Hose End Shut Off Valve

[Jim Koepke]

All of my hoses have shut-off valves on their ends. They also have a quick connector for different attachments or to attach another hose. This has been working for well over 20 years.

The valves can be a problem. The actuator is a bit small for Candy to operate and are a bit hard to turn as my joints are getting older.

Brass Shut of Valve.png

The other problem is they seem to fail after a few years of service.

Well you get what you pay for.

A recent Lee Valley circular had these:

Lee Valley Hose Shut Off - Open Position.jpg

The one pictured here has been modified. They come with the handle pointing forward with the water flow. Since this would seem to get in the way of my quick connects and hose end accessories I decided to flip the handle, easy peasy.

The adds for the previously used style now includes the wording, "restricted flow." This hasn't been a problem but the Lee Valley valves do have a larger opening in the valve and I like it.

The Lee Valley valves have a much larger shaft for driving the ball valve. This is where my other valves would often fail.

The Lee Valley valves are more expensive, but it appears the extra thought and material built in to these valves will provide a longevity to make it worth it.

Another feature that is appreciated on another Lee Valley product in line with these is their Y valves coupling is made so the valve can be positioned at any axis to the faucet on which it is used. This is very useful in my greenhouse where two of them are used together to allow for connecting three hoses.

jtk

[Thomas McCurnin]

Yeah a standard ball valve that plumbers use ought to work worlds above the standard home depot hose model.

[Bruce Page]

That’s a great idea. I’ve been using quick connects for years and it would be nice to be able to shut off the water at the hose end.

[Jim Koepke]

Yeah a standard ball valve that plumbers use ought to work worlds above the standard home depot hose model.

All of the hose end shut off valves seem to use a ball valve. The differences are what they are made of and how well they are made.

I have used plastic ones in the past. For manifolds at the faucet they seem to be okay. They are just difficult to turn if they have not been used for a while. I did make an operator wrench out of aluminum for Candy to use, but of course it was quickly misplaced. Even one with a string on it to be tied to the faucet some how got lost.

The Big Box Store models are made to compete on price.

The Lee Valley model appears to be engineered to last a long time.

jtk

[Jim Koepke]

Just an FYI, be careful when setting these down while in use.

The handle can hit against something and abruptly spray the user.

DAMHIKT!

jtk

[Paul F Franklin]

I have such a valve on my long hose. It's somewhere in between the one you show in the first pic and the lee valley type. It has a medium length lever to turn the valve. I didn't mount mine right at the end, but have a 15 or 20 foot length of hose after it. This allows me to adjust sprinklers without getting wet or without walking 100 feet or more back to the irrigation pump. The downside of that is that the valve handle tends to catch on grass or other stuff when dragging the hose from the very end. I just avoid this by holding the valve in one hand and the end of the hose in the other when repositioning.

[Ole Anderson]

If you look on Amazon, they have lots of choices with longer valve handles, yet not as cumbersome as the Lee Valley version. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hose+valve&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

And this one I picked up recently at my ACE Hardware works much better than the Gilmore version. https://www.acehardware.com/departme...ectors/7082936

[Patty Hann]

Someone here (maybe on a different topic) said that he views Lee Valley as "The Sharper Image" of woodworking tools, meaning (I assume) that LV doesn't really make anything, that it only markets the tools that other companies have made.
I know that is sometimes true, but not always true. I think LV does have its "in house " designers/engineers.
And those tools, accessories etc., may be made/mfr'd locally.

However, an awful lot of the made elsewhere things are from India, Taiwan, (don't know if they use Chinese factories, tho'), Czech republic (uhh, what is the name of the country right now????)
Anyway, just sayin' that it's always a good idea to ask LV the COO of an item.
I've suggested several times in emails to LV that they list the COO when it is NOT Canada, as it would save customers from having to ask.
But they have yet to state on the ad copy the COO unless it's Canada. I think for the Japanese made tools they may list the COO, but I cannot recall for certain.

So however well designed/made that ball valve is, I'll be the COO is not Canada (or the US).
The non local COO wouldn't necessarily stop me from buying a LV tool, but if it's not truly "theirs" I might look for it elsewhere for a better price.**

**(Fixed income, juneau...dictates a lot of my budgetary decisions...)

[Bill Dufour]

[QUOTE=Ole Anderson;3257056]If you look on Amazon, they have lots of choices with longer valve handles, yet not as cumbersome as the Lee Valley version. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hose+valve&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

I did not see any long handle ones? A few medium length, pot metal handles. Look like gas valves. Not long enough to make a difference. I saw several long handle versions on aliexpress, but British threads.
I made up one with a proper ball valve with NPT and an adapter at both ends. Make sure it is a full low valve. Cheap. ones reduce the flow.
Bill D

[Jim Koepke]

If you look on Amazon, they have lots of choices with longer valve handles, yet not as cumbersome as the Lee Valley version. https://www.amazon.com/s?k=hose+valve&ref=nb_sb_noss_2

And this one I picked up recently at my ACE Hardware works much better than the Gilmore version. https://www.acehardware.com/departme...ectors/7082936

It is not just the length of the operator handle. The size of screw that holds the handle on and actuates the internal mechanism is also important.

Some of the ones from ACE have already had problems in my system. One broke, another leaks.

Another difference is the size of the opening in the ball. Almost all that I have had in the past have a 1/2" passage when fully open. The Lee Valley has what appears to be a full 5/8" opening. That is helpful when I have to connect a few hoses to reach 200' or more.

jtk

[Rod Sheridan]

They are a great valve, the long handle is very easy for Diann to operate……Regards, Rod.