What makes a good hose?

I

imported_Dan O

New member
I'm going to be moving into my own house soon and look forward to many afternoons cleaning the car in the comfort of my own garage. However, I'll need a hose for the weekly wash and was intrigued by those "flat" hoses that promise not to kink and roll up easily.



My question to my fellow autopians is whether or not these are just gimimcks or the real deal. Am I better off just going to my local hardware store and buying whatever I see for $10? Any good recommendations out there?



Kory
 
I found that the "Quick-Disconnects Fittings" added some value to my own hose change last year. I picked them up at Walmart along with the hose. Added them at both ends of the hose and they actually work with no leaks. Added a quick connection to the multiple spray nozzle and all the kid's toys. I need to unwind all of the hose to reach the truck out front so I use a static hose rack high up on the garage wall just inside the door. Kids are driving bikes and such over the hose so the flat ones were out of the question. The commercial hose from Walmart has survived so far and I do not remember it costing that much. Normally the ends of my old hose would leak and I would be forced to crank the connections down to keep from leaking. Really tough to connect the kids water toys.

Now I shut the water off and remove the nozzle and rope up the hose at the garage end letting it drain. The nozzle does not get beat up as the hose is dragged back and hung up.

I would say that the Quick Connect's added alot to the "whole".

The commercial hose from Walmat has worked fine and when it go's I will just buy another and transfer the connections over.
 
I agree, quick disconnect fittings and the like are critical, as is obviously a good nozzle of some sort. I prefer the "gun-like" trigger style ones with differest spray settings.



Most critical though to me, is a good wallmount hose "holder", one that can be easily wound back up. These make for easy pulling and retracting of the hose. Just be sure to mount it strategically.



I'm not familiar with the flat type hoses. I would just say get a good quality hose that will last. Don't get the cheapest one, b/c chances are it won't hold up well to pressure, kinks, etc...and you'll end up having to replace it shortly thereafter.
 
I buy only 100% pure rubber hoses. They stay flexible at cold temperatures, have no kink memory, and are easy to coil up and put away. They are also very durable.
 
Lost Pup said:
I found that the "Quick-Disconnects Fittings" added some value to my own hose change last year.
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I bought a brass quick disconnect set, and it leaked like crazy when I connected it to the hose......I wanted to be able to remove the nozzle without having to walk back to the shutoff, turn off the water, remove nozzle, and turn it back on to rinse the car with a nice stream of water......did you buy a plastic disconnect or brass?? Do you know the brand, etc??
 
A solution to the leaking disconnects or hose ends for that matter is Teflon tape. Just stick a layer around the threads of the hardware and screw them together.
 
laynlow said:
I buy only 100% pure rubber hoses. They stay flexible at cold temperatures, have no kink memory, and are easy to coil up and put away. They are also very durable.
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I totally agree with rubber and laynlow.

I brought my hose from Sears in the Craftman line. They are rather expensive ($60-$100) but has a lifetime warranty. Pay once and have a excellent hose for life.

A $10 hose is just not worth the time and effort required to unkink and the fixtures are of poor quality ( plastic ) which leads to leaks and water wastage. :D
 
I go with the Craftsman as well (black kind). I've got two, both have lasted a long time. I think I was told that if anything every happened to them all I needed was one end that had an indication of its length, and it would be replaced.
 
turnipgreen said:
I go with the Craftsman as well (black kind). I've got two, both have lasted a long time. I think I was told that if anything every happened to them all I needed was one end that had an indication of its length, and it would be replaced.
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That's the one. Black with brass fittings and Craftman written along its length.

Lifetime warranty!!.:bounce
 
blkZ28Conv said:




That's the one. Black with brass fittings and Craftman written along its length.

Lifetime warranty!!.:bounce
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Yup....I have the same one....I got the longest one they have.....it's great......definitely worth the extra $$$
 
My biggest problem is with the fittings. They get worn down from being dragged around just from coiling it up and sometimes get stepped on and out of round and leak. They look brass, but I guess they are brass coated copper or something? Are the Craftsman hoses tougher than this? If so, it would be worth my while. This is my 4th hose in 6 years, as the fittings always go first.
 
2wheelsx2 said:
My biggest problem is with the fittings. They get worn down from being dragged around just from coiling it up and sometimes get stepped on and out of round and leak. They look brass, but I guess they are brass coated copper or something? Are the Craftsman hoses tougher than this? If so, it would be worth my while. This is my 4th hose in 6 years, as the fittings always go first.
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I had the same problem you are describing above....it was a cheap hose, and the fittings on the end got bent becuase they weren't solid brass....then it starts to leak, etc....might as well throw it in the trash. I feel that the Craftsman hose is much tougher, and I think the fittings are solid brass, and can withstand much more punishment than the cheap hoses.

But, I am not 100% sure about the fittings, maybe someone else knows for sure. At a minimum, you would have a lifetime gurantee on the hose, and could bring it back for a free replacement if it did start leaking!
 
2wheelsx2 said:
My biggest problem is with the fittings. They get worn down from being dragged around just from coiling it up and sometimes get stepped on and out of round and leak. They look brass, but I guess they are brass coated copper or something? Are the Craftsman hoses tougher than this? If so, it would be worth my while. This is my 4th hose in 6 years, as the fittings always go first.
Click to expand...



I believe this is a problem with almost any hose. I am not sure if the fitting are pure brass or a plating but with the warranty Sears will replace. Of course if mis-use (i.e crushed fitting ) is the cause :nixweiss. Nevertheless, Sears has always been very good about standing behind their Craftman warranty in my case.:cool:
 
Hmmm....thanks, guys, I am going to check it out at Sears!:up



Note: Just checked it out on the web, and the 450 psi burst strength premium hose says solid brass fittings, but the 350 psi burst strength one just says brass fittings, so I guess one has to shell out the $$ for the longer and thicker hose to get solid brass fittings. I think I will go to Home Depot to see if I can get the solid brass fittings and cut off my current ones and use hose clamps to fit new ones.
 
I had one of the connectors start leaking on one, and it was promptly replaced without question. No fun having your hose start leaking, but can't complain about getting a replacement.
 
blkZ28Conv said:
That's the one. Black with brass fittings and Craftman written along its length.
Click to expand...

Here's another endorsement for the Craftsman hoses. I've got two of them now - one's new, the other is about 5 years old and looks as good as the new one. They are about as kink-resistant as you can get which means you won't have to waste time untangling hose when you drag it from one side of the car (or yard) to the other. Yes they're more expensive, but they last a long time.
 
I have to fully extend my hose anyways when I'm washing my car, so I like the flat hose. I really like the the nozzle it comes with that allows me to put soap in the head of it. I use it to soak the car after rinsing on top of the way I usually painstakingly wash.



As for other hoses, I don't like skank hose ;)
 
Here goes, I bought 2 50-foot Sears Best, connected together with brass cuplers, quick disconnects on both ends---one for the nozzle and one for the water connector. I keep both on a Groit's rubber tired hose reel (best money I spent in years).....easy to roll and unroll. I want the Groit's yellow bucket on wheels but the wife can't seem to understand why I would spend $80 on a bucket......she's clueless. ;)



I use the multifunction rubber-coated pistol nozzel, and mainly use the shower spray. I learned this lesson the hard way, relpaced the old metal nozzle when one day I dropped it on the quarter panel, left a nice dime size dent. Now, rubber all the way.



BTW, I haven't posted in awhile, lost my post count...have to start all over. lol
 
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