Should You Buy a Cheap Garden Hose?
Garden hoses come in a myriad of different prices, sizes, lengths, styles such as flat, coiled, non kink, and more, and even colors. My mother must have a dozen different types of hoses as she is an avid gardener and she is not at all an exception.
Some of these differences may not have obvious uses to all, but for example after you once run your lawn mower over a green garden hose and ruin it you will understand the reason for different colors. Despite the variety in hoses, the most common bought hose is the standard round green one in lengths between 25 feet and 100 feet. Although length certainly accounts for some differences in price, are more expensive ones worth it or should you buy the cheapest one at the local discount store? Read on to learn about the differences between a cheap one and a better quality one.
Depending on your use, a cheap one may be appropriate. Now you do get what you pay for in general with hoses. But for a light duty hose a cheap one will work. By light duty we mean relatively stationary as in not dragged over the ground a lot, and not subject to much other wear and tear including foot traffic, children (who love to play with hoses), and livestock activity.
A cheap one will more likely have cheap fittings, which means leakage is likely from the ends, but if it is only occasionally used this may be am acceptable compromise. If your hose will have medium to heavy use, including lots of movement including but not limited to being dragged across rough terrain, being left on for extended periods of time perhaps with a sprinkler attachment or similar, a more expensive one is a necessity!
I recommend getting advice from local merchants and reading online reviews unless you have a particular model or manufacturer you are familiar with. Kinking is a problem with hoses, which restricts water flow and basically slows down watering chores. This can be an enormous hassle, and all cheap hoses will kink readily when moved. More expensive ones are resistant to kinking, but all hoses can kink despite what they may claim if given enough sideways twisting pressure.
So, will a cheap one do it for you? Although I do not recommend the cheapest of the cheap, for extremely light duty when money is tight, a cheap one may be OK. For medium to heavy use or where longevity is an issue I recommend investing in a better hose.
Help your garden grow with
Gardens Private & Personal: A Garden Club of America Book
More than 90 exquisite gardens were photographed all around the United States especially for this book by Mick Hales, one of the world’s leading garden photographers. Organized according to parts of the gardenentryways, herbaceous borders, water features, hedges, etc.the pictures are accompanied by insightful commentaries and extended captions. Quotations from the ownersdedicated gardeners alloffer an additional source of inspiration to any garden lover.
List Price: $ 55.00
Price: $ 22.00
Related Gardens Articles
