The thing is you do need a garden hose reel so that the tubing can be protected from the elements, mostly the sun. Strong heat and direct rays can take a toll on tubing material making it dry and brittle. Eventually it can crack and break too. It's the garden hose that safeguards hoses from weathering adversely.
It is a cylindrical spindle constructed of metal, fiberglass or even plastic to store any length of hoses. They work by their spring driven mechanism or self-retracting designing that can be hand cranked or motor driven. These convenient hose reel units get classified by diameters and lengths of the hose itself plus the pressure rating and rewinding methods.
Yes garden hoses have come a long way indeed. From regular rubber watering tubes to trendy automatic retractable hose reels, hose storage units have evolved to become practical popular garden gadgets. They are no longer just simple lengths of hollow plastic tubes to water gardens and potted plants.
As more and more gardening enthusiasts are opting for these practical equipments, these units help them do away with tasks requiring physical labor. As you can imagine coiling and then carrying a 100 ft hose can be rigorous activity day in and day out. It offer a more practical solution for carrying tangled tubing more conveniently.
The retractable is great in its hassle free hose application where hose storage and hose reel winding are both taken care of. The water powered hose reels are really an innovation in the field of hose gadgetry making the process convenient, low cost and energy free.
You also get reels that can be fixed permanently to garden walls or house exteriors. But mounting reel units would need to ascertain the strength of the wall to take on the weight. You also get portable reel units that can be attached to carts to move them about. It does make a lot of sense to use hose reels as hard plastic tubes especially when filled with water can be quite heavy.
Depending on conditions you can use either parallel or perpendicular garden hose reels. When you mount the reel on a wall you need a parallel reel, but when pulling the hose straight out it's the perpendicular reel that's more suitable. For those of us who dread lugging around long, heavy and tangled hoses the retractable are best.
The reason why They came into existence was of course to protect the hoses from harsh weather that can compromise the life and durability of the tubing. The quick-move mechanism further augments the life of hoses. Many reels detach completely from mounting frames making this a useful function in extreme climates when you need to store them indoors.
Choosing hose reels depend on the hose you are going to use. You get all kinds of hoses including industrial ones that are more heavy duty. Apart from diameter of the hose the length is also a factor for selecting appropriate hose reels. For longer ones you will essentially need one with maximum capacity.