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The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...
I bought one at Costco this spring that has functioned well all season. It is not like the ones that "scrunch" together as they drain--those are, in my experience, generally garbage. This one is nylon mesh on the outside and it expands and contracts, but remains smooth. I would not use it for heavy duty use where it would get walked on, driven over, dragged over rocks, etc, but for light use at the front porch it has been very good. There are few things I hate more than coiling up a heavy rubber hose, so I avoid it when possible.
3/4" x 50' Swan Flexrite Hoses.
and/or
3/4" Gilmour Flexogen hoses.
don't mess with 1/2" or 5/8" hoses.
Last edited by Joe Mioux; 10-11-2019 at 8:27 PM.
Vortex! What Vortex?
Ed, I've owed three of them, all because SWMBO wanted them. The prices ranged from $28-$40, all different brands (which ought to be a tell). SWMBO used them exclusively for watering plants.
Granted, all were exposed to about 6-8 hours of the Florida sun every day, but not a one of them lasted more than four months. Conversely, I have a heavy duty rubber hose that has been exposed to about the same amount of sun and it's going on it's sixth year.
Just sayin'
-Ken
Thank you, guys. Looks like I will pass on expandable hose for now and will buy a good rubber one instead.
Ed.
Just bought a couple from these folks last week.
https://www.utahbiodieselsupply.com/...ies.php#foggit
They didn't have the combination selection set up for my needs, a 1/4 gallon/minute and a 4 gallon/minute. Left a message on the listed phone number during the hours of business. Received a call back in a couple of hours. My order was received in a couple of days. The call also saved on shipping charges.
This is the best price found in my searches for these nozzles. Some of mine have been in use for more than 20 years.
Somehow we keep losing the 4 gallon/minute nozzle. We have had all the sizes except the 1/4 gallon/minute nozzle. We also use quick release connectors on all of our hose bibs, hoses, and watering utensils.
Lee Valley looks to carry the same nozzle or a similar model. The Lee Valley site doesn't list the flow rate of the one model on their page.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)
When buying hoses pay attention to the hose ends, a lot of them are aluminum now and do not perform well long term, look for brass for best results.
It's kind of gimmicky but we have one. We have a circle drive and the landscaping in the middle has a spigot in-ground in this little plastic enclosure. A regular hose wouldn't fit but an expandable one is perfect. I can get a 30' hose in there in minimal space.
I wouldn't use the expandable anyplace else though. It's basically latex tubing inside a cloth tube to keep it from ballooning up and exploding. The sun rots that cloth pretty fast. By storing it underground, I get a couple of seasons out of a hose.
My wife has bought a couple of the expandable ones and they haven't lasted. Both were name brand ones. They have surgical tubing inside them and the fabric on the outside to stop the tube from expanding too far. What broke them seamed to be tugging on them when your trying to drag the hose. The wife now has a coil hose (like the coil air hoses). It's not tool long but it's tough like a regular hose.