifetime warranty covers.


Which one do you have? It appears there are different levels of Never Kink hoses. Series 2000, 4000 ect.


I'm not sure the series. It was $45 for a 100', and still is on their (Lowes) web site.
 
I have 3 Craftsman rubber hoses that seem to hold up well. I first bought 1 and liked it so much, went and got 2 more.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: bigmike
I have 3 Craftsman rubber hoses that seem to hold up well. I first bought 1 and liked it so much, went and got 2 more.


Same here.

Approaching 15 years of age now, NO LEAKS, and was even run over with pressure in it by a FULL SIZE, GARBAGE/RECYCLING TRUCK!!!, and oh yes, MADE HERE!
34.gif


I really want one of those Griot's Garage, American-made, fire hose type nozzles, but, $90.00 + shipping for a nozzle?!?!?!
crazy2.gif
 
I like the pistol "industrial" Melnor nozzle at Home Depot, (not the rotating head version) however, they always eventually start to stick open.

http://www.homedepot.com/buy/outdoors/garden-center/hot-water-aqua-gun-92994.html

I hang on to the UPC label/tag, (not the receipt, that won't help past 90 days) when it starts to fail I return to Home Depot and exchange for a new one. Replaced several like that already, usually last two seasons at best.

As for hoses and such, quality has gone down while prices go up these days. although Craftsman black rubber hoses seem good but are heavy.
 
I have a few US made hoses and they are many years old, get some direct sun and no issues.

I have one that I bought at K-mart (US made though) from around 2006 that still works perfectly, though I think it needs a new washer. I do think it is getting soft though.
 
Keep your receipt if you buy a never kink. When you want to use the warranty it they'll ask for proof of purchase and proof that it's their hose after they've authorized you to make a warranty claim.

Gilmour asks you to mail them just the the hose ends and a description of the failure and the length. They'll ship you a new hose with no hassle. You don't even need to contact them first.
 
I have 4 Gilmour Flexigen hoses and they're going on 15 years. One's even been frozen. No leaks, no kinks, no worries.

Re: nozzles, splitters, etc. Used Gardena for years, but it eventually cracked due to UV and age. However, they will warranty it for life if you return it.

15 years ago I tired of the cheap plant-watering-wands so I made my own...out of copper pipe & couplings I sweated together. Used a full-hose diameter ball valve for control. Made it long to reach all the way to the ground to keep the water off leaves. Yea, it's a tank and a bit heavy, but I still have it, it doesn't leak and it'll really throw out the water.

You may find better stuff at Lee Valley gardens catalog and Gemplers and RH Leonards, if I remember right. They carry commercial stuff.
 
So I went hose shopping today, swung by WhaleMart, but they only had the Gilmour's in the 50' length. Only need 25' for plant watering in front of the house. Off to Home Depot, where I got a 25' Apex "Never Kink" for $16. Label says Made in the USA which is nice, also a lifetime warranty. It's the 1/2" "RV" model which supposedly is safe for drinking water. Other than that the difference seems to be that it's white with a blue stripe instead of green. I liked the light weight and flexibility of the smaller diameter. The label and receipt have been taped together and put in my folder of receipts for the day it [censored] out on me
smile.gif


Realized I still have the crummy busted splitter valve at my house, so I'm just going to ask Depot for a free replacement.

jeff
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

J
  • Locked
nozzle stuck on garden hose
Replies
10
Views
11K
Propflux01
T
Quality expandable garden hose? Does it Exist?
Replies
5
Views
3K
FT92
P
  • Locked
100 ft garden hose (heavy duty) needed
2
Replies
27
Views
5K
paulri
Q
  • Locked
Need recommendations on a heavy duty garden hose
2
Replies
22
Views
5K
Malo83
D
  • Locked
Hose Leak At Bib, Tried New Hose & Washer
Replies
15
Views
3K
Yah-Tah-Hey
Back
Top Bottom