Container Vegetable Gardening

If you need a new garden hose this year, you want the best garden hoses and avoid the worst. Often we’ll just head into the store and grab the cheapest one. It breaks and we’re buying a new one after a few weeks.

Since Spring is coming up, I’ve been looking through my garden tools and hoses. You should look for signs of rust on your tools.  And if you find signs of punctures or deep abrasions on your hoses, it’s time to replace them.

If the fixtures on the end are dented, broken, or cracked, you definitely should replace the garden hose.

Also, it may just be time to update your hoses. If you didn’t drain them regularly, mold, algae, and bacteria could be growing inside the hose.

There are so many varieties of garden hoses out there. They keep coming out with new models every year. How will you know which to choose?

How Do You Evaluate Hoses

There are a few factors needed when testing a garden hose.
a. The weight per length
b. How prone is the hose to kinking
c. What is the burst pressure rate
d. How flexible is the hose
e. What is the pressure of the water flow
f. What are the fixtures made of

Very durable hoses tend to weigh more than lightweight ones. This can be useful if you have a lot of rough terrains. Or if people ride bicycles over the garden hose a lot.

But it can be difficult to pick up and move the hose when it weighs over twenty-five pounds.

The majority of people are looking for a lightweight hose for use around their backyard or patio.

The burst pressure rate is the force it would take the water to break through the hose. It’s sometimes called the burst strength. If you’ll be using a hose nozzle or a sprinkler, look for a hose with a burst rating above 350 psi.

Other Considerations

Water flow is determined by the diameter of the hose. A smaller hose diameter will have weaker pressure. Professionals use 3/4 inch diameter hoses to water trees and plants in parks quickly. And think about how large a fireman’s hose is.

The fixtures, or couplings, are the connectors at the ends of the hose. Plastic is prone to cracking or splitting and should be avoided. Cast brass is the strongest. However, it can leach chemicals into the hose. The best alternative is nickel plated brass. You get long-lasting durability and it’s safe to drink the water.

Flexibility and prone to kinking are related. The flexibility of a hose will determine how easy it is to maneuver around. If the hose is too flexible, it will twist on itself causing the kink. The ideal hose has a balance between these.

The report tested how easy it was to form a U when holding the hose. If it’s too difficult, the hose isn’t flexible enough. If it’s too easy, the hose will kink too easily.

What Makes A Good Garden Hose

There are three main factors in evaluating a good garden hose.

• Durability
• Flexibility
• Safety

A durable hose is made from rubber or reinforced polyurethane. It resists abrasions when being pulled along the ground. It resists punctures.

A good garden hose is lightweight and flexible. It’s easy to move it around your garden and doesn’t get hung up on corners or around edges of pots.

But it also resistant to kinking. When a hose twists on itself, it blocks the flow of water. In a poorly manufactured hose, it could cause the point of the kink to spring a leak. Worse, it could cause the hose to burst.

You should evaluate how you’re going to use the hose. Will it be used to wash your car as well as water plants? Will you be filling up small swimming pool and water dishes?

If you use your hose to wash your car, you need a durable hose that is flexible and will maintain a good water pressure.

If you’re refilling birdbaths or a bowl for your pet, you want to ensure the hose is certified drinking water safe.

What You Should Avoid In A Garden Hose

You should only buy hoses that are drinking water safe. Recent studies released state that a standard hose leaches chemicals. This is bad for your plants.

There are concerns that the chemicals will transfer to any food that you’re growing.

Also, you want to buy a garden hose that will last longer than a few weeks. Cheap vinyl hoses crack and spring leaks quickly.

Many people think they’d like expandable hoses. They’re very lightweight weighing around 1 lb. Yet, most are inch diameter. The water pressure will be less than what you’d expect compared to a regular garden hose that’s 5/8 inch.

When tested, they do expand as advertised. Over time these hoses tend to stop contracting. This leaves you with a hose that’s difficult to coil or store.

They don’t handle high water pressure well. And they are prone to rupturing if they are left out in the sun. These types of hoses are not reinforced and not durable.

