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Buying the Perfect Garden Hose

I spend more time by far watering my brugs  than any other chore.  My family considers me to be a professional watering person. It is very important for me to have a dependable garden hose for this job. This year I was faced with the issue of replacing my old garden hoses.   I found myself overwhelmed by the number of choices that were available. So I decided to research what was available to be able to pick out the best product for the best price. I think many of you will be in the same position as myself, looking to purchase some new hoses this year unless you were an educated buyer when you purchased your last hose.

The first step in choosing a garden hose is to determine the length that is needed.  You do not want to buy an excess length that is unnecessary.  You have to take into consideration the longer the hose the weaker the water pressure, which in turn leads to more time spent on watering.  So you need to determine, before heading off to the store, a length, within reason, for your needs.  Hoses normally come in 25' lengths.  Meaning you can find 25', 50', 75' or 100' hoses.  That doesn't mean there aren't other sizes available.  I just purchased 130' hose for my long distance watering.  

Once your length is determined, you have to decide what diameter to purchase, and they don't come in one diameter, they come in many.  The most common sizes are ½, 5/8, and 3/4 inch sizes.  Why the difference in sizes?  The wider the hose the faster the water flow.  I always pick 5/8.  It works well with my water pressure.

The third step can become a little more complicated.  What material should the hose be made of?  There are typically 4 types of material.  Vinyl, rubber, recycled rubber and polyurethane.