I too have agonized over hoses, have returned for refunds or exchanges, and have just about given up on finding 'the perfect one'. Glad you have steered me in the right direction. It appears Ace has them on sale this month, too

Nice article. I echo what Hetty said. And like you, I have a hose that I've had for 25 whole years. By now I have had to patch it once but only once. It also has no name on it. It's a 50 footer. I paid $25 for that many years ago & that was a cut rate price as I worked for a landscaper at the time & got a discounted price. It's heavy, it's rubber, it's black. I only wish it had a name on it. It has never kinked on me.

Nice article. Garden hoses get eaten for breakfast by this place I live. Sometimes literally...the connection between two of them was damaged last summer by animals trying to get water.

Great article! I find the weak link is the connection to the faucet...when they live long enough!

I always try to convince customers to buy rubber hoses but they see the name NeverKink and believe it.

Wish I had read this 3 weeks ago!! I thought i found a great hose NeverKink, too good to be true. I will be going to ace for A Flexogen ASAP. Great read I have used a few beep words over my hoses.

Here is how we keep our hoses

Thank you, great advice; I'm on my way to our local Ace. My old hose I intend to cut into sections that will fit on my hurricane awnings to make it easier to not cut my head every time I get up when I work under them. Cut the section you need, slice it down the center and it fits nicely on the awning.

Hoses are very important to me as I do a lot of hand watering even with my multiple automatic dripper zones. I've bought "neverkink" hoses that have a replacement guarantee - guess what - I got them replaced for free because not only did they end up kinking, they got bubbled areas where the walls were weaker. This may have been because I keep mine under pressure at all times so as to be able to water at a moment's notice. To me, a wilted plant means no time to run to a distant faucet to turn it on.. So I finally opted to go to a place that fabricates hoses from scratch and had some made that are rubbery but I believe they are still vinyl, or have vinyl in them. They rarely kink, and if they do, the kink can be undone quickly from a distance because the hose material is so responsive.

Anyway, if a hose maker guarantees their hose will never kink, don't believe it. The only kind of hose I believe would never kink is one that has spring steel-belted walls, and I don't think anyone is making hoses like that!

The Flexogen has my vote too. The only problem I've had was a big bubble that formed and finally leaked. I took the cardboard center insert/label (which I had wisely hung up in my shed with the cash register reciept taped to it) to Ace Hardware, explained the problem, and they gave me a brand new hose! They didn't even ask to see the old one.

Great comments! I hope everyone is as happy with their flex as I have been.

Thanks Vicki for posting the way you hang your hoses. I love that idea!

Great article Becky! I will look for one this week-end!