It was about 2 years ago when I bought a Suncase garden hose reel, for around $25 to $30 at Home Depot. They sell the same reel at Lowe’s and other home centers as well, and for around the same price.
Looking at my records, I bought it on May 15th, 2018, to be exact, and so it’s been outdoors for under 2 years.
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It was leaking a bit last year, but I wasn’t too concerned.
Now, it’s leaking a lot more.
This was AFTER I replaced the washer, which was made out of hard plastic.
As bad as it sounds, this is what it looked like after I used non-marring pliers to gently turn it more than I could muster by hand. I did this because as soon as the water turned on, the thread visually loosened by at least a quarter turn. So, I figured hand-tight wasn’t tight enough and I used pliers to tighten it just a little more.
*sigh*
I was aware of the many negative reviews when I bought this hose reel, but there were plenty of positive ones as well.
Reviews on plastic hose reels are more or less similar, with a number of positive user experiences, and then those who experienced leaky feeder hoses, leaky connections, broken spindles, or other broken parts in the mostly plastic construction.
I could replace the feeder hose, which seems to be what’s at fault here. But how long until another leak appears, or something breaks after I replace the 50′ hose with a longer 75′ hose?
Yep, “you get what you pay for” probably applies here.
A lot of you offered recommendations for Eley, and so I’m going to give them a try. Their hose reels are quite pricey, but I like that they’re made here and the components are all lead-free. The only question now is whether I want the shorter free-standing model, or their portable model.
Now that I think about it, most of my watering and cleaning tasks have involved my going over to the hose or spigot and filling up a bucket or water can from there. The other day, I loaded my 6 planter buckets onto a cart and hauled it to the hose. Why? Because the darned thing has always been a pain to use for quick watering or cleaning tasks. Why am I only realizing this now?
I could try to get Suncast to replace the failed parts under warranty, but it’ll still be a hassle to use. I’m not just looking for a more durable product, but a better product experience.
I figure that a portable garden hose reel is more traditional, but I do like the simplicity, lower stance, and lower price of floor-sitting/standing models. I can pick up a 20″ to 24″ stone for the ground-sitting model to rest on (it has 4 feet), but the portable one can be more easily moved if or when needed. Hmm, decisions, decisions.
Let’s hear your garden hose reel experiences and recommendations!
Justin
This is the best cheap one I’ve found, if someone can’t afford an Eley: https://www.menards.com/main/outdoors/watering-irrigation/hose-reels-accessories/liberty-garden-trade-4-wheel-hose-reel-cart/890/p-1495520377881-c-13104.htm
The swivel is a brass piece that looks like it could probably be replaced when it leaks. It’s not perfect, but hasn’t leaked in ~3+ years with it and rolls up easily.
Scott Machovec
I have had good luck with this one from
Suncast. It is enclosed box so hose is protected from UV damage. I do use a Camco (22505) 90 Degree Hose Elbow to allow the feeding hose leader to lay at a better angle and take stress off the hose reel.
Suncast Resin 225 ft Hideaway Outdoor Storage Reel with Crank Handle, Lid, and Slide Trak Guide 225′ Hose Capacity.
Also, you should pull the hose reasonably close to the box/reel before cranking to keep the cranking forces reasonable. Could be broken by having the hose almost stuck.
I have had two for several years but I dont abuse them.
Jerry
The brass piece has O-rings that seal the swivel. If you remove the snap ring on the swivel you can pull it apart and replace the O-rings. Be sure to coat them with waterproof grease before re assembly. Cost is about $3-$4. On my reel they were a fairly common metric size
Brandon
The Eley ones do look great, however, and are tempting. I go with the KISS method when it comes to hose reels, currently.
Right now I just use glorified wall mounted hooks. If you look on Amazon, I use a “Yard Butler Deluxe Heavy Duty Wall Mount Hose Hanger”. You gotta make sure to give the hoses a quarter twist when winding them up, but with a decent quality hose they work well and shouldn’t break anytime soon. The thing could be a bit heavier duty, to be honest, but it serves its purpose and has outlasted any plastic reels I’ve owned. It’s a bit cumbersome, but it’s easier in the end when compared to fighting with most hose reels.
