Looking for a good garden hose - Certified SoftWash Roof Cleaning

Mike Pasco · Freshmen Member

Looking for a good garden hose

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

We use the black, fifty foot Goodyear ones from Home Depot. They stay very flexible in low temps, are cheap and easy to fool up. For commercial work we use some 100' and 150' hoses also.

Chad Eneix · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Black rubber. I have been using cheap, farm store ones. Rubber hoses won't develop a memory, or become hard or brittle like vinyl. They will still kink while using, but you can usually untwist a kink from like 20 feet away. The couplings don't last the best on the cheaper ones, but I just replace the ends. I think the Craftsman and Goodyear ones guarantee the couplings, too. Technically, commercial use voids that guarantee. I buy 50 footers. You will get really good at judging distance in 50 increments.

Jason Mariano · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Hi Mike -

We use the black craftsman garden hose from Sears and they have a lifetime warranty. The only negative is that the black dye from the hose can rub off on whiter light color clothing. Other than that its a great hose. I use 2 50ft and a 100ft

I also use this hose 5/8 color mean Blue.

www.factorydirecthose.com/garden-hose/

Tim Teed · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

We use the 5/8" red hot water hose, I think it is goodyear and I get them at Home Dept.

Mike Pasco · Freshmen Member

Thanks guys, Im going to check them out.

Thanks for your time

Mike

Brandon Vaughn · SoftWash Systems Pro Staff

We use the Sears craftsman hoses as well. They are much more sturdy and we have had less issues with bursted hoses since we switched from the Home Depot ones.

Mario Ciottariello · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

Mean green hose. The best hose you will ever buy . Light ,flexible ,tough and best of all won't kink.

Bob Riddick · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

Our local supply house is a "Do It Best" franchise. They have a great heavy duty hose, with strong brass connections, and lifetime guarantees.

I'm sure you could find a local franchise online.

Roney Conca · Certified Applicator

How do most of you connect one hose to another (say 50' + 100')? By means of the existing threaded fittings that come with the hose or do you attached to those threaded fittings other fittings such as quick-disconnects. Or do you cut those ends off and add fittings such as male and female camlock's such as those on the http://www.factorydirecthose.com/1inchcamlockfittings page. Theirs are aluminum camlock's, with these work or do I need brass quick disconnects? Thank you.

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

We just use existing threads and fittings. Most of those quick connects and stuff are more trouble than they are worth.

AC Lockyer · Administrator

Like John we use the 50' black goodyear commercial hoses.

AC

Chris Mozick · Junior Member

We buy hoses at Costco 100ft for $22. Lifetime warranty you just take back to Costco and they replace no ?s at all. I have 300 ft for our car washing and commercial business side. We have it on a hose reel and can get almost anywhere with never moving the truck. Goodyear is the best though for longevity.

Rick Kile · Freshmen Member

Just went to Flexzilla hose 5/8". Choose this because it states that it will remain flexible to something like -20. Not sure about that as it is warming up here now, but it does out perform the other hose I have used. It wands up great on my reel and doesn't kink. Light weight and tough. Got 225' for about $180. Need to purchase ends separately for $10 to $12 each. Some videos on YouTube, check them out.

-- Edited by Rick Kile on Wednesday 24th of February 2016 02:16:44 PM

Bryan P · Freshmen Member

AC Lockyer wrote:
Like John we use the 50' black goodyear commercial hoses.

AC

Is this the same hose? They say Continental.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Continental-ContiTech-Premium-5-8-in-Dia-x-50-ft-Commercial-Grade-Rubber-Black-Water-Hose-20258074/100676339

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

Yep thats the one

Chad Eneix · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

I might try one of those Flexzilla hoses this year. I have a buddy who runs a commercial landscaping business who swears by them.

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

Thanks for the link Bryan. I am getting a couple new hose this weekend and was pretty sure that was the one referenced. I found another brand that is probably better, but it was about $125 for a 25 ft section. Don't ask me what it was...I closed the tab and never looked back. :-p

Chad...nice find. The reviews on Amazon are almost an exact match for 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 star ratings compared to the Continental, and is 2/3 the weight. Considering my wife helps me that just earned me some happy wife points!!!

