Favourite Garden Hose Quick Connect system?

S

Surly

New member
I`ve been doing the Gardena thing for, well, a long time. Things crack, split, deform and require slow, ongoing, constant replacement. They aren`t cheap, don`t last a real long time, and they restrict flow quite a lot. On the plus side, they`re easy to get OTC for me.

I`ve been thinking about a nice new garden hose for my garage (searched out some archived threads on that) in 5/8" or 3/4" and a whole new quick connect system for everything. The hose shortlist includes Eley, Flexzilla, Zero-G.

There are a lot of quick connect options out there.

I`d like:

  • metal (I think)
  • full flow
  • available in starter kits with some male and female, but also kits of just accessory (male) connectors. I put a male connector on MANY different pieces. I may want 3-4 females and 10-15 males
  • Easy to get (I`m in Canada, but can do limited shopping in the US)
 
I`m using the brass ones from Griot`s. They work/hold up great and are compatible with most of my older (brass) ones. It takes a long, long time to wear out quality brass one. With four hoses in the wash bay and a lot of things that connect to them, having reliable connections that work great is pretty important to me, and the GG ones fit the bill better than any of the others I`ve used (which now just sit in a box unless they match the GG ones perfectly).
 
Long ago I too switched from the plastic Gardena to the brass ones.
I`m Canadian also and I`ve just used the brass versions from the local hardware store and they`ve worked like a champ forever. Only once did a female connector develop a leak but that was from abuse on my part. I bought a package of special rubber washers for those female connectors (ebay) and the leak was fixed in a heartbeat.

So, go to your local hardware store and grab what you need. As a tip/idea, staple the plastic brand carrier to the wall of your work area (or take a pic on your cell phone) for future references when you have to pick up another connector.

Oops, forgot another great idea. Add one of those brass on/off valves to your hose. The on/off valve will really be handy with a million situations including hose/pressure washer connections.
 
I`m starting to think that my having worn out brass ones is another sign that I`m older than I think I am :o Eh, they do last a long time though, I still use some that were already old at the previous shop, and I sold that in `02.

When mine wear out there`s no fixing them with better washers :( The wear is related to the mating surfaces and/or the ball bearings, you can hear them rattle in a "gee, lots of slop!" sort of way. The knurling/checkering on the outside wears off long before that, but that`s just an inconvenience.
 
You may find this hard to believe, but I`ve had very good luck with the brass ones from Harbor Freight. They`re dirt cheap, $7.99 for a set that includes 4 males and 6 female couplings. I considered them throwaways, so I bought two sets and have yet to open the second set after 3 years of weekender use. I`ve noticed they sometimes leak a bit after I turn the water off, but I have yet to have one fail to seal under pressure.

Bill
 
The absolute best I’ve ever used are from ELEY. Got a hose reel and they sent me a set. Full diameter of the hose, 1 inch with o rings and easily connected without pulling the collar. Had them about a year and still working great.
 
Was trying to find stainless connects forever and just gave up bought brass onesfrom Home Depot. As for a hose. Using one of those expanding ones but that’s just to hook up to PW. Got a flexzilla for the PW and been great so far.


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Mike lambert said:
Twice the diameter for better flow.
Click to expand...

Ah, that explains it :D And here my GG ones are a considerably larger id than some of my others (which are at least compatible).

I have sufficient flow for the foamguns and that`s the only application where it`s ever mattered to me, guess my boosted pressure makes up for the limited volume, at least enough that it`s not a problem, although I sure did notice the diff when switching from the smaller id ones.
 
I have a few of those full flow connectors and they don`t work particularly well for me. Our water pressure isn`t so great during the summer months and I don`t get a nice flow with the large ID.
 
OK, thanks, Billy. For me, that somewhat defeats the purpose of having them if I have to run back to the spigot each time I want to change the attachment. I`m still using my old plastic couplers and most of them have a valve built in. They`re getting harder and harder to find.
 
tom p. said:
OK, thanks, Billy. For me, that somewhat defeats the purpose of having them if I have to run back to the spigot each time I want to change the attachment....
Click to expand...
I`ll put on my Capt. Obvious costume and mention shutoffs. Every hose in my shop has at least one of those for exactly the reason you mentioned. I change nozzles/etc. countless times during every wash and I gotta make it easy on myself.
 
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