Recommended Hoses

Clear Flow® Water Garden Hose
The fun thing about the ClearFlow hose is that it’s see-through. It’s made with materials approved by the National Sanitation Foundation(NSF) to be very safe for drinking out of. Sunlight passes through the walls of the hose eliminating bacteria and mold growth. ClearFlow offers a ten-year warranty.

Flexzilla Pro Water Hose

The Flexzilla is a reinforced polyurethane hose that is lightweight yet durable. It’s got a nice balance of flexibility yet resists kinking. Legacy offers a limited lifetime warranty.

Camco TastePURE Water Hose
The Camco hose is 20 percent thicker than the standard drinking water hoses. It leaves no strong plastic taste in your drinking water. The fixtures are machined nickel-plated brass fittings and strain-relief ends for added durability. Camco offers a one year warranty.

Conclusion

I found the best garden hoses combine durability and flexibility for the best results around the house. So, ensure you’re purchasing a garden hose that is rated to be “drinking water safe” to protect yourself, your plants and any animals that will be drinking from the hose.

Many great lighter weight hoses out of there made from reinforced vinyl or polyurethane. These hoses use layers with an internal structure to resist kinking yet are easy to maneuver around your yard. You will want to avoid hoses made just from vinyl with plastic fixtures. And you will want to avoid expandable hoses as they are prone to rupturing after only a few uses.

Choosing a garden hose can seem overwhelming with choices and decisions. If you’re here, you’ve decided that you require a lightweight garden hose. They are also referred to as featherweight hoses.

There are many reasons for wanting a lighter hose. They can get heavy if you have to move it around to different spots in your garden.

If you have hanging planters, your arms can get really tired trying to hold the hose up to water them.

But your decision making doesn’t end once you choose a lightweight hose. You need to look into length, quality, construction, as well as how easily it can kink up.

Hose Material

Hoses are made from rubber, vinyl, polyurethane, or a combination of materials.

Vinyl tends to be light, but it is the lowest quality. It can degrade if left out in the sun. So if you decide to choose vinyl, make sure it’s reinforced so it will last longer.

Rubber garden hoses are the most durable. They can be used for both hot and cold water. Rubber also gets broken down by sunlight. So you will need to store it out of the sun.

Rubber hoses are the most durable. They don’t nick easily, nor do they get abraded when pulling them over your patio.

Combination hoses are made from rubber and vinyl. They are lightweight and more durable. These garden hoses are flexible and resistant to kinking

Hose Weights

Pure vinyl garden hoses will be the lightest. They have a tendency to kink up at the worst times.

Rubber hoses will be the heaviest.

The rest of the hoses will weigh somewhere in between depending upon the length and how it’s reinforced.

No Kink vs. kink resistant

Some lightweight hoses are prone to kink easily.

What is kinking? That’s when the hose twists up so water cannot flow anymore. Usually, when it happens, you have to shake the hose to get it to unkink.

If you get a poorly made hose that kinks, you could spring leaks because of the water pressure.

If your hose springs a leak, you could try repairing it with tape. But that’s not a long-term solution and you will need to replace it.

Length

The length of the hose will also determine the total weight of the hose. A long hose will weigh more than a short hose.

To determine the best length for you, measure the farthest distance you will need to go from the spigot. Then choose one that’s a little longer.

It’s better to have a slightly too long hose than to always be tugging on it.

Couplings

Couplings are the metal or plastic threads on the ends of the hose. They’re also called fittings. Hoses have a male thread on one end and a female thread on the other.

Couplings are made from brass, nickel plated brass or plastic.

Octagon shaped fittings are easier to hook up than the standard round shape.

How to Determine the Best Hose
Quality hoses will cost more than poorly made ones. They are also more durable.

If you will be drinking from the hose or using it to fill a pet’s water bowl, you want it to be “drinking water safe.” The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) determined the level of acceptable lead. A hose that is not drinking water safe may have as much as 10 to 100 times the level of lead recommended as safe.