Stuart
The problem with hose hangers is that you need space for them. I don’t have the space in the front for a hanger of any size. There’s one in the back, and it seems to be holding up just fine, but that’s not where I need it.
I’m thinking of a traditional cart for the front, and a ground-standing one for the back with a 25′ feeder to the spigot.
fred
When we moved in to our place – we’ d pull a 100 feet of hose out from hose bibbs on the real wall or side walls of the house. These would not reach to parts of the property that we wanted to develop into gardens – so I laid out a water distribution system.Being in the plumbing business – my material and installation costs were reasonable despite the trees/roots we had to circumvent. We strung hose stations out to nearly the end of the property along 2 lines such that a 25 or 50 foot coil of hose could reach spots where we would likely need water. I understand appearance issues for your front yard – but you might consider a similar scheme for the backyard – and now that coils of plastic pipe and trenching machines are easily available – its not as arduous as our work in the 1970’s.
Ed Ski
I have this Eley, with extra capacity kit and flexzilla hose on it (two 75′ sections) and it works great! It has 10 year NO leak warranty.
https://www.eleyhosereels.com/products/portable-garden-hose-reel-cart
Its not cheap but it does the job and for last 4 years, no leaks. My version is older than their latest (looks like some changes like the metal link line to hose). And assembly was a bit challenging with the allen head bolts (I had standard key set and might have benefited using a bit and cordless driver).
The only issue I have is when I reel in the hose. I have to do this yoga move where I am on one leg, and use other as a guide to direct the hose as it wraps on the reel. Do wear pants because you’ll burn your leg if exposed from the friction! LOL. And watch when the end rushes back as you don’t want that hose nozzle whipping at your face!
Jim
Another thumbs up for the Flexzilla hoses. I have a 100′ hose in the back and a 75′ in the front of the house.
Mike
After experiencing the same issues with the plastic hose reels I bought an Ely (https://www.eleyhosereels.com/products/portable-garden-hose-reel-cart). It’s been 5+ years now, stored outside,, year round and no issues. Best reel I’ve ever owned.
RCWARD
273 dollars ? For a hose reel? Not a prayer of that happening
Dave T
I have the same one and no regrets buying it. It’s a steep price but buy once cry once. I grew tired of the plastic reels shattering after a couple of years, maybe it’s due to the hot summers and cold winters. I had initially considered some less expensive steel carts but some reviews mentioning rust steered me towards aluminum.
Mike
Exactly, I had a hard time paying the price but no regrets for doing so.
Ed Ski
See my same comment above. I have the Eley with extra capacity. I don’t leave outside all year (I bleed out the water and store in shed or garage (wherever room). I made adaptor with hose end for air compressor and blow out water prior to winter storage.
Eley product was worth the price…
fred
Winterizing blowout adapters (some come with ball valves) are handy thing to have and use. Amazon sells several:
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=winterize+blowout+adapters&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
chad
try some pipe thread tape. its fast and cheap and fixes most hose connection leaks.
Lance
Pipe thread tape probably won’t help when the leak is not through the threads.
Stuart
I considered that, but I generally don’t use pipe thread on metal-plastic connections or in tapered threads where a washer or o-ring seal is used. Plus, it’s coming out the hose fitting connection.
I can just replace the feeder hose, but realized that I’d still be left with a tough and slow to use reel until the next cheap part breaks.
Scott Machovec
Put some teflon pipe dope on all your hose threads. Just a small amount reduces assembly friction and will prevent galling/siezing. I know the oring does the sealing, just try it.
Chris
Completely agree with this. The friction can make it seem tighter than it actually is.
skfarmer
great idea on the teflon . in a normal garden hose connection the seal is made with the sealing washer being pinched between the male and female ends, both sealing surfaces should be smooth, clean and undamaged. the threads do not seal anything. they just create the force to seal the washer between the mating surfaces.
Lance
As mentioned in your other post, I went Gardena and haven’t looked back. My SUNCAST (!) outdoor reel failed as well – it was leaking (plastic water inlet split) and the hose reel itself was broken from handling 100′ of 5/8″ hose (which it was rated for).
