Garden hoses galore

[adam-aussie-vac]

Hey guys, I wanted to ask what is your preferred garden hose? I’m not really happy with the ones that are available in my country they are basically almost always the same half inch [12 mm], they also comes a version which is nearly 3/4 of an inch, but they are known for being quite inflexible, I do remember seeing this at Costco Australia but I don’t know if Costco Australia sells this brand of hose anymore, Sorry about the super blurry photos Plus, this hose is actually a 16 mm hose

 

[lowefficiency]

The bright green Flexzilla hoses are great.
They come in either a 5/8" or 3/4" ID.

 

[Marky_Mark]

I have noticed a difference in garden hoses between the UK and the US.   I went to Home Depot to buy one and came away with nothing because they were all very heavy duty (compared to what I was used to) and seemed unwieldy and unnecessarily thick and robust for my needs.  Basically contractor grade that would stand up to building site use, with solid metal fittings.  Definitely made to withstand use and abuse.  Overkill and too heavy for what I wanted.

 

Whereas the ones in the UK feel cheap in comparison and are usually much more lightweight and flexible and often come with a reel.  They are easy to use and move around. They also generally have flimsy "quick connect" plastic fittings that are easy to use but not very robust.  The way the hoses attach to these fittings means that they can easily leak and simply "pop off" the fitting.  Nothing heavy duty about them.

 

Having said that, I think both types are available in both countries.  So it sounds to me like you would prefer the type that is more common in the UK.  I am not sure if these links will work but here goes:

 

https://www.diy.com/outdoor-garden/watering/hoses-pumps-irrigation.cat

 

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Outdoor...g-Irrigation-Garden-Hoses/N-5yc1vZbx4e?Nao=48

 

[Marky_Mark]

Also, garden hoses are also often referred to as "hose pipes" in the UK.  I once said "hose pipe" to one of my American neighbours and he had no idea what I was talking about.  He was imagining some kind of pipe for a hose or something.  

 

[luxflairguy]

Mark! Having lived in Palm Desert for 5 years I know garden hose doesn't last long! The desert heat rots the hose fast! Buy the best hose you can afford if you want any longevity! Avoid storing hose in the direct sun if you can, that helps! Greg

 

[Marky_Mark]

Hi Greg

 

Well that would certainly explain why they are all so thick and heavy out here in the desert!

 

I didn't know you lived in Palm Desert.  Nice!  Good to hear that there are several other members around the Palm Springs area.

 

Mark

 

[jmm63]

I just bought the Flextreme from Costco, it was on sale so what the heck. Haven't used it yet, its to cold. Will see how it works out.
I've tried all the new style hoses....shrinking, fire fighter style, stainless braided. The only one I sort of liked was the fire fighter syle, but it got caught on something and ripped. So I'm back to a traditional one.

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

Let me know what the product code

As I’d love to pick one up at my local Costco store

 

[bradfordwhite]

It's inevitable, yearly I see several hoses at the curb or in similar situations and if the hosing itself appears to be in good condition, I will give it a new home, even if it needs repairs which it usually does.

For several reasons. I've had bad experiences buying new. It always seems the cheap ends they put on either leak, or literally blow off. Had an experience in 2020 where a brand new hose was leaching chemicals into the water. Whenever I ran the hose it had a horrible chemical smell AND the water was was killing the plants.

I also use hose pieces on occasion for other things like running rope through them to protect the rope from sun or using pieces to run electric fence wire through and give it insulation. I hate to waste a new hose for that.

Last summer I lucked out and got a nearly new 100' hose with bad ends. It was muddy so I simply got a soapy sponge, washed it down, sprayed it off and it was like new and doesn't kink. Cut off the ends, cut it in half, and put on new brass ends. Now I have two 50' good to go hoses that cost me about $10 for the ends.

In 2020 I found a yellow 50' hose when out on a walk, that it turned out had perfectly good ends. It was an 8' section in the middle that was bad. I cut that section out and joined the two pieces to make one good hose that replaced the smelly leaching hose that went back to the retailer. And that yellow hose is still going and didn't cost me anything.

Yes, as was mentioned above, keep your hoses out of the sun when not in use. And spool them the way they want to be spooled, don't kink the hose. Drain water and put in a shed or other place to keep mold from growing on them.

Also, the fittings in the UK, and perhaps other countries, are slightly different than they are here in the U.S. Here we have a dedicated hose thread that has treads spaced farther apart compared to 3/4" iron pipe threads. It appears that the UK, hose parts are the same threading as you'd find on 3/4" iron pipes.

It's always interesting the almost-but-not-quite compatibility between various countries.

https://dengarden.com/gardening/The-Complete-Guide-to-Hose-Fittings#:~:text=A%20Garden%20Tap%20Has%20a,%2FNHR)%20in%20the%20USA.

 

[gansky1]

 

 

I have bought these hoses from Costco (& similar offering of quality/price at Sam's club) for years now.  I have a 1/2 acre yard and need the 100' length for most any purpose.  I have two, front and back, and replace one each year.  Bought a 10' high-pressure (washer supply) hose for the electric pressure washer.  

 

I've experimented with different hoses over the years and found that no matter the style or how much I spend, they last about the same amount of time.

 

[circlew]

I have a Swan Soft & Supple 3/4" hose I bought about 30 years ago, and it's still in decent condition. I also have a Gilmore Flexogen 5/8" hose that's about 6 years old that I like.

 

[justjunque]

We have two or three perfectly good hoses that I'm going to have to find the energy and motivation to do some repairs on. Specifically, we seem to always buy the wrong type of nozzles, and they react chemically with the hose ends and weld themselves onto the hose.
And now, we have one hose that has welded itself onto the spigot on the front of the house.
I'm expecting that one to be especially challenging.

Barry

 

[mattl]

I have about a half dozen hoses, odds are all are 30+ years old. Most came from Sears, and outside of a few repairs they have done a great job. All are 5/8 or 3/4" units.

 

[brisnat81]

Hey Adam, just one thing to think of, is that AU uses BSP, the US uses NPT for pipe threads. I'm assuming that the tap connection is updated to be compatible with BSP, but you may find the other end is quite limited in what you can screw onto it, if its NPT.

Good Quality Gardena hoses are still made in Europe and come with a 10-20 year warranty. I'm not sure what you see as the issue?

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

I guess is more of a case of wanting something different

And I can understand where you’re coming from regards to BSP versus NPT but also American garden hoses use another type of thread called GHT literally known as Garden Hose Thread

 

[bradfordwhite]

$80 100' hose from Walmart

It looks like it's got sold brass ends but.... they'll probably leak.

Robot or human?

 

[brisnat81]

Which google says basically doesnt connect to anything useful in AU. I guess if you want a tube that water comes out of, then your all good. As long as you dont want to connect it to any Aussie fittings or sprinklers. Do they claim to come with all the fittings to give you the ability to connect to a tap and then a spray nozzle for the other end?

 

[adam-aussie-vac]

They actually do have adapters

And I found one I can easily get

 

[sudsmaster]

What Costco carries is generally above average quality, so I've been buying from there for the past 30 or so years.