Caring For Your Hose

To help prevent kinking and prolong the life of your hose, you will want to take care of it.

When using a hose for the first few times, straighten and untwist it until the hose lays flat.
Straighten and untwist the hose before coiling it back up. Avoid storing the hose with kinks in it.
Always coil your hose in the same direction — either clockwise or counterclockwise.
Store the hose on a hose reel for easier coiling.

Two more tips are to drain the hose as you coil it. By draining the water out, you prevent mold and bacteria from growing in the hose.

And drain the hose before freezing temperatures and store someplace safe. A garden shed is the best place for storage, or in the garage.

My Recommendations

Our favorite hose is the Flexzilla Garden Hose because it has the best balance between lightweight, kink resistance, and durability. While it is more expensive, it comes with a limited lifetime warranty and a solid company to back it up. It is also drinking water safe.

The lightest option is the Miracle Gro ULTRALite. It’s a combination material so it’s more durable and kink resistant. This hose is also drinking water safe. Miracle Gro also offers a limited lifetime warranty. This is only a 1/2″ hose. Standard household garden hoses are 5/8″.

Another drinking water quality hose is the Clear Flow® Water Garden Hose. It’s clear made with materials approved by the National Sanitation Foundation. UV rays pass through to eliminate bacteria and mold growth. ClearFlow offers a ten-year warranty.

Conclusion

Now that you know how to choose a lightweight garden hose, you will want to plan which one is the perfect length. Then you can look at how you will use your hose.

Don’t forget to think how you will be storing your garden hose. To ensure it lasts a long time, you will want to take good care of it. Regularly drain water out of the hose. Most hoses also should be stored it out of the sun to reduce being broken down by UV radiation.

You may also want to look into investing in a hose reel to make it easier to keep your hose out of the way when not in use. The lightweight choices will make it easier for you to wind up.

The Flexzilla garden hose solves the frustration and annoyance that happens when gardening. A common complaint is having the hose kink. Then when you tug to unkink it, the nozzle twists in your hands with the sudden burst of water pressure. It’s no fun.

Nor is it fun to have a hose wanting to stay curled up the way it’s stored. You want a hose that will lie flat when you’re using it.

The Flexzilla Water Hose may be just what you need. The hose itself is crafted from a lightweight hybrid polymer. That ensures it lies flat without kinking under pressure.

It also is easier to pull around the yard. And it won’t get stuck when you have to weave it between pots and plants.
But aren’t most hoses like that?

What Makes Flexzilla Great

Many vinyl hoses kink up no matter what you’re doing. They get stuck on corners. And when you tug, you just get frustrated.

Rubber garden hoses don’t kink. But they are fairly heavy and not easy to pick up and move around. This can get very noticeable over a 50-foot length.

Also, rubber hoses tend to like to stay coiled up and will try to curl back around into a coil when straightening it out.

Flexzilla garden hoses were engineered to make homeowner’s lives easier. They are light and easy to pick up and move around. These hoses are kink resistant yet easy to store on a hose wheel, and can even perform well in sub-zero temperatures.

If you live in the desert, the hose is rated up to 150F ambient temperature as well.

All of the Flexzilla garden hoses are durable and repairable. You can replace the couplings and O-rings if needed. Some people buy the longer length hoses and cut them in half.

The male and female fittings are available to buy online. These ends clamp on instead of needing crimping.

You may find these hoses advertised as Legacy Flexzilla. Legacy is the company based in Iowa. They were founded in 1986 and are a family business.

Additional features

• Crush resistant anodized aluminum couplings
• Drinking water safe
• Light in weight
• Kink Proof
• Lays flat
• Abrasion-Resistant

The couplings won’t collapse if someone steps on it or runs over it with the lawnmower. Far too often, you have to throw out a hose with a crushed coupling. It’s too difficult to replace on a vinyl hose.

If you have kids and pets drinking water from a spigot, this is the perfect hose. All of the Flexzilla hoses are rated safe for drinking. You don’t have to worry about BAPA or anything leeching out of the hose or brass couplings.

