Steve 96C4S

I wrote a glowing review about this $94.99 Suncast Self Winding Hose Reel for 993 car washing (I got it for sale for $76.99) that used water to power the winding mechanism. I should have known that it was too good to be true, eventually, just 3 months later the yellow handle the turns the water pressure on to rewind the hose back in snapped off in my hand. The whole thing is plastic, an ingenious use of plastic, but cheap plastic so it was bound to break. I didn't realize it would happen so fast though. I thought I'd at least get 3 years of use out of it as no one on Rennlist said theirs broke in the time they've owned it. Here's what it looked like. I just returned it to Lowes.


I need another hose reel. It CAN'T be attached to my house. I has to sit on our back patio. I don't want to drill anything into the siding so that limits what I can get. Everything else at Lowes looked like junk, so I just ended up getting this for $49.99. The top of it is dark brown and it's kind of hideous looking compared to the svelte water powered one I just returned. Or, am I being too picky and this is just fine?
Suncast 225' Capacity Smart Trak Hose Hideaway Reel
Hose Hideaway Hose Reel with Smart Trak Hose Guide
Holds 225' of 5/8 inch hose
Easylink system ensures a watertight connection between hose reel and hose
Comes fully assembled and made from sturdy resin

Hose Length (Feet): 225.0
Reel Material: Plastic
Type of Hose Reel: Hideaway
Hose Guide: Yes
Warranty: limited
Manual: Yes



Do you have ANY recommendations of nice looking hose reels that are under $90 that are free standing, and won't break within a year or 2? I know you can't guarantee that, but if it's your experience that it lasts a while longer, that would be perfect. I live in the Northeast and use my hose reel year round, even in the winter. I'm guessing it's probably better and easier to give up and just keep the ugly Suncast one I just got, but it sure would be nice to find an attractive metal one that would last a while. It's in a high profile area, our back porch, so I want it to look half decent.

Cheers,
Steve R

Black993

Well, you bought the same brand, so I'd look for similar performance.


I hate hose reels, other than one made of an MY02 wheel attached to the side of the house, but thats not an option!. I'm sure Andreas could fab somethin' up for ya

chris walrod

Go to home depot and get a $25 manual wind model --- never break!

odurandina

i love you guys !!

always more cool stuff !!

AOW162435

Andreas

Steve 96C4S

That's a beaut, Andreas. Would that one fit into my $90 or under budget?

Good point about staying with Suncast will probably yield a similar result. I just found reviews of the one I just bought on Amazon and people mention that it tips over if unwound past the 1/2 way point, and the plastic nozzles don't last that long causing frustrating leaks. I'd love to get this one from Griot's Garage but it's $189, and fairly ugly anyway. it would last a long time though, I'm sure.


Industrial Hose Reel And Cart
A Professional Water Hose And Hose Reel Cart That Makes Transporting Heavy Hoses A Walk In The Park
Rolling up a hose and carrying it around the yard is a "reel" pain. Don't underestimate the weight of a 100-foot water-filled hose! Put an end to bending over, or dragging the hose to Timbuktu! Our rugged, Industrial Hose Reel & Cart is made of die-cast aluminum and covered in super-tough, "extreme-duty" paint for years of good looks. It will never rust! The foam-filled tires are 10" diameter to easily roll over any surface and won't sink into wet, soft turf. Reeling the hose in is effortless too; even when filled with water! Includes a 5/8" high-grade "water source" connecting hose. You can store up to 100 feet of 5/8" hose on this reel, like our awesome 5/8" ID (inside diameter) Industrial 100' Water Hose. Freeze it, run over it, beat on it. This hose can take it. Compare ours to your normal "garden variety" hose and you'll see our couplings are made from solid brass and have hex fittings so you can tighten them with a wrench, vs. stamped "thin wall" couplings that disfigure just by dropping them! Our 50 foot, 3/4" ID hose flows 300% more water (26 gpm) than a 1/2" hose does. 50 foot or 100 foot lengths available and sold separately. Please allow 2 - 3 weeks for standard delivery of Industrial Hose Reel And Cart.

This one is $65 and at least looks good, but it doesn't reel it in nicely like a hose reel and doesn't hold a 75 ft hose, which is what I have...


Hose Bowl with Lid

Don't leave your hose in an untidy heap...keep it coiled and ready to use with this decorative garden hose holder.

Tired of having your garden hose in a tangle, cluttering your garden and tripping unwary feet? Then it's about time that you keep your garden hose neatly coiled and under cover in this attractive covered hose pot! Not only will your garden hose be out of the way, but it'll be so much easier to use when it's time to water your plants or wash the car.
This attractive garden hose bowl looks like stone but is crafted of lightweight fiberglass and resin, so it's easy to move anywhere. Beautifully accented with sculpted-look bands on the top and bottom, this hose holder pot stores up to 25 feet of 5/8" garden hose, and includes a lid to make your hose disappear. The Hose Bowl with Lid measures 17-1/8" in diameter x 12-1/4" tall. 16 lbs.

mongrelcat

Fab'ulous! (Nice clock too.)

TMc993

The repeated expansion and contraction brought on by significant high/low ranges in ambient temperature can cause stress points on outdoor-use plastic devices of any type to weaken and eventually break. This is particularly true when the daily lows are below 32 and the highs are in the 70's, a situation that occurs several weeks in a row every spring and fall in regions below the Mason-Dixon line. My strategy is to spend as little as possible on any given device like this and be happy if it lasts for more than a year...I figure that if I spend $50 on something and it lasts 52 weeks, then I've got less than $5 a week invested in the device...I spend more than $5 a week on coffee.

AOW162435

Certainly, but you'll need to supply the wheel.


Andreas

JDHertz11

I was looking for the original self winding hose reel thread. Anyone?

curve lover

Jason-- Steve 96C4S's "Just bought my 1st Water Powered Hose reel - pretty impressed" thread

Steve-- I'm guessing you've ruled this out, may not be weather-proof enough for your purposes...

odurandina

this last photo is just a bit too "california - i only have a 30' x 40' back yard" for me.

just a bit too sanitary.

my yard ends about 500 feet back of the house at the charles river ahahah - lol.

AOW162435

Shop beater.


Andreas

Steve 96C4S

Wow, you found my original thread. Cool beans. Yeah, that pic of the hose reel with the water faucet, and tools hanging on it is still a water powered device where the handle on it will surely break in a few months if it's anything like mine was.

I'm actually just leaning towards keeping the cheap $49.95 one I bought tonight as I can't imagine a solution for less than $90 that's going to work better. As tmc993 mentioned, if these things last a year or 2 I guess I'm lucky. It's just that I had a Suncast one at my old house that lasted at least 5 years and cost about $39. It was outside year round and I washed my car in the winter when it wasn't totally frozen solid.

AOW162435

My solution can be purchased for less than $90, comes with a triple-lifetime warranty, but requires that you exert some effort to wind the hose up.


Andreas