HelpfulGardener.com

So, I've had a hose for years, untill I forgot to dehydrate before winter. Of course it was frozen, meaning broken.
Currently I can water my garden without a hose, but it's not that convenient as before.
When I came to a local gardening shop I realised, that the choice is big and I don't know ANYTHIN about hoses
Is there something I should pay attention to?
I'm getting frustrated
any real user experience? Or should I just buy the cheapest one?

Expandable hoses need water pressure to make them get longer. As long as you spray a small amount of water pressure keeps the hose long. Soon as you start spraying too much water hose gets too short to reach the location you need to use it. It looks good on TV.

The lowest price $15 hoses are not much good but the price is right if your careful to take care of them. If your water pressure is too high hose will spring a bunch of leaks then become a sprinkler hose. Buy a hose pressure regulator at Walmart in the camping section in camping supplies. If water is not drained in winter hose will be worthless next summer. My cheat hoses are full of splices where I cut out the broken places then splice hose back together. Cheap $15 hoses often will not lost 3 months before they get water leaks or split wide open then need to be repaired. Don't forget to turn water off if hose is laying in the hot sun my cheap hose always explode.

The more expensive hoses last longer but cost $50 instead of $15. They don't kink easy and don't break easy but are heavy. They are made stronger and heaver material. I have one of these hoses it has been a good 50 ft hose for 20 years.

We have a cheap 50 ft hose in front of the house. We have cheap 100 ft hose side of house so we can wash vehicles and camper trailer in the driveway. I have the good 50 ft hose on the patio to wash it off. Few months ago I bought a 75 ft hose to make the 50 ft hose longer.

Last summer cheap hoses were $50 each so I repaired all my bad hoses. This summer cheap hoses are $10 to $15 so I bought all new hoses. But now I wish I had bought better hoses.

Hose that gets used every day should probably be the expensive $50 hose. Hose that does not get used much should probably be the cheap $15 hose.

Until a few years ago, I had 2 gardens at some miles distance from my house. I continue to have one. There are all these hoses under my deck here at home, where I also use hoses. One useful hose extends to my neighbor's yard, where I also have a garden .

If my deck was a little longer, I think that I would choose not to roll up my hoses. All those loops increases the risk of kinking. ... straighten roll kink straighten roll kink straighten ... in time, the hose will break. I once worked for about 7 years in a commercial greenhouse. Over an acre, there were unrolled hoses in every other path. I don't even remember them ever needing to be replaced .

The sun can be your friend when unrolling. Toss the rolled hose out in the sun for a few minutes. The warmth will soften it, then unroll.

If you are finished using some sort of watering wand or sprayer, set it to "mist" and turn off the valve. Resist the temptation to leave that valve open with pressure in the hose. And, pay attention to the twists and over-laps when you use it. It's so very likely that the hose will be lying where you walk, at least, for a time. Don't create a tripping hazard.

Steve

I used to own one of those expandable hoses, advertised on TV. I didn't really like it that much and I sold it.

Garden hoses always make me mad when they kink. Thankfully my backyard hose doesn't kink too badly. I have the tendency to leave it unrolled a lot. I don't use my front hose as much.

Another thing that makes me mad are the nozzles. Sooner or later it starts leaking around the gasket so I start leaving nozzle off. Once the nozzle must have rusted to the hose, and had to cut it off.

Also, hose reel carts are scary sometimes because wasps will crawl up in there and build nests, so be careful.

Another reason why you should always remember to turn the water off to your hose especially during a drought is animals. Animals will come up to bite holes in your hose to get water and cause leaks. It happened with a squirrel.