Advice on Hosepipes

[LuluBlakey1]

In the last 3 years I have had 3 Hose-lock expanding hosepipes. Each of them has 'burst'. Two have been replacements fir the first one- they are guaranteed. I can't see the point of taking the 3rd one back now the same thing has happened.

Any advice or recommendations about best hosepipes?

I can't bear the solid ones that kink and are hard to rewind.

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MNHQ

Get a heavy duty hose pipe on a good quality wall mounted reel. It shouldn't kink.

What would count as a 'heavy duty' hosepipe? We had a decent quality solid yellow Hozelock one before the expanding ones and it was mounted on the wall but it kinked really badly. when I rewound it and pulled it out to use it. The garden is about 90ft and I spent so much time unkinking it because of the stoppages- was a pain to use.

I bought a cheapo for £15 quid in April after having looked at the Hozelock ones and then reading reviews. Decided not to spend that much if they usually only last a year. It gets put in the shed after each use, as I thought it might last longer than if it sits out in the weather all the time. Daily use, and so far so good.

What about the auto reel ones that automatically retract back into the reel. Would solve the winding issue, but I don't know if it resolves the kinking.

We found our expanding ones failed during winter so now we have an expanding one out with a multi-function gun from spring - late autumn, during which time we always turn it off at the tap and empty the tube when not in use: so it isn't left pressurised.

We then replace it for a short piece of fixed length tubing and a simple on/off nozzle for the winter. That's all we need during the winter months when watering is rare and so easly done by watering can, if need be.

So far, so good.

The solid yellow hozlock kinks. You need the grey and yellow striped version.

Do you really need a hosepipe to water and do the things that are being watered actually need to be watered with tap water?

If you have a shed/garage/greenhouse down the end of the garden you can collect rainwater there as well as from the house roof. Rainwater is much better for plants.

I adore my retractable one! Occasional kinks but nothing much.

I got my retractable one from Argos and leave it out . It’s great

I bought a cheaper expandable one from the local garden centre. Seems fine. We'll see. Our garden tap is under the kitchen window and it's a bit of a palaver to get the hose to the bottom of the garden but I managed ok with it.

I ummed and ahhhed and then bought an expensive one which has an enclosed reel so the hose isn't exposed to the UV light and it has a special internal feed which forces it to reel back in neatly.

It's hozelock and grey and yellow which I think is a sturdier one?

Those expanding ones are great for the reasons you mention but my experience has been the same as yours - they burst after not very long. I have grey with yellow lines hozelock hosepipe on a wall mounted reel and that works very well and doesn't kink.

What about having 2 lengths you join together, so the other end is always at least halfway down the garden set up for the bottom end? It might make putting it away easier

Has it burst or has it been eaten by mice? This seems to be the issue from what I have seen from my friends and me, so I have an expanding hose but bring it in the house during winter

It goes in it's container, in the shed for winter. Not mice.

Every time I use my self retracting Hozelock it makes me happy. So worth the money (about £150). Treat yourself you won't regret it