My old portable Gardena hose reel I use in the garage for washing cars has been fantastic for many years now, so I bit the bullet and paid-up for a Gardena reel and hose for outside too. I also bought a METAL Gardena multi-pattern spray nozzle and it’s awesome! So nice to use compared to the cheaper plastic ones I’d owned before.
I see no reason to experiment with other cheaper brands now. Buy once, cry once, enjoy using higher quality for many years.
Dave
Have an eley and love it. Quite pricey but made in the US and it’s holding up great.
Nathan
I have a suncast and a neverleak I think the suncast was marketed as made in the US. Anyway one is a covered hose reel – IE the hose is in the box – slot at the top where it comes out, etc. Has metal connection hardware. that is my suncast one it is 5 years old now. The neverleak is less than 1.
At anyrate your issue was the feeder hose and not the reel. and I sort of expect that really I find cheap hoses don’t last in my area mostly due to sun exposure. Or rather uv damage and the high heat make cheaper hoses fail.
I do like the ELey reels but they are more commercial oriented I find and way too expensive for me to consider for home use.
Chris
I used this one from Lowes: https://www.lowes.com/pd/NeverLeak-Plastic-225-ft-Wall-Mount-Hose-Reel/4363431
and have been very happy and I am aware of the negative reviews about the mounts breaking and if you read the reviews one person simply put a couple new scress through the back and problem solved. I say not bad for $40ish dollars. I have two of these on my home and neither has broke and have been outside for over two years already. I also use quick connects bought from somewhere other than Amazon but here is the link: https://www.amazon.com/Rainmaker-Quick-Connect-Fittings-Adapter/dp/B078NQDVSB
These have never failed me and slide together like they were engeneered by Nasa
Ray D
Cut and replace the whole coupler with https://www.homedepot.com/p/AquaPlumb-2-1-2-in-Solid-Brass-Female-Hose-Coupling-3528FM/312459663
Stuart
True, but that won’t make the reel any easier to use. I had been casually looking for a new reel with decent reviews since last year, this leak simply accelerated things, coupled with the endorsements for Eley I saw in the other post.
Jim
I went with a Eley hose reel in the back of the house 8 years ago and have not had a single issue. Yes they are expensive, but I was tired of replacing reels every couple years. I have a wall mount in the back and a free standing one in the front now.
fred
It looks like a bad leader hose/coupling/washer might be the culprit . The cause might be a result of the cart moving when you unreel the hose – putting a strain on the leader hose connection. The design flaw(s) might include: a cheap flimsy brass female connector mating to plastic male threads on the hose reel – both worn out enough to prevent even a good washer from sealing properly.
Mark
I have a Suncast like yours – but the plastic connection broke. Not worth fixing. But I have “recycled” to use as a cord reel for a 100′ heavy duty extension cord.
Stuart
Unfortunately, I’ve read quite a few times about that happening.
Koko the Talking Ape
Your existing reel works except for that leak, right? If it were me, I’d do this simple repair, and use the thing until something unfixable broke. That Eley stuff looks great, but it’s pricey. A purchase delayed isn’t a dollar earned, but it’s close.
Matt J.
I was considering an Eley back when I upgraded, but ended up going with an Ames Neverleak one: https://www.ames.com/product/hose-reels/2519100-neverleak-decorative-metal-hose-cabinet/
I got it on sale a couple of years ago for $80 and while it has some quirks, it works well. The crank is solid, it mostly does a good job of coiling, and I’ve not had any issues with leaking. I’m sure eventually the cranking belt drive will break (the belt drives the coiling guide), but otherwise it doesn’t have a lot of obvious weak spots. I wish the fittings were brass instead of aluminum, but it was hard to argue the cost vs. the Eley and I feel I’ve certainly gotten my money’s worth.
JT
+1 for the Neverleak. It’s working fine with a cheap hose (easier to wind) and it’s sat out for like 3 seasons in snow and sun. The guide works like a champ when rewinding the hose.
Roy
Looks like Eley reels are made in China now.
https://www.eleyhosereels.com/pages/who-we-are
RKA
Correct, I was just going to point that out, the reels are manufactured in China and have been for a long time. Considering the price, they have built up huge margins and they have eliminated a middleman in the process, although they cover shipping.
