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High quality garden hose?

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posted 12 years ago

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Can anyone recommend a high quality garden hose that can take the heat in So Cal. Must be lead free, no smell in the water when it comes out, etc. Cost is not an issue.

Thanks
Jerry

John Polk

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posted 12 years ago

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Generally, the toughest hoses are the red ones - much more durable than the typical green ones.
Usually, the red ones are manufactured for farm & industrial use, while the green ones are designed to 'not stand out' in the home garden. One is commercial grade, while the other is designed for home use.

Goodyear even makes a (red one) designed for HOT WATER (up to 190* F).

Kinking is the biggest killer of hoses, and hoses kink because most people coil them up wrong.

When you coil up a hose, you should lay down one loop, then while holding up the hose where the loop ends, feed in the next loop in the opposite direction. Do this all the way, alternating the direction of the loops. If every loop is the same direction, the next time you stretch the hose, each loop will create half a kink. If you have 20 loops, you will end up with 10 kinks - and these tend to become permanent. If you have coiled the hose using the alternate direction looping, the first loop will still create half of a kink, but the next loop, in the opposite direction, will create a half kink in the opposite direction, thus erasing the first half kink.

This technique will more than double the life expectancy of the hose, and save you hours of frustration during the life of the hose.

John Pollard

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posted 12 years ago

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http://www.teknorapex.com/division/hose

I bought one of their hoses at sams club and it was very high quality. Made in USA. I see they have Eco-Smart hoses.

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Nicola Bludau

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posted 12 years ago

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I generally found that the more expensive hoses are better. And it is better to let them lay around than to roll them up each time especially with the cheap ones.

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Johnny Niamert

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posted 12 years ago

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I prefer the black 'high quality' hoses from walmart. Not sure of the name.
Even more than the red/orange contractor hoses. These degrade in the sun much faster.

J Argyle

Posts: 39

posted 11 years ago

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I would be cautious of any hose that has not been tested. This is a non-profit that tests household items. http://www.ecocenter.org/healthy-stuff/reports/gardening-water-hoses

Craftsman rubber hose has low level of harmful chemicals. These are two new brands that seem like great options. They are both made from Polyurethane.

http://www.waterrightinc.com/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00M8UUWV2/ref=aw_wl_ov_dp_1_2?colid=30D54FY3DCVCJ&coliid=I3A6MOXQLS0Y12&vs=1#

I would also be cautious of brass, unless it is lead free. I would not use PVC Do it's many additives and health risks. Here are a few of them that have been linked to PVC; birth defects, impaired learning, liver toxicity, premature births and early puberty in laboratory animals, among other serious health problems.

Alder Burns

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posted 11 years ago

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For semi-permanent use outdoors, I've found that ordinary black plastic irrigation tubing....the heavier, more rigid kind usually used with emitters, lasts as long or longer in the sun than anything else, and is certainly cheaper. I've used it multiple times for solar hot showers.....just a 50-100 foot coil set in the sun, with plastic over it in cold weather. Never had one get brittle or leak except at a joint. The shower water didn't smell at all, after the little bit of water ran out from the rubber hose that connected the coil to the showerhead. The problem is that such hose can't be moved easily or coiled, etc, without crimping.

John Miller

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posted 9 years ago

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Flex-Tech RTW hose is heavy duty thermoplastic PVC hose. Most thermoplastic hose companies have done away with the lead and are now moving towards eliminating phthalates from their product. Even though phtalates have not been completely proven to cause cancer and other effects, there are several articles putting it under fire for potential. Flex-Tech is heavy duty yet lightweight because it is not rubber. It does very well in the ozone and all types of weather. It won't mark your hands or your driveway either. It is all made in the US as well. www.flextechhose.com Two of their distributors are www.austinhose.com or www.rrproducts.com However, if you want to be completely safe from worrying about your kids drinking from the hose you may want to try out a marine/RV water hose as it is NSF 61 certified and lead and phthalate free.

Peter VanDerWal

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posted 9 years ago

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Sears "Craftsman" hoses have a lifetime warranty. I have several that I have been using here in southern Arizona for over 10 years and they are still in great condition. This includes a couple that are left out in the sun year round. They aren't cheap however.

