Advice about Garden Hoses

My husband bought one of those expandable garden hoses. He loves it, but wishes he'd bought a longer one, as the one he has won't reach to the end of the garden.

Hozelock now do one of those magic hoses, which is annoying as I've been looking for one for ages and ended up buying a cheap one from the market the other day. However, I bought a similar one from the market the other year that lasted quite well; I think it perished because I stupidly left it outside all winter. The hozelock one is @ £40. Garden hoses have the same effect on me mentally as 'mating coathangers', so I never intend to go back to a reel one.For @ £15 it's worth trying a cheap one to see how you get on with it.

Yes; I struggle with trying to work out how long a hose I might need. I only have a small back garden but probably need one that will reach through to the front garden sometimes.

As our garden is quite long (150 feet) I ran a long length of hose along the side boundary, buried and anchored it and and then have a shorter piece at the far end, long enough to water the veg patch, which I attach when needed.

At the house end I have some hose on a reel permanently attached to the outside tap that can either be unreeled to water the containers round the house or slightly unrolled and attached to the fixed boundary hose to water the vegetables.

It means that I never have to cope with reeling and unreeling long lengths of hose and drag them round the garden. My hoses all stay outside all year round and have been outside 15 years plus without decay or leaks (except when I ran the lawn mower of it.)

Husband bought one on a reel which is supposed to curl itself back with a click. But all it does with me is get longer and longer, then suddenly decides to obey and nearly sweeps me off my feet as it reels back.

We use these: Homeme 100FT Expandable Flexible Garden Hose & Spray Gun, from Amazon.

We have huge copper pots by each tap in back and front, we keep the hoses and sprayers, along with other garden things in the pots. At the far end of the Garden we have a summer house with a tap and copper pot full of more usual hose.

No link, sorry.

Magic hoses are good but fragile!!

I have bought a new hozelock.. bloody useless. So I have now bought a Gardena one from Homebase. My hozelock leaked from the tap and from the very weak head . Bought a new spray head which was nearly expensive as the hose. Still leaked. I am giving it yo my daughter.

Have not tried the new one yet as the heavens opened just as we got back with it.

Spent nearly £100 now.

I never seem able to use a garden hose without getting soaked myself in the process ???
Either it "blows " off the tap or the sprinkler gun head blows and either way I get a drenching.

I have a long Hozelock on a reel. I don't have problems with kinking, but it leaks badly at the tap, junction at reel and spraygun joint. I bought a new set of these apaptors and they were even worse than the old ones! I should be interested to hear how the Gardena is. I think that they advertise compatability with Hozelock so might try new 'bits' made by them.

I can't carry loads of watering cans.
So, I have three hoses, one for the front patch, one for the bit directly behind the house, and one like M0nica's buried and going down the rather long garden - and this one can fill a water butt down the end. I started this when we had a hose ban, as I can fill the butt (allowed)and then use a can or attach it to a soaker hose for veg.

No trouble except when the hose gets kinked and the water stops...when I run to the tap before the back pressure floods the back loo!

Had an X hose (expandable hose) now for at least 4yrs
Its great.
It shrinks back and can be stored in a small box that hangs from outside tap. The nozzle has several different. spray adjustments and can be left on.
Mine is about 75 ft when expanded.
They are sold in various lengths.

Since the X hose first came on the market there are now a number of much cheaper versions to be found

Ps DGC love it also

*Gangy58 I have exactly the same with my Hozelock hose. All the B thing does is to twist and collapse from the very start. The cursing it causes me is dreadful.

The different makes of watering tools with all the slightly different fittings do not always work well so you need to keep to the same brand of fittings.

We had a toughened Gardena hose one which was good for many years but time in the sun has made it go hard. I would get another Gardena one.

The joints for sprayers etc do wear out in time. They are literally under a lot of pressure when in use and the spring clipped ends become weakened and begin to leak.

Ah Nellie ! makes sense x

The expandable ones are brilliant - but buy a good one - I got one from ebay and it sprang three leaks within a week.

My brother informed me that he has one and when you turn the tap on it is "like an erection." Hmm!

I really struggled to find a good quality expandable one [hence buying a cheapo one from the market]. Then found a good quality one from a garden centre. Homebase sella bright red one [which I didn't really want hanging around the garden] and you had to order one from B&Q as they didn't stock them.

luckygirl erect hoses and vibrators!
Can't think what GN coming to

My thanks to you all with your experiences. For me a good solution might be running a hose from the back of the house to the front through a boundary hedge then attaching ends as required as Monica and Alie have!!

We have the brilliant Xhose.Makes watering the garden fun!

Buy the longest one though, as stretching it can damage it. Sounds a bit risque!

Anyone with experience with 'Leaky Hose' ?

I had some that worked very well in Oxford years ago, but have tried two kinds recently that just wouldn't work. I've success at the moment with a short one for my bean rows; I used a drill to make a series of bigger holes in a 4m length, joined to a normal hose from my water butt at the bottom of the garden.

My sister is using one she recommends, from her garden tap,and I've sent for some of this, not arrived yet. Called Hydrosure. Anyone tried it?