I’m going on 10 years on my two reels and they have been flawless. Never needed a warranty repair and they live outside 24/7/365. But the prices back then were around $120 and I could apply coupons at my local coop to get the price down near $100. Since then the price has gone way up and I can no longer get them at my coop. In fact I think it’s now only available direct from Eley. It’s a really tough sell, but I haven’t found anything else that compares. If you can stomach the price, you will not be disappointed. But it’s hard to blame anyone for not wanting to swallow the price. My neighbor has been using the same plastic reel From the big box store for the past 10 years too. It’s leaked for a while and it’s really a POS, but it works and he probably paid $30 for it.
Joey
How about replacing the hose with one of the braided metal ones used for washing machines?
Johann
I can’t tell for sure from that picture, but why not just cut the hose and install a patch female connector?
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Orbit-5-8-in-3-4-in-Zinc-Female-Hose-Mender-56688/205585047
Bob
My vote for all of $5 just buy a new connector hose. And run it till something else breaks.
I also have the suncast reel in a box type one. A little flimsey. Box seems to rack easily but no issues with intended usage. Also it was ??? $40ish on sale I think. Cheap hose it comes with from the spicket to the box kinked all the time and eventually I put a 90 degree brass hose fitting to better orient the connector hose. Also bought a stiffer hose. Problem fixed.
In the garage I wanted a hose to wash off salt on the truck/equipment in the winter. Reelcraft is the go to commercial but $$$. Similar money as the Ely.
Someone gave me another suncast hose in a box. Built a wood frame around base of the box. Rotated the box 90 degrees and screwed the whole contraption to a beam. Added a few pieces of saftey chain (not needed but heavy cheap chinease box hanging above my head lol). Now the hose drops straight down. Retracting is done with a pole with a hook attached to the old handle. Works great for last few years. And when it doesn’t I’ll throw it away and do it again to another one.
Frank D
I hate how bad hose connections have gotten, plus worse now how many of these things corrode together, etc. Anyhow, between a few properties, ponds, pools, hot tubs, … seasonal use, winterizing, etc. … I now pretty much ALWAYS use pipe thread sealant on pretty much anything plumbing wise that screws together for hoses, pipes, etc. Metal to metal. Plastic to plastic. Plastic to metal. Ensures a tighter seal. Makes it easier to assemble. Makes it easier to disassemble. No brainer.
Tom
I’ve been using Eley hose reels for probably five years now. I have the stationary ones. They’ve been sitting outside the entire time and work as well as the day I bought them. The price really stings, but it is worth it.
My only complaint is that I wish it were heavier. Sometimes when I am pulling a hose it moves a little.
It looks like they’ve improved the design a little since I purchased with the new brass and copper swivel.
Terence
Buy once, cry once!
Bart
Easy to say when it is someone else’s money.
Simple truth is, typical homeowner doesn’t use a hose reel often and hard enough to warrant spending even $100 on one. I got 10 years out of my last $25 plastic one. Do the math.
PETE
This is the hose reel that my wife bought. It’s held up for 2 years now with no complaints. I expect it to hold up for many more years. I kinda like that it’s on wheels and i kinda dont lol. But the wife is happy…
How do you like your flexzilla hose? I’m still considering getting one because it’s lightweight for the wife. I ‘accidentally’ bought a 3/4 heavy duty 100′ neverkink and the wife is complaining that it’s too tough lol
herbie
FYI Stuart, Eley hose reels haven’t been made in the USA since 2006.
From here:
https://www.eleyhosereels.com/pages/history-of-our-manufacturing-operations
“With a sizable demand for the quality and performance of our products, we moved our fabrication operations offshore in 2006.”
Stuart
Thanks!
I thought they *could* be made here, but a look at their website and I couldn’t find COO info anywhere. Usually if a brand focuses on USA production, they aren’t shy to emphasize it.
Wayne R.
We’ve had an Ames reel for a long time, don’t recall when or even what state we were in when…almost 20 years old by now…but it recently developed a leak, and I took it apart, decided it might be the o-rings, but nope.
Anyway, before chucking it I thought to look for parts, and not only got them, but they were free from the company! It’s back to original condition.
Can’t beat that.
