The Stretchy Hose

that is so good of you to post this blog. I saw them advertised and wondered how good they were. I might just invest in one it would be ideal for me and all my borders not struggling with the weight of an ordinary hose, thank you so much for the information :O) They should come with a guarantee for at least 12 months so will have a look at getting one are they very expensive Scottish? I would need the big one too for my garden. :O)

Thanks Angie ... interesting and informative.

I've added to GoYpedia Water Butts ...
might helpful on there ...

Thanks both of you.
OO, the cost of this, the largest was a penny under £70. That was in the GC. I noticed online that if you bought one, you got a 2nd at half price. The largest available is 100ft but I'm sure I read that there is a connector available to join them.
TT, thanks for adding to GOYpedia

Angie I looked in to buying one of these from a very reliable online store and the reviews really put me off, we have a hose in a box on the wall, which we have just taken down never liked it the colour for a start!! green and yellow......but why make a stretchy one in that awful shade of orange!! green would have been more garden friendly.....my OH would hate it more than the last one lol there are many different kinds for sale, and I have been tempted but not that colour, I would have to hide it away in the shed....lol

I can see what you mean DD2. The colour is kind of off putting but as I only need to look at it when I water it doesn't bother me too much. Besides, it's easier to see and less of a trip hazard when mother is about. I'm not meaning that she's infirm of her feet but if there is something to trip over, then she'll trip.
She fell in a hotel room in Bahrain and split her head open, by the time the stitches were due to come out, we were in another country. She went to a clinic to have them removed. Tripped out the door when she was leaving and needed stitches in her knee. We couldn't move for laughing :) My life is full of similar incidents.

> Scottish -Hahaha...Oh forgive me for laughing. But I sooo... relate to your story about " Mother" and tripping over things. I am the ultimate Klutz! heh heh. I am Scottish too. Wonder if it's in our DNA? ~grin~

I've been considering this hose as well. Mainly because other hoses kink, or the more heavy duty ones are heavy and unwieldy for me to drag around the garden.

My neighbor just recently bought one and we have been trying it out.
We've noticed two problems.
1. It can be really hard to remove the nozzle. At least with hers. We tried and tried and couldn't get it off. I would recommend being very careful to not screw the nozzle on too tightly.
2. There is a child hazard to be aware of. If you turn off the water when the hose is stretched out and then let go of the hose, it will snap back with a considerable amount of force. That nozzle on the end can cause injury to small children if they are standing in the path of the hose when it recoils.

Overall I still think the pros outweigh the cons and will be buying one for myself soon.

Thanks for posting, it looks like I could use one of these as its a long way to drag hose round to front garden, find it a heavy job... this may solve the problem, will look into them...

Thanks for the info Scottish, blinking expensive then. lol :O) they might have come down a bit by next season, with all the showers we have had I do not need one just yet. :O)

Thanks for posting this.

Would be ideal for my odd shape garden but I agree with Olive it's a bit pricey......On my Xmas pressie list :o))

I've recently bought one of these - mine is a tasteful blue! I was anxious about the very mixed reviews so bought it from Argos who will refund immediately if faulty. However, it works a treat! My problem is that I don't have a tap in my garden: I live in a terraced cottage and the only outside tap is at the other end of the house. I use waterbutts as much as possible but if they run out I'm forced to run a hose through the house to attach to the hosereel. This very light hose is perfect! I'm so pleased with it. The only problem when I bought it was that the tap fitting leaked but this was easily remedied with a tap washer put inside the screw connector.
The hoses are not cheap & I wouldn't think all that robust. Mine didn't say not suitable for a pressure washer but I wouldn't risk it. Worth taking care of, and they are so easy to put away to store.

Thanks everyone - I'm pleased it's been of some use.

Evaji - perhaps it is in the genes, hopefully not the ones I get from my mother. I'm not sure I could cope with being like her. Although they do say, like mother like daughter! Still, I wouldn't change her for the world. My life would be a lot less eventfull ;)
Re your comment on the hose snapping back. I read your comment earlier and conducted an experiment with the hose earlier. When I turned my tap off and kept the end on the tap, released the nozzle to allow the water to escape, the hose took just over 70 seconds to contract. When I turned the tap off and detatched it although it was somewhat quicker as water was releasing from both ends, it did not recoil quick and I could not see it being a danger. Perhaps the ones over there are different to the ones here.
Hollyeves, the huge difference in the weight is amazing and that would be at the top of my list for recommending.
OO - yes expensive but I'm positive that my hose and reel cost me around the £50 mark around 8 years ago. You'll need to ask santa :)
Drc - I do hope you found it useful. Let me know what you decide to do.
Annie - you had best be a good girl then ;)
Cornishsally, thanks for the input too this blog. It will be useful if anyone wants to reference in the future. It can be awkward not having access to a tap from all ends of the house. I'm on an end terrace so my tap is on the side wall which makes it easier for back and front. Are you able to put a tap at the opposite end? My neighbour has a tap both front and back. With all the plumbing for your houses to the rear, he must have the pipes running under the floor space.

What a strange looking thing ! I think it's ugly, ... but it seems easy to use, so that's all right. It might be a good idea if I had one :)

It can be forgiven for being ugly by it's usefulness Hywel :)

I have found it useful Scottish am still undecided as yet I need to go and see them.

Great idea but I was lucky to buy a springy green hose which is very bright green but less "oranjeboom" than this version LOL!!

Same price in homebase but dark blue. They're not getting particularly good reviews - just an example http://theboatgalley.com/x-hose-great-idea-but/

They may have fixed the issues by now of course.

ps less expensive ones are available - search expanding hosepipe on internet

I've said "Thank you" in my original posting, Angie, but I have to repeat it.

Our two hoses arrived today and have already been used. My husband found the whole thing very easy though, I have to be honest, I found I was expecting expletives!

Certainly the whole concept is brilliant: light and so very portable!! I joined in and watered while OH switched off the tap. There was an amazing amount of water left in the hose.

The hoses stretched down to the bottom of our garden. Last night's efforts to do so with the old hose(s) resulted in constant stoppages to "refix" the joins. They kept bursting apart and were a real nuisance.

The weather in the sunny South is living up to its name but the shrubs and plants are not so appreciative. When clouds gather we hope for some rain but nothing happens.

Yes, the hoses were expensive but if they work and last (!) then they will have earned their keep in our 2/3 of an acre garden. In any case it's the children's inheritance we are spending!!

Angie: Your mother sounds like fun!

Angie, useful blog, thank you. I have just come in from an hours watering with the "old fashioned" type of hose..... Dragging it around the garden, kinking and breaking plants.. I think my feelings are the same as your Mums. This type of hose, definitely sounds like a great improvement.

Have now bought a green one of these.... its great, really light and amazing how far it stretches.. can now water front garden a lot easier.... thanks for posting the blog scottish.... :))))

Alan - glad you found it useful. One of my work colleagues bought one a few weeks ago too and we rant about our hoses often and all the guys are fed up listening to us. We are banned from talking hoses until further notice!
Holly - isn't it wonderful. Glad the post was of use :)

:))))