Getting hosed

[Long Run]

Is there actually a garden hose on the market that does not kink within a short time after purchase? I know plenty advertise that their product will never kink, but though I've spent more than a reasonable amount for a garden hose, they all end up kinking. So, is the best strategy to just buy a "garden variety" (ha ha) hose and know it will be tossed in a couple of years, rather than overpay for a hose that advertises that it will stay straight but then kink-up in a couple of years?

[RayThom]

Walmart sells a "Never Kink" brand of garden hose. Would they lie to you?

[datsunaholic]

??? They kink permanently? I just unkink them. Maybe it's because I have so much water pressure, but little bends don't seem to matter to me. I don't roll them up, as they never unroll worth a damn.

My garden hoses go bad because I forget to drain them in the winter and run over them with the car. Crack.

Surefire way to make them not kink is always keep them pressurized. Of course, if they blow out...

[MGMcAnick]

My parents gave me a rather expensive light green Gilmore Flexogen garden hose when I bought my first house in 1976. It had a 20 year guarantee. I still have it. It sits out all winter too. I've replaced the ENDS a few times, but the hose still doesn't get kinky on me. The light green may not be Flexogen anymore, but some are.
See:
http://gilmour.com/hoses/lawn-and-garden/garden-hose

[Jarlaxle]

Use a good hose reel and some care when rolling the hose up...any hose will work.

[Bicycle Bill]

Back when Sears sold quality tools instead of the cheap crap that is today's standard, I bought a Craftsman-branded 75-foot, ⅝-inch *rubber* garden hose with heavy-duty, solid brass fittings.  It was a lot pricier than your ordinary, run-of-the-mill plastic-coated garden hoses, but we used it at my parents' house for about ten years, and when I left to move into the 'Schloss Radler' the hose came with me.  I'm still using it.  No kinks, no weak spots or bulges, and the ends are in as good a condition as they were when it was new.  Although, unlike datsun, I do drain it, coil it, and store it flat in the garage/tool shed every winter — and never ever ever drive anything (well, maybe my bicycle) over it.

Moral of the story?  Buy the good stuff, take good care of it, and it will take care of you.  It may cost a little more up front, but in the long run it's well worth it.

-"BB"-

[Joe Guy]

This hose does not kink. It is one of those expandable hoses like you see on late night tv ads but this one is a heavy duty version. I've bought a few of the cheaper ones and they broke eventually but since they have a lifetime warranty (not all brands do) they just send me a new one.

I bought the above hose last year and it appears to be the best of this type. You have to take good care of it and follow directions - like drain it after use and store it away from the sun and other elements.

The way these hoses are made is there is a very flexible plastic hose covered with a cloth material. The real cheap ones are the thickness of a plastic bag, so of course, the thinner the plastic hose, the best chance it will fail. The one above has a thick plastic hose covered with a strong cloth. It doesn't shrink as much when it's empty but it does shrink quite well for storage.

I suppose you could make it kink. Some people are just kinky and can kink anything. But it works well for me and has been completely kinkless.

[Joe Guy]

Oh yeah and there's this one too. It doesn't kink but it's not as compact and it does tangle.

[dales]

Simply the best.