Now I'm not sure how much longer Sears will continue to honor their "Lifetime" warranty, they seem to have gone down hill on many things since they merged with K-mart. On the other hand, honoring a warranty isn't an issue if it never fails.

My opinions are barely worth the paper they are written on here, but hopefully they can spark some new ideas, or at least a different train of thought

John Miller

Posts: 2

posted 9 years ago

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Financially Sears is in trouble. It has been for a while according to some Linked In articles I've read. And if I am correct Craftsman may have been bought out as well. So I would expect some quality issues in the meantime...

Timothy Norton

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posted 1 year ago

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After having multiple issues with different hoses having different issues, I believe that hoses are one of the things that you get what you pay for.

I usually look for hoses marketed for contractor or professional use that have brass fittings. The ones that utilize rubber seem to last. I drag and abuse my hoses on the regular. Could I be gentle, but who has time for that?

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Trace Oswald

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posted 1 year ago

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Few things aggravate me more than hoses that kink, and so far, I haven't been able to find one that doesn't at pretty much any price. Anyone that knows of really good, kink-proof hoses, I would love to hear about it.

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Tommy Bolin

Posts: 215

Location: 55 deg. N. Central B.C. Zone 3a S. Nevada. Hot and dry zone

posted 1 year ago

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The black rubber hoses built by Goodyear/Continental in 3/4 with heavy solid brass ends are the best compromise I've found. Lighter than the real heavy red contractor grade. They can kink as will most hoses if you expect to just drag them off a pile. They do however wear very well and stay flexible to far colder temps than the current crop of vinyl WalMart grade garbage. One of my criteria.
Not sure if they are still available at Home Depot. They came on closeout up here at Prince George Home Depot for like 22.00CAD or something ridiculous, I bought all ten they had, without blinking.
The other hose I would consider is the canvas layflat. I bought 200ft of 3/4, to use it on the last fire I was out on here, 2023. Way tough, solid ends, very light, easy to store. Kind of unkink themselves when pressurized. Keep out of the weather, when not in use, should last forever. Greenline, I believe is the brand here.

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Rico Loma

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posted 1 year ago

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My response to these great ideas will have to wait.... I want to first send some well founded respect to Tommy and his vast experience. I am pretty new here, with a little education, but I stop whatever I'm doing to carefully read your posts , Mr Bolin. You have so much hand_to_hand combat experience, from many large machines to the apple eating bears, and yall seem to fight the good fight with a smile at 35 below zero. Thanks, we learn important things here in sweaty GA

Back to the OP, in the mists of time, who was hesitant to use poor quality hoses. i too worry about plastic, rubber, vinyl in everyday homesteading. Are we perhaps irrigating with toxic plastics? I have a suspension of disbelief when it comes to potable water, if I need to water vegetables with very clean water. I do have some drip irrigation, but should I begin again without microplastics or potentially nanoplaxtics? Using good hoses .....but more often the half inch irrigation hose for long distance, that is concerning me. Opinions please, maybe from those of the scientific ilk. Much obliged.

thomas rubino

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posted 1 year ago

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And here in the mountains, with 300' of vertical drop, water arriving at the hydrant in the yard is at 125 psi.
Not even commercial hoses last more than a few hours.
I must purchase a 200-psi industrial air hose and have hose bib ends installed.
Any other hose will burst from the pressure.

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Jackson Bradley

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posted 1 year ago

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During our over 3 year RV travel hiatus, most folks used regular zero G, drinking water zero G and camco Rv hoses.

The zero G hoses used to be good but someone else must make them now because they leak after minimal use. That being said, the outer layer of material helps prevent the inner hose from deterioration and replacing a leaking end with a new brass fitting is only a couple bucks. The camco ones do well and kink less but deteriorate a little quicker in the sun.

Both brands are better than most hoses and almost all you will see at campgrounds.

I have our original zero G hose and am using it as I write this as we still live in the RV.. It was purchased in late 2020 and has spent almost 100% of the time in the sun. Once I replaced the male and female ends, after they leaked, no issues. The drinking water variety are only 1/2" diameter, but have always provided more than enough pressure for our needs.

