Summertime means taking care of those lawns yet again. Sometimes, this lawn care requires using the best hose reel cart in 2018 with wheels on larger yards. Watering larger lawns and gardens has to happen when the heat becomes unbearable and the rain dries up. We thought we'd put together some helpful considerations to have in mind when shopping for the best garden hose reel cart.
Many aspects add value to using the best retractable water hose reel. To understand the value of this tool, we offer a few specific items to consider in this guide.
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How to Choose a Hose Reel
When it comes to deciding which hose reel to purchase, a few factors are at play. Understanding what kind of hose reel to pick is essential. The best wall mount hose reel connects right to the side of a house or garage. Usually, it is mounted right next to the water supply. This reel is perfect for people who have smaller, lighter hoses. However, people looking to manage with longer hoses should consider a freestanding hose reel.
These can come in boxes or be uncovered. Instead of winding up the hose by hand, these stand-alone models usually come with a handle to use for powering through rolling the hose back up. Hence, a decision also needs to be made about how easily the hose should be put away.
The Advantages of a Hose Reel
There are a few advantages to using a hose reel. First and foremost, it makes loading and unloading the hose before and after use a lot easier and more organized. It also provides longevity for the hose's life as it prevents kinks and breaks. Most people do not realize how much stress hoses face under constant use, and they deserve a good rest when they are not being used.
As alluded to previously, loading and unloading a hose from a reel is much easier and far more organized than trying to do so with it lying in a pile in the garage or near the water supply. Reel models that come enclosed in a box are a great option for adding some more protection from the elements. Furthermore, it also stops animals from chewing through the hose or becoming entangled in it.
The Disadvantages of a Hose Reel
Loading a wall mounted hose reel can be a challenge. At the same time, evenly distributing a hose on a hand crank hose reel can be just as frustrating. Not focusing organization into the mix means leaving hose piled up in a lopsided manner on the reel. This situation not only places stress on the reel, it also over compresses and stretches a hose as well. For the sake of longevity, taking the time to wind and unwind a hose properly needs to be the focus here. To make this process a little easier, a self-winding garden hose reel can be used instead.
For people who do not use their hoses as often as they would like, storing the hose away on a hose reel seems like a natural means of protection. However, if the elements have access to the hose over a period of time, it can cause the hose to break down and fall apart. It can rot in certain places, and the rotting can grow in the middle of where the hose is wound. Therefore, someone might not find out about the hose being rotted until they unwind it again after a long winter.
How to Use a Hose Reel
Garden hose reels can be used in a variety of ways. The typical way to use one is by threading one end of the hose, typically the end that connects to a water supply, in through the center post of the reel. Enough slack should be left for the hose to still have access to the water supply. Then, the remaining hose length can be wrapped around the center post.
Instead of focusing on one point in the reel, the hose should be woven from side to side as the reel winds around for the sake of even distribution. This method will prevent a lopsided distribution that can become difficult to wind and unwind from the reel.
An Alternative Way to Use a Hose Reel
Garden hoses are not the only tools around the house that can be used on a hose reel. Members of the This Old House question and answer team on YouTube suggest using a garden hose reel to keep track of longer outdoor extension cords measuring 25 feet and longer. Instead of winding the extension cord up from one end to another as people would typically do with a garden hose, start winding the cord up in the middle. Therefore, once the cord has been wound onto the reel, both ends can be accessed equally.
For people looking for better control of their garden hose, this method also works with this tool. Therefore, instead of fighting to unload and reload the garden hose around one end and letting it sit by the hose all the time, it can be moved out further into the yard. This method minimizes hang ups on the end plugged into the water supply.
Best Hose Reel of 2018 Reviews
Some hose reels are better than others, without a doubt. For the sake of looking at various types of garden hose reels, here are five different ones to look at in detail.
Ikris' Retractable Garden Water Hose Reel comes preloaded with a 50-foot long garden hose measuring ½ an inch in diameter and is made out of PVC. This hose reel automatically winds the hose back up once it has been used.
Additionally, it makes use of a smart technology to focus on evenly distributing the hose on the reel to avoid overlapping and kinks.
When it comes to unwinding the hose, the reel provides a lock to stop it at any place without having it continually unwind or start to retract backward on itself. It also comes with a nozzle attachment for the hose with different spray options. Two of the spray options include power wash and mist. This reel mounts to the side of a house with a few screws.
It also swivels out at 180 degrees for the stake of detaching the entire unit from the mechanism locking it against the house. Such a feature is great for the purpose of storing the hose inside during colder weather months.
Suncast's CPLSSM200B Swivel Hose reel hides the hose completely away in a box where it is hidden from view and does not present the problem of being an eyesore.
The gentle design of the box blends into any outdoor décor seamlessly, meaning it will not stick out against the side of a house or a garage.
This box also provides some protection from the elements. Furthermore, it features a Smart Trak winding feature that helps to wind the hose back up in a side to side motion with a simple passing of the hand over the sliding track in front. The box has a hand crank mounted to the side of it for manual use.
For people with larger yards, this reel box is great for longer hoses up to 225 feet in length. One of the most attractive features with this hose reel is the stakes that come with it to firmly hold it into the ground. These stakes act as stabilizers when the hose winds and unwinds.
For the sake of winter storage, the hose reel can be removed from the brackets mounting it to the wall. It can be mounted only one way, so it does not accommodate people who are left handed. The brackets can be attached to a home or garage wall with a few screws.
Additionally, this wall mount hose reel includes a leader hose. The reel also uses an Easylink system that provides some watertight connection between the hose reel itself and the hose loaded onto it. For people looking to protect their hoses from rot, this system is absolutely needed.
Suncast's PHH100D is another hideaway hose reel box offers the convenience of a smaller box model with easy to use winding and unwinding. As with the previous box model, this one protects the hose hidden within from the elements and animals rooting around.
It does not come with the stakes as the previous model does, which might be needed as it only holds 100 feet of hose instead of 225 feet.
This reel box is great for people with small to medium sized yards. The hose comes out of the side instead of the front, which helps to guide the hose on and off the reel evenly to avoid causing kinks. It also uses the Easylink system to help with watertight connections between the reel itself and hoses loaded onto it. This system helps with preventing rotting from happening to the hose.
Additionally, a durable handle mounted to the side of the box can be used for helping with the winding and unwinding process. As with the previous box model, Suncast's PHH100D comes in neutral colors that will blend into the background of any outdoor landscape. For winter storage, it can be picked up and moved into a garage or basement for future use.
Here is an Eley hose reel review. Eley's Model 1041 Rapid Reel garden hose reel is cast in bronze and made of die-cast aluminum, which makes it very durable for outdoor use. It also adds a touch of class to the outside of any home.
This reel is one of the more organized ones to use over other brands. In many ways, this setup is extremely versatile and user-friendly. It can be mounted either parallel or perpendicular to an outdoor wall, and the setup can be oriented for either left-handed use or right-handed use.
Furthermore, the reel can be removed from the wall mounting brackets for storage during poor weather. This wall mount reel includes a six-foot long rubber inlet hose. It comes with brass fittings that are crush proof. Longer hoses are not included, but it will hold up to a 100-foot hose at ¾ of an inch in diameter. It has a hand crank build into the outer edge of the reel to help with fast, even winding.
Conclusion
All of five above garden hose reels are perfect for the typical lawn and garden size. The box models can be wound from end to end or they can start in the middle and wind from that angle. However, the wall mount versions can generally only be wound from end to end. For people looking to keep their hose reel mount close to their water supply, the best and more durable option for use is Eley's model.
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