I’ve finally moved to a house where i need a hose pipe. Really want a wall mounted one that retracts. Been looking at reviews on amazon and the hozelock one’s come out quite poorly.

Requirements are 35m or more and enables 180 swivel – preferably storing against the wall 180 as it will be going on a wall by the kitchen window by slabs where ppl walk to the garden

Saw a few

anything i should look at?

A big hook on the wall and learn to coil in a figure of 8 so it doesn’t kink and runs out freely. Cheap, no extra plastic and no more kinked hoses.

Got the Hozelock auto reel a while back as Screwfix were doing a deal. No complaints at all!

Gardena stuff is good if rather spendy – I have the non-retracting version and it seems really nice quality.

Another Gardena fan here, got loads of their stuff and all good.

Never had any issues with quality ot longevity

Go for brass fittings / connectors, the plastic ones always fall apart after a couple of winters.

I have the standard Hozelock one thats just a wheel that you wind up. TBH i think the hook and coil method is better as you spend so much time ‘feeding’ the hose on to the wheel so it doesn’t kink / tangle that it feels more hassle than its worth. Its probably OK if you run your hose straight out and straight back.

TBH i think the hook and coil method is better as you spend so much time ‘feeding’ the hose on to the wheel so it doesn’t kink / tangle that it feels more hassle than its worth.

yeah there was a (cheapo) manual winding jobbie on the wall when we bought the place. It was a pain hence replacing with the auto-reel.

and then there’s this

Looks like US

https://gardenerspath.com/gear/irrigation/best-garden-hose-reels/

very tempted by this one

h

seems to be the only one you can lock into place tilted

Metal hook and a heavy duty braided hose works well for us

Have got the Hozelock 30m auto one and half the time I have to pull all the hose out and carefully let it all feed back in at just the right rate so it coils up neatly inside. If any part goes where it shouldn’t it runs out of space and gets jammed with a few metres left to go. Having the water on at the tap makes it worse as the hose isn’t as flexible and won’t squish a bit.

Planning to just fit a tap at the bottom of the garden, and one at the front of the house, so I can just hook a shorter hose up when I need it.

Having the water on at the tap makes it worse as the hose isn’t as flexible and won’t squish a bit.

you have to turn the tap off and let all the water run out the hose before trying to reel it. Then it works perfectly every time.

We have a VonHaus reel. Cheaper than Hoselock and seems fine. The reels have an advantage over just coiling the hose because they protect it from UV.

Any strong recommendations for fixtures and fittings? All of mine seem to fall apart and leak after a disappointingly short amount of time. Hoselock and other brands, plastic or brass

Any strong recommendations for fixtures and fittings?

I fitted a tap and brass fitting from screwfix when we moved in 3 years ago. The hose is looking pretty mankey by now, the fittings and tap are fine.

you have to turn the tap off and let all the water run out the hose before trying to reel it. Then it works perfectly every time.

We have the 40m version and its still a PITA, very rarely all goes back in first time even with the water off and trying to let as much water out as possible as it goes back in. Definitely got worse over time.

[url=https://flic.kr/p/QRPFR2]Hozelock 40m reel[/url] by Ben Freeman, on Flickr

I’ve had the hozelock which eventually broke. Post mortem showed a small plastic part broke on the ratchet mechanism. p.s. Don’t try and take it apart there’s a huge coiled spring in there ready to bite!
Currently got a Gardena one. It seems slightly better made than the hozelock, but really only time will tell.
They both occasionally suffer from a slightly finicky winding mechanism, but don’t let that put you off it’s a load easier than a hook or manual winder.

we’ve a hozelock autoreel – I think the 25m job. its 13 years old now, works fine, although in cold weather (when the hose is less flexy) it takes a couple of turns or gets a little stuck. If you can run a ~50m reel but cut the hose down to (say) 40m I think it’d work better.

I always hold the attachment at the end (so water can be squeezed out) when reeling it back in.

Metal hook pics anyone?

We’ve had a Hozelock one like this https://www.diy.com/departments/hozelock-wall-mounted-hose-pipe-set-l-40m/179633_BQ.prd for at least 15 years.

It’s been fine for us, though I’ve recently replaced the hose in it as the original one had started springing leaks (I suspect where it had been abused over the years). </span>

I’ve recently replaced the hose in it as the original one had started springing leaks

I need to do this…any tips on what hose to buy or links to youtube that you used or just a case of undoing it and getting stuck in?

We’ve had a Hozelock one like this https://www.diy.com/departments/hozelock-wall-mounted-hose-pipe-set-l-40m/179633_BQ.prd for at least 15 years.

I’ve got the same one – no issues whatsoever. Manual wind away so less to go wrong (I hope). Always winds away without any kinkiness, no leaking, solidly attached to wall.

Got one of these guides attached to the wall to help guide the hose in and out of the reel: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Silverline-770264-Hose-Guide/dp/B005DQAYN4/ref=asc_df_B005DQAYN4/

Our metal hook was what we fitted 30 years ago. Its an reused old gutter bracket. Our daughters is hung on a hanging basket bracket that’s been reused

I got the B&Q Verve one about 6 months ago as its about half the price of Hoselock. No problems so far and it gets used almost daily washing bikes, kayaks, cars and watering the veg.

Very strong return spring – takes some effort to fully pull out the hose. The trick to getting it back in (albeit i’ve never had a problem with it) is to switch off tap, pull trigger and keep it pulled so water comes out as it retracts. Also run you hand over the hose as it goes in to wipe off muck and stones so they don’t get into the mechanism.

Full 180 degree mount and so much less hassle than a manual one, can recommend.

B&Q jobbie

Edit – I’m sure it was only £50 in January!

I just bought this https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B086N3BM25/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o07_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Only 30m but its a proper solid bit of kit, much better quality than the hozelock rubbish it replaced.

Always winds away without any kinkiness

Not gonna let this pass unappreciated!

Any strong recommendations for fixtures and fittings?

I read the other day that Geka are very good, German brand with typical Teutonic quality, not used them personally as my Hozelock ones are limping along but will try them when the current plastic ones expire. They just look more robust and generally better put together.

BTW, after having a leaking outside tap flooding the garage every time it was used, I watched a youtube video on how to fix it. Literally took about 60 seconds to repack with ptfe, should’ve done it years ago. Also wrapped it round the hose clamp arrangements on the fittings and it’s now bone dry in there. If that sounds like your tap sort it this weekend. Takes seconds!
TLDR – PTFE ftw imho

No idea on any of those we have had a hozelock one we inherited

But those of you having feeding issues.

One of those about 3 foot from the reel pointing at the ideal feed in angle solves 99% of feed in issues

ALDI bargain!

https://www.aldi.co.uk/gardenline-retractable-garden-hose/p/805393479370200

Ours came with the hose guide that @trail_rat recommends up there. ^

I have one of those feed / roller things and maybe its the angle of the dangle but I still get coiling issues.

In the winter I have a shorter 2 – 3 metre hose with attachments on as the coiled hose freezes. If the short one freezes I can quickly defrost it to wash the dog etc. Its easy to swap the hoses in and out depending on what I’m doing.

What I really want to do is set up a system of hoses / taps so that each section of garden (front / lower terrace / upper terrace) all have a little stretchy hose so that I’m not reeling out 40 metres of hose, just chucking a 10 metre lenghty of coily hose under a section of hedge after I’ve finished.

@pedlad

Sorry, I missed your question.

I did a bit of a search on Google, couldn’t find the same type, so I just started taking it to bits.

I used this

https://www.screwfix.com/p/fitt-30m-heavy-braided-nts-wintech-hose/8902j

You’ll need a long bladed Philips screwdriver. I replaced the fancy hose clip on the inside with a jubilee clip, and treated the seals to some silicone grease as I rebuilt it.

Whats the recommendation diameter wise for hoses ? The standard old type size or the more modern seemingly narrow type ?
Narrow type higher pressure or something 😕