Terence
Some sage advice: if you need a 100’ hose, buy two 50’ hoses, when one craps out you only have to replace one.
As someone that uses hoses and nozzles daily, I’m constantly amazed at the low quality options for home irrigation. All brass twist nozzles are not ideal for the garden, but they hold up. I use one of those and the classic, all metal pistol grip nozzle from Gilmour, better for watering plants.
I seldom have the time or discipline to properly store my hoses, so I rely on durability. My Dramm Colorstorm hose seems to be my best one.
Stacey Jones
Buy cheap and plan to replace every ² years or buy expensive and replace every two years.?
Joe H
I gotta find a swivel elbow for what I believe is an old Gilmour hose reel cart. Im not sure on the make or model as I bought it from an older gentleman who had a Gilmour card stapled to the owner’s manual which has no info regarding part numbers or manufacturer. Ive found nothing of the sort on Gilmour’s website. Hopefully I can find one locally. Not sure who would have something like that or if I have to buy the whole leader hose with the swivel attached? Anybody dealt with this before?
Planegrain
I would bury 3/4 “ or 1 inch Pex tubing. Put a manifold at your faucet, then make 3 or 4 underground Pex lines to needed areas. Then you will only need a short garden hose to reach the needed areas.
Jim Felt
Aluminum Cart Hose Reel https://www.lowes.com/pd/NeverLeak-Aluminum-Cart-Hose-Reel/1000147833
I’ve had this Ames model for a couple of years and honestly mostly because it’s not plastic and and looks way better in a modern environment than any others we looked at.
And with one question they (Ames directly) responded immediately.
Take a look.
Mike (the other one)
I just coil mine up and hang it. Hose reels never seem to work right, and just create more possible places to leak. Plus they often don’t stay in place with pulling, and they bind up with rolling them back in, so they don’t really save me any time.
Bill K
IMHO replace the feeder hose and be done with it. All the hose storage reels are problematic, so just live with it.
Some people like the Magic Hose that is light & shrinks, so I’m wondering if that’s another (problematic?) option.
Wayne R.
My wife gets sucked into the QVC BS and has bought one that lasted about a month, then the next year another, same thing happened. I think she learned.
skfarmer
looks to me like the issue is not with your hose reel l. it is the leader hose. if you break a bit do you buy a new drill or get a new sander when the sandpaper is worn out. if you want a new hose reel go for it but it may or may not be better than what you have. especially since everyone uses cheap leader hose.
i have had to sometimes make or use a small fiber washer or o ring to get a proper seal. once you figure out what the issue is the remedy would be be faster and cheaper then all of the hand wringing on which one to buy.
Bart
I managed to make my Suncast plastic reel last for about 10 years. At one point they offered a kit that replaced most of the prone to break/leak parts at the inlet that was maybe $8 or so. I swapped the cheapo leader hose that came with it with a 10′ Neverkink at the same time.
Finally junked it when I moved last year, but by that time the middle section of the reel had cracked in a couple of places from fatigue/sunlight exposure. Not planning on buying another reel since my watering needs have diminished to a few beds within a single hose length from the spigots around the house.
JML
Frankly, I’ve never thought that a wheeled hose reel makes sense for most homeowners unless the reel is frequently moved from location to location and then connected to different spigots. It’s cheaper to buy different hoses and keep them at the spigots. My property isn’t large enough so that I need to wheel 150′ of hose around from place to place.
The most likely weak points for any reel are the leader hose and the four connectors on the leader, pigot, and reel, even if all are fitted with QR fittings (which, of course, raises the price of the whole setup). Stuart’s post and the comments bear that out. Plus the leader hose (rarely of high quality) is going to almost always be under stress and likely to be kinked or twisted. A reel or simple hose holder that isn’t anchored to a wall or post is bound to put more stress on the connectors and the associated parts.
I’m looking right now into finding non-rusting (aluminum) simple hose holders or reels that I can mount on two exterior brick walls and later on one garage cinder-block wall. Of course for the exterior mounts I don’t want to drill into the brick itself, and need to find something that lines up with mortar joints and can hold 50′ of hose. One of the spigots is on a wall adjacent to a concrete patio, so there’s no way to put in a post to hold the reel, and I can’t put in a post near the other exterior spigot because of adjacent shrubbery and a french drain.
