Expanding garden hose reviews pls

Hi,

Interested in a 30m expanding hose so the mrs can water the garden.

We have an existing hozelock std hose, but the mrs is getting on, (*is also pigheaded so keeps using a bloody useless winder with no foot plate so it’s always a fight, one hand winding, one hand holding the reel down and the other hand to sort the hose – oh hang on) and I’m getting bored watching her fighting with the hose, also she doesn’t want a wall reel (*see pigheaded remark above) but fancies an expanding hose.

Will be dragged over a patio, over a 2 ft patio wall and round 1 corner. She’s thinking of storing it in a trug – will it sort of magically pop out when it gets filled with water ?, any other storage ideas ( pole sticking out of wall it can be biglooped over and quickly pulled off ?

Are they easy to use, manouvere, quite light, don’t fight back with hose memory and last ok.

Thanks

I’ve had a few over the years, next door’s cat used to enjoy fighting with it when filled so they ended up split after a year or so.

A trug would be fine (I assume then brought in after use) for storing it, though I just bought a cheap hook plate that goes over the tap and loop it over that.

Turn them off a minute or so before you think you need to.

Lighter, easily maneuverable and don’t kink like a normal hose. They will knot though if you just dump them away so some care looping them is helpful, ditto if you fill it in the trug expect it to knot up.

Currently on this one, seems durable and reasonably priced. The spray heads are always pants at the cheap end.

Amazon link

I have one. They sort of work but are dependent on your water pressure. So to stretch them you need to pull on the hose and wait for the water to hold the shape, because it doesn’t just expand to its full length when the tap is turned on. So you will always have to use it with a nozzle of some description that can be turned on and off. If you have super-duper mains pressure it might be better.

The hose I got came from Amazon and seems good quality with brass fittings. No problem stretching it around two corners.

Do not, under any circumstances, let the hose fill under pressure and then unclip the quick-release fitting. You have to run from 20m of wildly thrashing pipe that’s spewing water out of the end at immense pressure…

I tried a couple of different ones but neither lasted very long before they split.

None of the various brands I tried lasted more than a summer. All split.

My neighbour has had 3 in the last 5 years. Each one split, leaked etc and was thrown away within 18 months of purchase. They have gone back to a conventional one on a reel that they now oil so it is easy to use.

We had a normal one that didn’t last long. The heavy duty replacement is tougher and has survived better but doesn’t shrink much so spends a lot of its life partially coiled in a large plastic plant pot.
So okish for the heavy duty version but not life changing.

Wall mounted hose for the win (pig-headedness or not). Had expanding ones in the past and they are rubbish. Not so sure you’ll get 30m out of one ?

Neighbour had one, it lasted about two months before it split. It seemed sub-optimal.

Experience as above really.. a Hozelock one which split in a matter of weeks.

Our Hoselock one has lasted at least two years so far. I suspect
– not leaving it in the sun
– not leaving it outside over winter
probably helps.

I’ve never known of one that didn’t pop pretty quickly.

you’ll soon spend the money replacing them that you could have spent on a good winding frame that you’ll have for the rest of your life.

We have a VonHaus wall mounted reel. Works well, pull it out when you need it, and it self winds back in. Easy to put away so it’s not a trip hazard and it doesn’t get UV damage. It helps if you hose the hose straight while it’s winding in. For winter you can unclip the connector and lift the reel off the wall.

Hose lock tuff

Had mine 3 years. Used weekly still looks new 🙂

https://www.halfords.com/motoring/car-cleaning/pressure-washer-accessories/hozelock-25m-tuffhoze-671550.html?cm_mmc=Google+PLA-_-Motoring%3EMotoring+Products%3ECar+Cleaning%3EPressure+Washer+Accessories-_-Motoring%3EMotoring+Products%3ECar+Cleaning%3EPressure+Washer+Accessories-_-671550&_$ja=tsid:%7Ccid:17326102957%7Cagid:%7Ctid:%7Ccrid:%7Cnw:x%7Crnd:7354438786206162157%7Cdvc:m%7Cadp:%7Cmt:%7Cloc:1007326&gclid=Cj0KCQiAgaGgBhC8ARIsAAAyLfHmVC5GJKy72u8lo1cB5aO6HEzsQUBSc5PE5QzcuCDBk-JWkfGRqXUaAtgHEALw_wcB

Everyone I have seen use one has always gone back to a standard hose. They break, and actually are a real faff, especially if you want one 30m long !

Wall mounted is the way to go. Gardena are better than others but expensive. As stated above you can hose guides if you need to go round corners too.

Gardena Hose Trolleys / Reels Wall-Mounted Hose Box 30 roll-up automatic

We’ve had a couple of cheap ones which lasted a couple of years, but they need looking after. Emptied and put away from frost in the winter.
Bought an expensive Hozelock version last year, so far so good, came with a multi year guarantee. Only downside so far is the instructions say not to use with a pressure washer, so borrowed back the hose reel from my daughter.

I bought a cheap one from aldi or lidl, can’t remember which

Have had it two years, used regularly. I did have one problem with it when the end somehow disconnected from the rubber hose inside the sheath. I was able to fix that and it’s been fine since. Lives outside plugged into the tap, get used for watering plants and hosing off the dog.

I was initially cynical but it works great

I’ve went through a few that have lasted weeks/months. Currently had this one for about a year. Works well Amazon expanding hose
I make sure to drain it down every time, especially in winter.

Cheers, we’re trying the hozelock tuff one from the Halfords sale, I’ve managed to add on some screwdrivers also in the sale, hopefully she’ll get on with it, I’ll stick with my wall mountable trolley one and hide the screwdrivers in the man cave.

Thread resurrection:

@towzer – how did the Tuff hose fare? Any good?  Our old basic Hozelock is full of kinks and has been drove over a few times. We’re looking for a new hose pipe

It’s still going strong, the mrs much prefers it to a normal hose, esp if you move it when it’s empty (and unpressurised) it’s much lighter and easier for her to manhandle around.

Got it very soon after original post done, hoselock , stored dry and was kept in a box for about a year, now hanging in big loops on two wall hooks but on an E facing wall so mainly out of sun and I’ll try to put it away in winter, may not be allowed (She just lifts off the amount she needs and drags it about) No problems, some scratching on outer cover (it’s dragged over porcelain, grass, flowerbeds, steps and a small wall) the Mrs says she will never go back to a normal hose.

It does seem to take away the fight of a cold hose, twisted the wrong way, refusing to wind back onto the reel without the need for 3 hands.

Ultimately I don’t think it will last as long as a normal hose but given its current condition I’m currently guessing at least 3 years stage and maybe 5.

If you were to really drag hard it round a lot of sharp corners I suspect that might damage the outer a bit quicker esp when compared to a real hose and I suspect keeping it out of the sun helps (fabric type cover)

thanks

I’ve never had one really last but tbh I still like em, they’re much easier to live with for certain jobs (and terrible for others, my power washer would literally suck mine flat and cause it to block).

Also I just really like the whole deal. Watching it inflate and sort of twitch around amused me no end. And I loved when it froze.

I got one, it lasted three years before splitting right next to the tap. The one thing a regular hose has over them is you can cut a bit off and cart on. I liked it though so replaced it with similar, a 30m hose from Amazon with one of those brand names which look like a Red Dwarf “cat word.” It’s still going strong, in the same space of time I’ve gone through three Y-splitters on the outside tap.

This one, in fact.

It gets used with a Nilfisk Core powerwasher without fuss so either my hose is better than Northwind’s or my washer is wimpier.