Love my new hose reel . . . w/photos

[Bob_Skurka]

Seems like every year I end up replacing 1 of my hose reels. I try to find good quality hose reels, but as I put 200' of hose on them they tend to last 1 to 1.5 seasons. And I have 3 of them, so I usually buy 2 new hose reels every year.

I've tried the hose reels that have carts, I've tried the reels that look like a box, and I've had several that wall mounted. I've even tried a couple that wind themselves back up.

I think, actually I HOPE, that I found the LAST HOSE REEL that I will have to buy. If it lasts for 3 seasons then it will have outlasted every other reel I've ever owned by at least 1 full season.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Here is a detail shot of the plumbing connection. Absoluting no leaking or dripping at the connections. Several brands I tried would start to leak almost immediately. This is all steel (galvenized or powdercoat depending on the part) and brass construction, the only plastic is the handle.

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

OK.... WHERE'D YA GET THAT BAD BOY????? I've been dealing with cheap-o (read HOME DEPOT) plastic reels for a few years now. I've bought the last one. That one looks substancial enough to stay on the job for a bit. I'd buy one in a heartbeat!

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Here is a side by side shot with a Suncast brand hose reel that I bought last year. The frame flexed so bad on the plastic Suncast due to the weight of 200' of hose that it would come apart if taken down our slopes. Also the Suncast leaked BADLY at the faucet connection AND at the internal connection of the reel (a plastic connection simply clamped to a hose).

The new unit is from Gempler's. Cost, with shipping is about $95. After testing one unit for a while and being convinced it was a very good quality and a very good value, I bought 2 more for the other faucet connection points where we keep hose.

The ONE thing I do not like is that it kinks the hose at the connection point, I did install a reininforced hose end connection after taking these pictures and that completely resolved the problem.




Here is a LINK to GEMPLER's : Gempler's hose reel

 

[DHennet]

That is real nice, but it doesn't look like it came from a "big box" store. Where did you find it? Did you stumble across a hardware store that was boarded up since 1953?

*Edit*
Sorry for the out of time post, you replied to Indy while I was typing...

 

[PineRidge]

Bob it looks pretty slick. Is there plenty of clearance on the crank handle so you don't take the skin off your knuckles on the brick when you are spinning it?

 

[TonyV]

Looks like a good find Bob. I've been disgusted with hose reels for years because of the same problems...not to mention skin'n my knuckles on the brick. I've swore off of 'em and just went back to using the cradle style. No winding...just roll the hose up manually...you know the type....but also no leaks, no scraped knuckles and and best of all no kinks in the hose. It works for me.

....Tony

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( Bob it looks pretty slick. Is there plenty of clearance on the crank handle so you don't take the skin off your knuckles on the brick when you are spinning it? )</font>


Mike. . . several inches of clearance, no problem winding it up.

Tony. . . at one of the 3 places where we keep hose I gave up on reels completely and just wound it up like you do. At least until now. There will be another hose reel mounted this weekend at that point. I keep about 200' at each faucet so a hose reel is a big time saver over manually coiling the hose.

 

[Treed_in_TX]

Hose reels have been a hot button issue with me for a while. I wouldn't buy one of the plastic ones because I convinced myself they wouldn't hold up. It's great to have this forum where people bring up these things. I have been hand coiling all the various hoses around the house and yard. My wife specializes in uncoiling and running a circuitous route through the fruit trees leaving me (cursing) to first unwind the hose from the trees and then coil before I mow. Then there's the dog, but that's another story. I'll be checking these reels out, they look terrific! Thanks.

 

[RedRocker]

Do you mean to tell me they make those things out of metal?
I have one of those swell Ames cart things with the folding handle. The first unfortunate thing is the handle folds when you don't want it too. The second unfortunate thing is my last name is Ames. The third unfortunate thing is I'm not related to the family that makes the tools. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif