Fixing Garden Hoses

[elkhound]

lets talk about fixing garden hoses. these little male/female ends and couplers you find at various stores..well..they just suck for the most part.

is there a kit of some kind out on the market you can make nice compression ends and fixes with?

got any secrets you want to share ?

 

[UrbanHunter]

I agree that the cheep ones with the hose clamps suck, if you wrap them with electrical tape it helps a little.
I find this type isn't too bad:

 

[Weedygarden]

I have no secrets, but I can tell you that I have to drive around to find the parts, any parts, if I am able to find them. I have soaker hoses around my yard and they need occasional repairs. It seems to be a spring chore, getting hoses ready for watering. The other challenge for me is that there a couple different diameters of hoses. If I have a hose to fix, I cut a small piece to take with me so that I may find the right size.

 

[INresponse]

I agree that the cheep ones with the hose clamps suck, if you wrap them with electrical tape it helps a little.
I find this type isn't too bad:
View attachment 67154

These are the ones to get, the cheap ones with the band clamp are junk and the cheap band clamp they include isn't strong enough to get a tight clamp before it strips out and ruins the clamp.
That being said, These clamps work well but I have found it is still difficult to get them to seal well on the cheap hoses. The better quality the hose the better they work.

 

[Alaskajohn]

I bit the bullet a few years ago and got some really nice hoses and they have worked well. I have wasted money trying to fix the cheap hoses with cheap fixes with poor results.

Watching this thread as I should probably by good male/female ends for when I do need to make a repair on my upgraded hoses. Certainly the time will come to need to repair. I still have a good stash of crappy hoses I could fix with the right ends...

 

[Double R]

We use the ones urbanhunter posted above but ditch the clamp part and use good hose clamps instead. When I find them I buy a lot at once. Hard to find around here. We also save ends from old bad hoses that are still good and use splices with hose clamps. We have a bag with supplies in it that we can grab and take to the hoses. A torch helps a lot for a good seal as well. Molds the hose a bit and allows for a tight seal.

 

[Biggkidd]

A piece of copper tubing and 2 regular hose clamps work well. 1/2 id copper is just about 5/8 od and it's easy enough to flair the end a little for 3/4 hoses. Piece the pieces together and forget the ends you don't have to have. If you do have to have the ends cut the outer piece (crimp) off and use a clamp to put it back together.

 

[Bacpacker]

Timely thread. I'm working on my short feed lines (6-15') for my raised beds and ran out of parts. I picked up some at TSC that work ok. Good UV treated hoses are much better.
I'll have to keep the copper pipe in mind. Thats a permanant fix.

 

[Supervisor42]

I agree that the cheep ones with the hose clamps suck, if you wrap them with electrical tape it helps a little.
I find this type isn't too bad:
View attachment 67154

I used to do that in my younger days.
Then I decided my life was too short, so I only use 'battle-hardened' hoses today.
Stainless steel jacket, solid brass ends, with a reinforcement to the jacket at each end.
We have plenty of water-pressure so the 3/8" ID doesn't matter.
...It's even approved for usage by females!

Try to cut it, cross-thread it, break or bend an end, nope.
We even try to freeze them every year but the metal acts like a heat-sink in reverse.

I'm sorry I'm not much help, but I am not spending $5 on parts, and an hour of my life, fixing a $10 hose.
On topic: Above is how I fix a hose.

 

[Biggkidd]

$10 dollar hoses Haven't seen those in many years. Most of the hoses I buy are contractor grade and cost $80 on sale for 100 feet last time I bought.

 

[backlash]

I just bought a contractor-grade hose at Costco for $40. It is heavy and well made with brass ends. I'm going to buy a hose reel cart for it. It will be primarily used with my pressure washer.
As for repairing hoses, I'm like the rest of you. I use the ones that UrbanHunter suggested. Just make sure you get the correct size, putting a 1/2" hose on a 5/8 connector is no fun. A heat gun helps even with the correct connector.

Edit: the hose I bought cost $20 not 40.

 

[Spikedriver]

If the end of the hose goes bad, I just trim it and buy the $8 barbed brass threaded ends. Cinch 'em down with a couple good hose clamps and it's good to go, no leaks, no muss, no fuss, and not much hassle.

Last year I had to build a hose of a specific length and diameter for a temporary non potable water solution on Pops' farm when the well failed. Buying hose by the foot and putting the barbed ends and clamps on it was relatively cheap and easy and the hose held up without leaks, outdoors in the elements, for about 100 days straight. It was a clear hose with braided reinforcement in it, and I would use that hose material again...

 

[Biggkidd]

Poly water pipe works well for more permanent locations and it's cheap compared to hoses. 3/4 cast iron pipe nipples will push in 1 inch pipe and can be clamped down then use 2 washers in the female end of the water hose where it connects to it.

 

[Supervisor42]

$10 dollar hoses Haven't seen those in many years.