I just got two Ely brass ball shutoffs, by the way, to put on hose ends before QR fittings for nozzles, etc. Very impressive and quite heavy! But difficult to actually manipulate unless you can get leverage from the stuff connected to the shutoff.
Bart
Very good points. If I think really hard about it, the only time I regularly moved my hose reel was to get that extra 10-15′ of the leader hose length.
Moved it a couple of other times because that was my longest run of hose and the hoses I had at the other spigot was too short and I would have had to have taken a hose off of the reel to make the other one longer. Probably the reason why the frame on my old Suncast survived as long as it did, it stayed stationary most of its life.
JML
I forgot about winter storage of a hose when I commented above. But I just disconnect the hose, wipe it clean, and put it in the garage, usually in a Rubbermaid bin. But it seems that buying a wheeled reel is overkill for moving a hose twice a year!
And “pigot” should have been “spigot,” obviously. Plus when I wrote “A reel or simple hose holder that isn’t anchored to a wall or post is bound to put more stress on the connectors and the associated parts,” I meant to write that “A reel or simple hose holder that IS anchored to a wall or post is bound to put LESS stress on the connectors and the associated parts.”
Jp
From Florida, in my yard, with light use, three of yhere dried, cracked , and leaked. Never buy them. Their storage box deals with brutal conditions and is impaired, but still works years later. That’s a definite buy. I tried a real all metal reel, it lasted 4 years. Not worth the $300. I know a professional reel would work, but not in my budget.
Planegrain
I plan to put Pex tubing underground, if not this year, then next year. I’m tired of messing with 50’ to 100’ hoses. A 100’ roll of Pex tubing will probably cost around $60-$100, not including the fittings. I wonder if the Oilers Flexvolt will have enough pressure to blow the water out prior to winter,
Planegrain
Oiless-
fred
I have a big stationary compressor at my principal residence – but still choose to have a service come in and blowout my underground sprinkler and water system lines. They bring in a towable engine-driven compressor and 1 inch air hoses.
My two hose station lines may be a lot longer and larger diameter than what you are contemplating – but it takes a lot of air to blow them out.
Planegrain
I might run two 1/2” lines side by side, then connect them at the ends. The smaller diameter 1/2” Pex will be easier to blow out. Need to use a backflow preventer to stop any contamination to fresh water supply.
Bob H
Finally broke down and bought an Eley 2 wheel reel with a cover 2 years ago.
I also bought a 125′ hose for it and 2 other 125′ for the other bibs.
It hurt when it happened but I have be very happy with the results.
Quality is apparent, function is superb and to me aesthetics are important since the reel is viewalbe so this fit the bill.
I picked up the 2 wheel so now I can detach using their quick connects and move to the end of another hose when I need to stretch to the end of my property.
Yes, the reels are not made in USA which is very disappointing but the hoses are and they are top quality.
SteveP
Here in Maine, with freezing cold winters, one problem with all “water distributing” appliances is what to do with them in the winter. While it would be nice if we could always get the last vestiges of water out of hoses, reels and pressure washers, that’s not always possible. And sometimes winter and cold weather arrive suddenly.
I’ve had to replace components of both hose reels and my Karcher pressure washer after they froze. Partly that’s my fault, but it is also a design issue – how hard is it to design any “water trap” to be above the drain? Instead, you often have to perform gymnastics – twisting and turning the item upside down, blowing it out with air, etc.
And the price for these small parts broken by freezing is usually a rip-off. I now bring the Karcher inside for the winter, but who wants hose reels in the house?
Dennis
I have given up on plastic hose reels. Seems our bright sun exposure in Santa Barbara warps the plastic after only a year. I loved my Suncast self winding hose reel, but it became harder and harder to release & rewind. I removed it and utilized the concrete base I poured for the Suncast with 3/8 x 6” galvanized bolts and installed the Liberty Garden/Hampton Bay steel hose reel. It works great and looks good.
Allen
I guess I don’t understand, can’t put a new end on the hose ?
JML
If I was going to replace a leader hose, I’d look at these: https://www.obsessedgarage.com/collections/garden-hoses-bibbs/products/swiveling-inlet-hose