If you’re not extending from the tap then it comes with everything you need, the sprinkler and the connector – just plug it onto your garden tap: Now I made a blunder when installing into my shed. Because it’s wood I didn’t bother piloting (obviously I didn’t need the wall plugs either) but the result was I split my wood. Four word descriptions were in full flow:

That said, you should still position your reel out of direct sunlight. High-quality casing will protect the hose from UV damage, but it will last longer if it is in a position where the temperature is more stable. All the models in this review have a mechanism that lets you swivel the hose 180? when you’re watering your garden. This avoids the hose kinking as you move it around. Auto reel box RollControl – this is a Gardena braking system for reliable and controlled winding. The hose rolls up neatly without tangles, assisted by a clever hose guide.

Naturally, unlike expandable hoses, a hose in a reel can naturally be left out for most of the year inside the casing. Choosing the Best Size Hose Reel

But did you know that using a hose reel will make this job so much simpler? Gone are the days of having the hose trailing behind, getting frustratingly tangled and kinked every five minutes! The hose is stored inside a tough UV stabilised plastic case that ensures protection from the sun and therefore extends its longevity. What we really love about the case is that it can pivot 180 degrees on its base to allow for a wider reach in your garden, just like the Gardena model does. If the space where you choose to mount your reel is some way from the outdoor tap, you may need to acquire an extra ‘leader hose’ to connect the reel to the water supply. Also referred to as a ‘feeder hose’, sometimes you will have to create this yourself by cutting a piece of the hose pipe. Best automatic garden hose reel overall: HAUSHOF Hose Reel, Wall Mounted Retractable Garden Hose Reel [tested and proven see my review] Swivels, nicely, the break works great, the hose is decent quality, and comes with most fittings you need. Stunning bargain and so pleased I tested it.

Freestanding hose reels provide exceptional portability and allow you to move them around the garden wherever you want to use the hose. As they do not require any installation, they are an excellent choice for those who only use a hose occasionally and don’t want the hassle of fixing it to the wall. Many manufacturers have their own patented hose retraction system. Your part in the rewind process is to give the hose a gentle tug and watch as it winds into the reel box. It’s a controlled rewind with a braking mechanism that avoids speedy travel by the hose and helps to stop the hose from kinking and tangling. This Woodside 20m Auto Rewind Garden Hose Reel is one of the cheapest models on the market. Given its price, this hose reel has got all the features you see in the other, more expensive models. The hose is only 20 metres long but that’s perfect for small to medium-sized gardens. It measures 33 x 17 x 42cm and it’s pretty lightweight and simple to use.

Garden hose reels are crafted from either plastic or metal (usually aluminium, steel or brass). Any equipment that spends most of the time outdoors is susceptible to rust and so it’s important to buy a reel that’s made of rust-resistant parts. Again, the screws that come with the product are not something I would personally trust, so do yourself a favour and go spend 20p on some better ones. They’re readily available from any DIY shop. With an automatic hose, you pull out just the length of hose that you need. You’re just carrying that length to water your garden. With a manual hose, you need to drag the entire weight of the hose as you take it into your garden. You can stop some models unrolling every 30cm and other models let you stop whenever you want to.The bottom line is: if you’ve got a garden, you need a garden hose, and that used to mean spending a fair bit of time taking it out of the shed or garage, untying it, reeling it out, and trying to get rid of all the kinks and twists before even starting. Then after you’ve finished, you have to go through it all again in reverse! Certainly not ideal.
With modern innovations, there are some solutions available to the modern consumer, such as expanding hoses that can work pretty well if you pay for a good one and also have good water pressure at home. We’ve covered the best expandable garden hoses extensively on DIY Garden, and there are some great options on the market. One of the main advantages of expandable hoses is that they can be longer than hoses in reels, whilst taking up less storage space.

My garden used to look a lot like the picture below. A tangled mess of hosepipe where the kids have pulled it out and played with it. Not anymore thanks to automatic hose reels 🙂 I would also change the standard plastic connectors for metal ones for the same reasons. Brass hose connectors are relatively inexpensive and are much more durable than plastic hose connectors, not matter how high quality the plastic is. Mounting is a doddle – just lift the unit into place and then place in the plastic bar as highlighted These are two features that can make your automatic garden hose reel function better so they are something to keep an eye out for. So to test it I pulled it over the garden about 15 metres – there was loads left and had a go with the garden sprinkler as an initial test:Compact units, holding 15 m hoses, are available for small gardens . In medium gardens, a hose of 20 – 30 m should work well. Larger gardens will benefit from a 30 – 40 m hose . You can always attach an additional extension to the hose whilst working. The auto-reeling mechanism on the Gardena is by far the smoothest we tested, however you have to make sure you pull it slowly and it does take a little strength to do so at first. When the garden hose retracts, it actually has quite a bit of pull which speaks volumes about the quality of the spring, and it almost caught me off guard the first time. When it comes automatic garden hose reels, you need to make sure you get a quality product that has been tried and tested, as buying an inferior one will cause you even more headaches than having a bog standard hose – I know, I’ve used loads of. these since I first wrote my article – I’ve had to remove one famous brand as it totally failed on me! Automatic garden hose reel buyers guide