You may not have heard of these before, and probably never used one, you may even think it is a gimmick. This is not the case, they are really rather good.
Many years ago, I needed to extend my old garden hose, I did this by using an old curly "Suzi" airline from an artic, (I had been using this as a supply for my spraygun) this seemed to do the job a treat, and basically it looks like someone has pinched my idea, although I may not have been the first to think of it.
Pro's No kinks like normal hosepipes. Standard fittings accept appliances made by Hozelock as well as other firms. You can plug into a lawn sprinkler, or a MiracleGro feeder, wateriing lance etc. Made by Hozelock (with a Z - take note Ciao) so quality made. Available everywhere at a reasonable price, check out the usual DIY superstores. You could extend it but read cons, If you don't need the flow, then you can join two together, or even more. Easy to stow, no need for a drum.
Cons Small diameter (3/8") and all those curls means more friction, so less output. You can't just lay it out & let it water your garden without pegging it down. Just to explain that bit, if you have a normal hose and want to feed a sprinkler forty feet away from the tap, you run the hose to it, turn the tap on, & have a cuppa. With this system, you need to stop the hose from flying back towards the tap, not a great problem but something to be aware of. If your flow is not great then the output will be reduced. Although the length is 50 feet you can only use it practically, up to about 45' - anything more and you are struggling against the "spring" effect.
One thing to remember, is that as the plastic hose gets dragged along the ground, it picks up very small bits of grit, then if you take the hose across your car bonnet, you will end up with scratches, this may be obvious but just wanted to point it out.
Price - less than five pounds for a cheap & nasty copy, but I do recommend you buy the genuine Hozelock - the RRP is £29.99 but as always you can get them a fiver or so cheaper.
The hose is hard wearing, and the only spares you may need, are "O" rings for the fittings, these are widely available, It looks neat all the time, not like an ordinary hose that looks a mess unless you spend time coiling it properly.
Wickes do a version that looks very good, they are on sale at £9.99 at the moment.
Apr 6th, 2007
(Feb 27th, 2009)
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