I hate coiling hoses. They look nicer that way but when you uncoil them the are prone to kinking. Sometimes I just lay out the house in a big U shape. A hose reel seems like it could solve the problem. However, so far the hose reels I have seen look pretty cheap (as in would probably not last long). Just wondering if anyone can offer any advise. Anyone ever make their own hose reel? Why can’t hoses just be taught to magically coil and uncoil themselves?
I have a hose reel at the barn, bought at Lowes, holds about 75’ of hose. Husband mounted on to posts by the faucet, Works very well. We also have a hose reel on wheels up by the house, holds a lot of hose, harder to wind the hose on because it moves but portable you can role it where you need it.
I prefer this: https://www.amazon.com/Geckos-Toes-Water-Hose-Rack/dp/B004KTLP10/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496088346&sr=8-1&keywords=gecko+toes
neat, and less bulky than a hose reel
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We have a Rapid Reel hose reel in the barn and it works really well. I think they changed the name to Eley now. Expensive but worth it in the end. We have tried the cheaper ones and they just don’t work as well or last. The RR one is at least 8 years old and still going strong, where the other ones never last a year around here.
Before we installed yard hydrants at each pasture, we used long hoses. An auto rim mounted on a wall or post made storing the hoses easy and kink free. Didn’t wind the hose on the rim, just made long loops that the rim held off the ground. Aluminum wheels make rust free holders.
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I am a confirmed convert to auto-rewind hoses. We have 4 on our property. 3 are 75’ and one is 150’. I can’t speak for the brands that are available in the US, but I have 2 of the top brand/most expensive ones, and 2 of a less known, more moderately-priced ones here in the UK. I’ve had all of them for between 8 and 10 years without incident. We have extensive garden beds on all sides of our house which require consistent watering throughout the warmer months. We also have an auto-rewind hose outside our tack and feed room. The ease of use and the time-savings with the auto-rewind hoses is a pleasure. One little tug on the hose, and it is automatically rewound in seconds.
I think that’s better than a standard hose holder but it looks like you still have to “coil the hose” for that one to work. I think I’m looking for some kind of reel.
I went to Amazon US and searched for auto-rewind garden hoses. Quite a few are available. I cannot recommend them highly enough. When looking at the ones offered, make sure you are looking at water hoses and not air hoses.
I leave mine out all winter, despite the fact that I’m not using them in freezing conditions. The hose reel can be lifted off its mount and stored indoors if need be.
100% agree. Frontgate actually makes a good one, I have the 100’ retractable hose in my wash rack and it is AWESOME.
That looked brilliant, and cheap - $9.48, in fact - so I went to buy it at Amazon.ca as I’m in Canada, and it’s over $35 Cdn. Habloodyha.
I have this one. It makes rewinding a breeze and I can do it one handed.
Yikes!!! That is quite the price hike!
The hose reel carts are a nice idea but ours had a tendency to tip over when I was pulling off hose. Fully loaded it was top heavy and prone to falling over on all but the smoothest flat ground. I considered a wider, heavier duty option and never found it.
We just drag them around. Coiling is less awful when you properly manage the twist (overhand/underhand coiling method) but that’s not easy for people with short arms or large hoses. Also coiling doesn’t prevent it from tangling unless you uncoil loop by loop.
In my experience a heavier grade hose will kink and twist less and therefore be less difficult.
My next upgrade in water handling is a tote container on the 3pt of our tractor. Then I can fill the tote right next to the barn while doing other things and drive out to the pasture needing water and quickly fill a few.
The BO bought a nice heavy duty hose reel on a 4-wheel cart. Worked great, but she retired it because almost everyone who helped with barn chores didn’t coil it up neatly. It would get all tangled up and took forever to untangle. Without the reel the hose would be all over the place and a tripping danger. Big barn, the aisleway is 200’ long. Now I chuckle to myself when I watch the kids hauling buckets back and forth.
I have two of these, one new I got half off this past weekend, one is like 4-5 years old.
There’s a teeny leak in the older one, the connection from the reel to the actual hose, but it’s very small and I just make sure to turn the water off when I’m not using the hose. Otherwise, it’s still in great shape.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Suncast-Plastic-175-ft-Cart-Hose-Reel/3058155
One barn I was at had a reel like this:
http://www.frontgate.com/vector-retractable-hose-reel/772441?SourceCode=ZZ51120&cm_mmc=Comparison+Shopping--Google+Product+Listings--NA-_-NA&intlShippingCtx=US%7CUSD&CAWELAID=120245420000046565&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=40753058762&CATCI=pla-335415940927&catargetid=120245420001842372&cadevice=c&gclid=CjwKEAjw07nJBRDG_tvshefHhWQSJABRcE-ZtR024pwbXsWtCP_LJc0ElqUKCwr84YRol50GiPrp3xoC6Rzw_wcB
Had it for about two years before I left the barn, it held up pretty well; occasionally the auto-retraction mechanism would stick, but no major issues.
I think something like this would be good. I don’t really see the need for a cart.
I use an old aluminium racing wheel rim, attached to the wall so that you can turn it. It’s mounted above the frost free faucet.
Jeez here I am just wanting the tap on the side of my house fixed so I don’t have to turn it on/off from inside the house :lol::lol:
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The key to not kinking hose when you pull it out of its coiled position, is to do a figure 8 coil. That keeps the alignment of the hose the same through all the curves, which makes it much harder to kink when you pull it out.
That said, i do both - do the fig 8 for the 2 hoses that attach to the house when they need to get out of the way for mowing, and for the longest one - 150’ - I do reel it onto a wheeled carrier for the Winter when it’s rarely used.
I have a reel for the barn hose as well. It lives outside, and the shortest hose I would get for the barn is the 75’ Professional hose from Sam’s, which is way more than I ever need, so most of it stays reeled up.
I have plenty hose experience with several hundred feet of hose to my name in various public garden locations. I hate coiling hoses, so my tips are:
- Buy the best industrial hose you can afford. Won’t kink.
- Spend money on a quality powder coated metal winding reel. Plastic? No. Cart or wall mount style depends on your needs but get quality. If it has wheels make sure they’re solid or swap pneumatic ones for solid. A 200’ long hose on a cart will be heavy unless drained - get 4 vs 2 wheeled cart.
- Buy quality brass connectors and quality sprayers. Put filters on all the spray etc end fixtures so they don’t clog with dirt.
- Don’t let people drive machinery over your hoses - great way to kill them.
- Self winding hose? Sign me up!
- Racks where you have to self coil the hose? Hard work. If you’re not gonna buy a reel just coil the hose into a big tubtrug. Then at least it’s portable.
