I mentioned repairs to a 50' garden hose Aug 9th. Sadly, it didn't last. Oh the repair worked well enough, but the hose burst again in a different spot. Apparently, the hose is just worn out. So I disconnected it to remove the usable snap-on connections and male/female brass connections I had recently added (nothing wrong with THEM).
And as I curled up the old worn-out hose for recycling or trash (have to check on that), I realised that I had another 50' garden hose backing it up on the hose reel.
BTW, the hose reel is mounted on a turntable. Anchored with 2 simple lift-out bolts, I can turn the reel freely to pull the hose out in any direction when I pull them. It was a fun build. Yes, it drove me crazy at first figuring out how to do it; that's why it was fun.
And the backup hose was identical, so it was the same age and use. Time to replace both.
I looked at Amazon and Walmart. User reviews are usually useful. I pay more attention to negative reviews. Happy users are happy and just say so; unhappy users give reasons. Most involved moldy hose surfaces and kinks. Some even said the hose left their hands blackened...
Well, I couldn't judge much about that. So, I went to Home Depot and just looked at the offerrings (not many, BTW). One label claimed "superior strength and "drinkable water safe" and "nonkinkable" plus "mildew-reistant". Not like any other hose label said they didn't, but I chose that one.
It seems pretty good. I stretched it out in the backyard. It comes all curled up, but I twisted it opposite the curl until it was straight. With tomorrow's warmth, it will be easy to attach to the hose reel and without twists.
I'll see how much space is left on the hose reel. If enough, I will add the 50' version of the same hose. Well, it is better to have a hose too long than a hose too short... And same age and type is convenient.
Tomorrow, I retrieve the connection from the 2 old hoses for reuse later.