Continental 50 ft
$29.97 at HD.

Flexzilla on Amazon
50 ft - $34.99
75 ft - $55.99
100 ft - $73.14

Found the 100 ft hose at the local Tractor Supply Store for less than you can buy it on Amazon.

-- Edited by Troy Layman on Friday 4th of March 2016 06:23:14 PM

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

Troy Layman wrote:
Chad...nice find. The reviews on Amazon are almost an exact match for 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 star ratings compared to the Continental, and is 2/3 the weight. Considering my wife helps me that just earned me some happy wife points!!!

Continental 50 ft
$29.97 at HD.

Flexzilla on Amazon
50 ft - $34.99
75 ft - $55.99 - Found on Sears.com for $43, about $48 with shipping - best price per foot of hose I could find.
100 ft - $73.14
Found the 100 ft hose at the local Tractor Supply Store for less than you can buy it on Amazon.

Chad, I used the Flexzilla hose for a few hours today to see how it worked and I was impressed. It was twisted up pretty well from the packaging, but once I got it mostly laid out and turned on the spigot and put water pressure in the hose it uncoiled the rest of the way with minimal effort in a few seconds.

As for kinking, it is about as kind free as you'll ever get in a hose in my opinion. I had one kink about 30 feet away from me that stopped water flow and I twisted the hose maybe 1/4-1/2 turn and it popped itself out. I had maybe 3-4 other kinks during the day - I never saw them and only know the hose kinked because just like on the advertising video, when it kinked, water stopped for maybe 1/4 second and it popped itself free on its own. I never had to mess with any of the kinks as they were unkinked before I realized the hose had kinked.

And it is BRIGHT! If one of your techs ever leaves it behind on a job, they need to get their eyes checked. I doubt many home owners ever run this hose over with the riding mower. :0)

The only down side I noticed was the hose end where the garden hose threads attach to the spigot are not easily gripped when your hands are wet as other hoses, but with my gloves on I was able to get a decent grip. Instead of a grip that digs into your skin a little for traction, it is made in a hexagon for using a wrench. You can get it on/off with your hand, but if you have a leaky spigot you could actually tighten it a touch more where a normal garden hose doesn't have that option, so it could be viewed as a plus too I guess. I'll be buying another.

Oh, and the hose is about 2/3 the weight of a normal hose.

Steve Salley · Junior Member

3/4" Mean Green
The water volume is substantial and the feather weight of the hose allows for the extra weight of the water and still be manageable.

Chad Eneix · SoftWash Systems Authorized Professional

Wondering on either of the Mean Green or Flexzilla if thy can handle being run over by a car. My cheap black rubber ones can, and this is nice not to worry about.

Roney Conca · Certified Applicator

Best price that I found online for Flexzilla 50' 3/4" was $32.+ change. Home Depot had them for $59 and change. But I don't have a Sears close by to get free shipping so I called Home Depot spoke to their Internet sales person they price matched Sears plus shipped free directly to me. I ordered 5

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

Chad

yes they can

I bought about 1000' of flexzilla last month and my guys love it. one crew has been on an apartment job all week and they are only using hydrants, so lots of hose and it is crossing multiple parking areas. It's been run over all week and still is fine.

Troy Layman · Lead Tech

John,

I'm still loving my Flexzilla. Did you buy individual hoses or a large reel and make your own?

Roney,

Where did you find 3/4" ID Flexzilla hoses, or did you mean 5/8" ID? The only 3/4" Flexzilla I could find was about $2.69/ft., so $269 for 100' hose, or a reel of 250 feet without the ends for about $560.

The Mean Green 3/4" ID is about 1/2 pound lighter, but about $97.97 for a 100' 3/4" ID hose.

Does the 5/8" ID to 3/4" ID make much difference in GPM or PSI at the spray nozzle? I never used a 3/4" ID hose that I know of.

John Aloisio · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

100 footers from tractor supply 69.00

Brian Hartwig · SoftWash Systems Certified Applicator

Has anyone tried using Flexzilla hose with there spray system with bleach? I was wondering if it would stand up to the bleach?

Tim Teed · SoftWash Systems 5-Star Professional

If it worked AC would be offering with his systems.