In Squalmart today:
Flexon DBR5825 Light Duty 5/8" x 25' Garden Hose
Average Rating3.4)stars out of 5stars 13 ratings, based on 13 reviews
5 comments
Flexon
$10.34
List WAS $16.29
You can't throw them away fast enough.

 

[Cabin Fever]

I only used barbed couplers and stainless steel hose clamps to splice hoses together after my wife cuts the hose with the lawnmower. Never leaks! You can buy the couplers with barbs on one end and male or female garden hose threads on the other end.

 

[Spikedriver]

I only used barbed couplers and stainless steel hose clamps. Never leak! You can buy the couplers with barbs on one end and male or female garden hose threads on the other end, too.

View attachment 67196

View attachment 67197

That is exactly what I used and I concur, it's the way to go.

 

[Biggkidd]

You all must have stores a lot closer than we do. I have to drive an hour north or south to hit a walmart or lowes, home depot, tractor supply

 

[SheepDog]

I go a whole different direction for my hoses. I used to get the "good" hoses and then spend half the year fixing them. I then remembered that medium pressure hydraulic hose - up to 250 PSI - worked great for my air lines on my compressor so I took a trip to the hydraulic supply and got two 100 foot sections. I took the ends off the old hose and put them on the new hose. Four years and counting and they have been frozen twice with no problems. I put in drain back valves and they don't freeze anymore either.

 

[Bacpacker]

That is exactly what I used and I concur, it's the way to go.

Same here. Just bought several of each Monday.

 

[Spikedriver]

You all must have stores a lot closer than we do. I have to drive an hour north or south to hit a walmart or lowes, home depot, tractor supply

I have a mom n pop hardware store 300 feet from my door. Makes things pretty easy for me...

 

[Biggkidd]

I have a mom n pop hardware store 300 feet from my door. Makes things pretty easy for me...

It's 20 miles one way to the nearest hardware store and they are high on the prices.

 

[Spikedriver]

It's 20 miles one way to the nearest hardware store and they are high on the prices.

My local store is high too, but I don't have to start the car to go there, so I figure it's worth a few extra dollars.

 

[joel]

I used what UrbanHunter used.
At work we used what Cabin Fever used, on air & water hose lines.
My Father would use copper pipe about 2 inches long, & heat the water to swell the hose, so the copper pipe would fit, the hose will sunk as it cools & the pipe will be there when the hose rots away years later. We used hose clamps on the pipe also.

 

[Double R]

I only used barbed couplers and stainless steel hose clamps to splice hoses together after my wife cuts the hose with the lawnmower. Never leaks! You can buy the couplers with barbs on one end and male or female garden hose threads on the other end.

View attachment 67196

View attachment 67197
View attachment 67198

We just ordered these a few days ago. Look like they will be a much better option for us since we basically do the same with the other style. The splices we’ve been using for a while. Work great.

 

[Homesteader33]

I used to do that in my younger days.
Then I decided my life was too short, so I only use 'battle-hardened' hoses today.
Stainless steel jacket, solid brass ends, with a reinforcement to the jacket at each end.
We have plenty of water-pressure so the 3/8" ID doesn't matter.
...It's even approved for usage by females!
View attachment 67187
Try to cut it, cross-thread it, break or bend an end, nope.
We even try to freeze them every year but the metal acts like a heat-sink in reverse.

I'm sorry I'm not much help, but I am not spending $5 on parts, and an hour of my life, fixing a $10 hose.
On topic: Above is how I fix a hose.

I am giving these a try, thanks for this info!

 

[joel]

0.70 X 100' = $69.99. Worth every penny if it will last 10 years.

 

[joel]

You should never drive over a rubber water hose or a drop cord.
The above SS hose is a total waste, if you drive over it, so put it up after each use!

 

[The Lazy L]

$10 dollar hoses Haven't seen those in many years. Most of the hoses I buy are contractor grade and cost $80 on sale for 100 feet last time I bought.

Substitute "$10" with "cheap" and his point will be clearer.

 

[Supervisor42]

The above SS hose is a total waste, if you drive over it, so put it up after each use!

They are almost indestructible. Notice I said 'almost'. Joel is right.
My elite team of test engineers figured out that if it is run across the concrete patio, and you drop a concrete block on it, you can kill it.
It survives the other typical methods of destruction.

 

[Neb]

They are almost indestructible. Notice I said 'almost'. Joel is right.
My elite team of test engineers figured out that if it is run across the concrete patio, and you drop a concrete block on it, you can kill it.
It survives the other typical methods of destruction.

What does NOT work.

The self retracting hoses!

We ran a couple of hundred of feet of hose from the closest hose bib to reach the orchard when we first planted it. Between the multiflora rose and Japanese barberry I ended up with a hundred feet of soaker hose.

And while I am at it I should repeat that using one of those hoses to supply a wort chiller, make sure you remove the coil from the pot BEFORE you shut off the water.

Ben