what does everyone think about hose reels

[Parkmower]

I have vinyl siding so I don't want to mount it to the house but my plan is to attach it to a 4x4 set in the ground.

What do you guys think about this one? http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001F51XGE/ref=mp_s_a_1?qid=1337214554&sr=8-1

It's on sale for 80 bucks at menards.

That looks good. I just don't care for the hand crank reels.
I buy the hangers for $12 and when they break after a few years I don't care. I'd hate to spend $80 on that reel and after a year or two the spring or plastic breaks.
I have a $50 hand crank decorative reel that I don't care for, 60% of the hose now sits in a coil on front of it now.

 

[173abn]

I tried them,now they sit up in my barn loft collecting dust.I just hand coil now by the hydrants...russ

 

[Grass ala Mowed]

I like the reel in a box but a lot of them are too light and tip when you're pulling the hose out. I've got my eye on one at Home Depot with room in the bottom for a patio square (concrete steeping stone).

 

[oldyellr]

The trouble with hose reels is that they either don't last very long, or are very expensive. I can't see paying several times the cost of the hose if the reel won't outlast the hose itself. I had one that swings out, mounted on the clothes line post, but eventually the plastic reel disintegrated from the sun and weather and the galvanized steel pipe rusted out. A month ago I found this one on sale for half price, so I got one for the front and one for the back.

 

[HarryHarley]

Guess it all depends on "your" circumstances, and the look you want. Portable or permanently mounted? These posts have great ideas for you. I don't like tangled up hoses. I happen to have all 3 choices. Metal, plastic and hanger types.
The metal one is by far the longest lasting. The plastic is cheaper (as much as I hate plastic) and the hanger is simple and cheap! Like many have said, the sun and elements destroy the plastic stuff. My favorite is the metal cart by far. It also holds 250 feet of hose and winds up pretty easy. It's about 10 years old. I'm on my 3rd plastic one in the same time period. Good luck!

 

[oldyellr]

When my new plastic hose reels break, I think I'll revert to the old standby, a car rim.

 

[jimrs]

Everyone is right on. The plastic ones don't or won't hold up in the sunshine. The plastic becomes brittle and then they fail. I have 5 of them and only one works right. I'm afraid to try and roll up the hose using the handle as they will break where they are attached and fall off the post. I am starting to replace them with just an old metal hose hanger. There are a couple of places where I have longer hoses that a old rim from a car painted up nice would work on the 100 foot hoses. I love the hose reel idea but they need to find a better material to make them out of.

 

[nite71]

They're pricey but you can't go wrong with Rapid Reel by Eley Corporation. I own three wall mounts, which can be mounted parallel or perpendicular to the wall, and one 4-wheel hose cart with the extra capacity kit. These reels are the best you can buy quality wise. Their hoses are great too! The reels all have a 10 year no-leak guarantee.

 

[JOE.G]

I have a 50 ft hose mounted under my rear deck O a wood post have to coil it by hand, this is the easiest and fasted.
I have another 100 Ft hose in a Plastic Suncast cabinet that you reel by hand, It would fall over while trying to reel it in or let it out, SO I set it on a big flat Slate rock and tapcond it to it works good now.
The third one is a hose reel sink combo with a 150 feet of hose and it is a auto reel using water pressure, prob would work better if it didn't have a 150 ft of hose to drag but it does get the job done.

 

[Broke Again]

If the reel is plastic, it is going to break, and there is no good way to fix it. Also, the sun deteriorates the plastic. Have you consider a fall project of putting in an underground water line with a tap where you need it and then putting in a soaker hose? After the hard work is finished, it is a lot easier to just turn on the tap to water.