The other day we ordered a garden hose from an reputable online store. We were tempted because It was on sale at 70% discount. However, some of the reviews said that the durability is in question. In fairness, this is the 3rd time we had bought that kind of blue garden hose. The first one had easily broken down while the 2nd one is still functional until now. This 3rd is just a reserve.
I purchased a replacement hose last year, but I think I might have to buy another this year. My problem is I need to manage the ditch out front of the property, since the city doesn't handle them. In order to reach it, I need a longer hose. I think I've finally decided I need a 100' hose to reach the other end of the ditch, after trying a few shorter ones. I like the curly type hoses that are easier to gather up, but sometimes they're not as durable as the others. I don't use that hose very often, so I guess I don't need a top of the line one, so I'll be looking soon. I am still pretty happy with the last one, which I believe is 75' long, and is a curly one. I bought that at Big Lots for around $15.
My husband can go through many hoses, he is forever putting duct tape around holes/leaks that form. He always tries to buy one with a 5 year warranty or better yet a life time warranty. This way when the leaks happen he just takes them back to Home Depot and gets a new one. Many hoses I find not well made or built to last so you have to look for ones with a good warranty and buy it from a store that will honour the warranty. The big stores like Lowes, Sears, Canadian Tire and Home Depot are great about honouring warranties.
I definitely agree, many hoses these days are lower quality. I have only purchased I believe four hoses since moving in to this house. I rarely use one of them. I used to use it, but that side of the house is where I now store the old leaves when I clear them out of the yard, so it's not a very nice place to wander. I go in there a few times a year to wrap/unwrap the pipes before and after the Winter season. I replaced the initial hose I bought with the curly kind, because I got tired of trying to coil it up. That hose was heavy, and it hurt too much to have to keep picking it up, carry it and coil it. I bought that one and the one I replaced last year at probably Walmart or Home Depot. They do have some good deals on hoses. I purchased the one I primarily use at Big Lots last year. It's also a curly one, for the same reasons, and it's lightweight and pretty easy to manage, although it does sometimes get kinked and/or hung up on the fence. I will probably swap that one with the old one by the leafy section of the house, and replace it with a 100 foot one that I need so I can reach the front ditch. I'll probably still get a curly one if I can find a lightweight curly one that's 100 feet, but I'm not sure the curly hoses come in 100 foot lengths.