Specifications

The Flexzilla Garden Hose comes in lengths from 3 ft. to 100 ft. The hoses are a standard ⅝ in. You can get in. in 50-, 75- and 100-foot lengths.

The PRO Hose is 5/8 inch diameter and comes in 50-, 75-, and 100-foot lengths.

The hose’s burst strength is 150 PSI which is an average rating.

Models

Garden Hose

Their entry level lightweight durable hose that lays flat and stays flexible. This hose has a limited lifetime warranty.

SwivelGrip(TM)

This hose is similar but has a grip that is easy to turn and tighten. You won’t have any more problems hooking the hose up to the spigot. This garden hose also has a limited lifetime warranty.

Lead-In Hose

Features the SwivelGrip(TM) but targets the apartment or townhome owner. It comes in 3-, 5-, and 10-foot lengths. This Flexzilla hose has a limited lifetime warranty.

PRO

This hose targets the professionals. It’s the same type of hose but comes in longer lengths. It’s more durable and easy to repair on-site. This hose has a 2-year warranty.

Pressure Washer Hose

If you have a pressure washer, this hose is durable and rated to 3100 psi working pressure. There’s also a 2-year warranty.

Pros

Flexzilla spent extra time and effort to create a hose that is going to help people. Its light weight is easy to pick up and move around. The no memory feature ensures that it will lie flat even after being stored all winter.

The garden hose comes in a wide variety of lengths. This can be very useful if you need a shorter hose or a long one.

They are very lightweight. A 50-foot hose weighs approximately 7-9 pounds. The 75-foot hose weighs approximately 12 pounds. And the 100-foot hose weighs approximately 16 pounds.

The limited lifetime warranty is a big plus. If you have any problems, the company will work with you.

This hose is not made from vinyl so it won’t degrade in the sun.

It comes in bright colors like Zilla Green, Blue Skies, and Coral Candy.

Cons

Some purchasers felt that their hoses did kink. From comments, it looks like they pulled out their hose and turned it on. The recommendation is to turn on the hose, and then pull it out. Pressurized hoses kink less than non-pressurized.

Other feedback felt that the hose leaked at the connection where the hose meets the nozzle. And that the coupling came off one end. The purchaser contacted Flexzilla to get the hose exchanged.

And finally, some people felt that the green color was very bright. Others preferred this stating they will never trip over the hose again.

Conclusion

If you’re looking for a well-made hose that will last a long time, the Flexzilla garden hoses are for you.

What makes Flexzilla hoses so great? They were engineered to resist kinking and lie flat in use. They are available in a large variety of sizes. And they even come in fun colors.

The hose is lightweight. This can be very important if you don’t want to be getting a weight workout in. It’s also beneficial to getting smaller children to help out with the watering.

Legacy is a well established company with a quality customer support staff. They have a solid lifetime warranty on consumer gardening hoses, and the reputation to back it up.

You won’t resist getting a garden hose that is easy to maneuver and long-lasting. It will make your time in the yard more fun.

You’re in your local garden center and wondering what is the best rubber garden hose for you. The choices can be overwhelming.

You’re wise to choose a rubber hose over one made from vinyl. The rubber hose will last longer and provide better results.They’re more durable and abrasion resistant. Some people have reported their rubber hoses lasted over ten years.

Rubber hoses tend to be more “drinking-water safe.” That important if you will have kids or animals drinking from the hose. Look for the certification.

You only need to ask yourself four questions:

1. How long should it be
2. What diameter should it be
3. What are the couplings made of
4. How flexible is the hose

How Long Should Your Hose Be

It’s tempting to get the longest hose possible. Standard garden hose lengths are 25, 50, 75 and 100-foot lengths. There are some things you should think through first.

Longer hoses are heavier to move around than shorter hoses. They also need more storage space. And it takes longer for maintenance when draining and putting away for the winter.

