If you find yourself buying a new garden hose
every two to three years, you’re doing something wrong. A good quality
garden hose should last you as many as ten years before it needs to be
replaced. If you’re fighting with your garden hose because it kinks,
twists and gets tangled up, you’re also buying the wrong garden hoses
for your needs. In the overall scheme of things, shopping for the best
garden hose may not rank up there with comparison shopping for the best
car, but taking the time to select a the right hose for your climate,
garden and typical use can make your everyday life much easier and less
frustrating.
Garden
hoses are easy to find. You can pick them up just about anywhere –
garden centers, hardware stores, big box stores, department stores –
even supermarkets sometimes carry garden hoses in season. Finding a
garden hose that won’t leak at the faucet, kink up or refuse to coil or
burst at a weak spot just when you need it the most – that’s a nifty
trick. If you’re tired of watering your garden and washing your car with
a hose wrapped with cotton rags to slow the leaks, it may be time to
start shopping for a better garden hose for your use.
What to Look for in a Garden Hose
If
you’re looking for the best garden hose, you should consider a few
important factors. Those include the material of which the hose is made,
the couplings on both ends of the hose and the diameter of the hose.
You should also consider how you tend to use your garden hose and what
the climate is like in your region.
Garden Hose Fittings
The
couplings at either end of your garden hose are the place where you
hose is most likely to leak or fail. Look for a hose with solid brass
couplings, which will retain their shape better and resist leaking. The
coupling itself should be set onto a brass collar rather than being
attached directly to the hose, so that you can easily screw the hose
onto the faucet or to the sprinkler without twisting the entire hose.
Garden Hose Materials
Most
garden hoses are made of either rubber or vinyl, often reinforced with
some sort of fiber to give it more body and flexibility. Rubber garden
hoses are generally more pliable and durable than vinyl hoses, and
reinforced hoses are nearly always easier to work with than those that are not reinforced.
Diameter
Thinner
garden hoses are generally less expensive than those with a wider
diameter, but the tradeoff is in less water pressure and less usability.
Most hoses sold are 5/8 inch garden hoses to ¾ inch garden hoses.
Unless you intend to use your hose for low pressure applications, a
½-inch garden hose is probably too small for your needs.
Climate
If
you live in a cold climate, you’ll either need to bring your hose in
during the winter or opt for a heated garden hose or one that can
withstand low temperatures.
When you choose the best garden hose
for your needs, you may end up paying a little more at the register,
but you’ll save money – and a lot of frustration – in the long run.