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Tommy Bolin

Posts: 215

Location: 55 deg. N. Central B.C. Zone 3a S. Nevada. Hot and dry zone

posted 1 year ago

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thomas rubino wrote:And here in the mountains, with 300' of vertical drop, water arriving at the hydrant in the yard is at 125 psi.
Not even commercial hoses last more than a few hours.
I must purchase a 200-psi industrial air hose and have hose bib ends installed.
Any other hose will burst from the pressure.

Then you sir, are a candidate for the 3/4 canvas layflat. Guaranteed to 300 psi., tested to maybe 600. Resists kink when full of water, stores easy, ultra light. Lay it up like the firefighters do, long laps back and forth in your truck or next to the house, can just grab and go, no kinks, nothing to uncoil.
Jerk it around something sharp and it will cut. Not as durable as rubber carcass for sure.

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Catie George

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posted 1 year ago

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My issue with hoses is leaks at the ends - 1 year old expensive hoses will leak where the hose fittings attach to the hose itself.

My well pump/pressure tank doesn't even have that much pressure!

Tanya White

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Posts: 133

Location: Western NC, zone 6B/7A

posted 1 year ago

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No issues with 3 different Water Right hoses, 400 series. No major kinks. Longest one is 100+25 feet. Only complaint would be a little tricky to coil up when you first get it. They seem to get better with time.

R Scott

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Location: Tennessee 7b

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posted 1 year ago

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Tommy Bolin wrote:

thomas rubino wrote:And here in the mountains, with 300' of vertical drop, water arriving at the hydrant in the yard is at 125 psi.
Not even commercial hoses last more than a few hours.
I must purchase a 200-psi industrial air hose and have hose bib ends installed.
Any other hose will burst from the pressure.

Then you sir, are a candidate for the 3/4 canvas layflat. Guaranteed to 300 psi., tested to maybe 600. Resists kink when full of water, stores easy, ultra light. Lay it up like the firefighters do, long laps back and forth in your truck or next to the house, can just grab and go, no kinks, nothing to uncoil.
Jerk it around something sharp and it will cut. Not as durable as rubber carcass for sure.

Or get a pressure regulator on the hydrant to cut it back to safe levels.

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R Scott

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posted 1 year ago

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One of my favorites these days is flexzilla pro. The hose is ok but the ends are compression fittings that you can take apart and reuse. If you cut the hose at the end, just pull the end off the short piece and turn your 100 footer to a 95.

Sarah Milcetic

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posted 1 year ago

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The Water Right hoses we purchased in 2014 with stainless still parts are still as good as the day we bought them except that the plastic that wrapped around the outside of the hoses near the ends (to prevent you from bending it at too hard of an angle) broke. The hoses are perfectly usable without those though. We added one more hose from the same company a couple of years ago to reach further and noticed it felt thinner and lighter overall but still seems like it's higher quality than anything else I've encountered.

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Dave Bross

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posted 1 year ago

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I have one of the Goodyear black rubber hoses that has spent the last 30 years laying out in the sun here in FL.

M Rives

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Location: Zone 6a

posted 1 year ago

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thomas rubino wrote:And here in the mountains, with 300' of vertical drop, water arriving at the hydrant in the yard is at 125 psi.
Not even commercial hoses last more than a few hours.
I must purchase a 200-psi industrial air hose and have hose bib ends installed.
Any other hose will burst from the pressure.

Yikes! That kind of pressure will make a toilet valve explode. Have you considered a pressure reducing valve?

https://www.supplyhouse.com/Pressure-Reducing-Valves-17082000

Matthew Nistico

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posted 1 year ago

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Without a doubt, my favorite garden hose is NeverKink brand, available at LOWES (among other places?). It is a heavy duty hose that is, true to its name, very resistant to kinking. It has solid male and female connectors. I also live in a hot climate like the OP and can guarantee it will take the heat. I don't actually know about lead-free, but I am assuming so.

They aren't cheap, but they aren't exorbitant either. The best thing is that they come with a lifetime warrantee. No questions asked. Even a good hose dies after enough years of use. Just haul it to a LOWES, let them find the purchase on your credit card store history (or really, the most recent purchase of any NeverKink hose you bought; they couldn't know the difference), and then walk out the store with a new one in hand.

I own four NeverKink hoses and I'm probably on the second or third generation of each one! What can I say, I put my hoses through the wringer.

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