Additionally, a longer hose has reduced pressure at the end. A 3/4 inch 25-foot hose has a water flow of 72 gallons per minute whereas a 5/8 inch hose only produces 44 gallons per minute. But a 5/8 inch 100-foot hose only puts out 11 gallons per minute. That may seem like a trickle.

Instead of one long hose, you may be better off buying two smaller hoses. That allows you to reach everything rather that you could with the one longer hose. And if you connect two hoses together, you can replace one if it wears out rather then a longer and more expensive garden hose.

You also could have more than one hose on different spigots. That way, you don’t have to carry a hose from one place to the other.

Determine the ideal length by measuring the distance from the spigot to the farthest area you’re watering. Then add a foot or two. It’s better for your frustration level and the hose not to be tugging on it.

Most people find a 50-foot hose is the best length for the price for homes. If you live in an apartment or townhome with a small porch or patio, the 25-foot hose is the best.

Standard hose sizes are 3/4, 5/8 and 1/2 inches. That refers to the internal diameter of the hose.

The large 3/4 inch diameter hose provides a larger stream of water. Most professionals use this size hose for watering public parks and gardens. The extra water flow saves time for the workers.

If you are watering a lot of trees, you may need this size hose. Also, a large diameter hose is better when you have to water up a hill.

Most people use a 5/8 inch hose. It’s the happy medium for pressure and effective water use.

Hose Delivery Rates

• A 1/2 inch hose delivers nine gallons per minute
• A 5/8 inch hose delivers about 17 gallons per minute.
• A 3/4 inch hose delivers about 27 gallons per minute.

 

Also, you should note the burst pressure rating on the hose. The burst pressure is the point at which the casing will fail. A quality hose should be above 350psi.

You can connect hoses of different diameter. Connect the largest diameter to the spigot for the best flow.

Brass or Plastic Couplings

While the plastic coupling hoses are cheaper, they won’t last as long. Plastic will crack and break. Also, plastic will break down in the sunlight. This leads to leaking and wasted water.

You should pay extra for what’s called a collar. That’s a plastic or rubber sheath of about four to six inches. You can slide the collar up to cover where the coupling is. It reduces kinking or splitting of the hose near the spigot.

The brass couplings also have a variety of quality. There are thin stamped-metal ones that can be difficult to put on and get tight. And if you step on it, you can crush it.

Cast brass will be the most durable. Look for ones that are more octagonal as they’re easier to get on and off than the round ones.

If you want a drinking-water hose, look for nickel-plated brass couplings.

Find the happy medium between flexible and sturdy. You want a hose that is flexible enough to go around corners or between things. A super flexible hose will kink more easily that a sturdy garden hose.

A simple test is to bend the hose into a U shape. If it kinks, then it’s too flexible. If you need to be a weightlifter to bend the hose, it’s too sturdy.

When a hose kinks, it stops the water. This backs up the water and could increase the pressure past the bursting point. If you notice water pressure decreasing, you will want to pause and go look for any kinks.

Hoses are often rated as “kink-free” and “kink resistant.” Very few hoses are truly “kink-free.” They tend to be sturdier than the “kink resistant.” And that means heavier.

Conclusion

To choose the best rubber garden hose, you will need to spend time evaluating how you will use the hose. You will also want to determine the best length and diameter for your watering needs.

The more heavy duty your watering, the more you will want a sturdy hose that is kink free and has brass couplings.

If you need to get a lot of water out in the shortest period of time, or you need to bring the hose up a hill to water, you need a wide-diameter hose.

Take care of your garden hoses. Keep them stored properly. Drain the water out of them regularly. And change the washers every few months because they degrade quickly.

Draining the hoses will keep bacteria, algae, and mildew from growing inside the hose. In cold weather, draining prevents ice from forming in freezing weather. And in hot weather, you can crack the hose if it is in direct sunlight full of cold water.

Buying a retractable hose reel for your hose is a great way to drain the hose and store it out of the way of lawnmowers.

Spending a little extra time ensures your investment in the rubber garden hose will last a long time.