I probably have four or five of this type of expandable hose. Maybe more.
How many are currently available for use?
None. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
All have leaks and all are worth about the value of a bucket of crap. In other words, worthless IMHO.
So what’s my gripe, you say?
Well it’s the fact that in a short time the inner tube will spring a leak.
I’ve repaired any number of these with the repair kits one can by on Amazon and still they will spring leaks at an ever increasing rate. It isn’t the outer woven polymer sheath that fails. No siree. It’s the inner tube.
Pain in the buttski to repair, but it can be done with a bit of patience and experience by cutting the hose, fishing the inner liner out and fitting a coupling where the leak was.
The weakness, Gentle Reader, then is in the cheap, cheap polymer used by the Chinese manufactures to save a penny, or more appropriately perhaps, a fen (1/100th of a yuan). Those expandable inner tubes just doesn’t hold up in my experience.
Save your money is my advice. If you are suckered into this “deal,” I look forward to hearing how long your hoses last. So please post here about your regret and remorse. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
@Jackinga
Strange. The one I have has been working great for the occasional car wash and outdoor cleaning for a few years now. Never had a nozzle that shut off the stream while the water spout was open, though.
@Jackinga Maybe manufacturing techniques have changed, but the one I bought many (10?) years ago is still intact and does not leak, and this is with moderate usage. I make sure to never leave it outside in the sun. Mine is one of the original ‘Pocket Hose’ branded ones, green with orange plastic fittings. I can’t even remember where I bought it.
@Jackinga@PooltoyWolf Sunlight may dry out the tubing faster leading to those barely reparable leaks. The one I use for aquarium maintenance is fine but the ones we had outside in the sun (where our spigot is) are being used as tie-downs now.
@haydesigner No, not really. Loads of things meant for outdoor use, from swim rings to cars, last a lot longer if you store them away from direct sunlight.
1) Never leave the hose pressurized when you aren’t actively using it. It will rupture.
2) Never leave the unpressurized hose in sunlight, not even on a shelf with a window behind it. Neither the covers nor the liners of these hoses are UV-tolerant, no matter what the package might say.
3) Your cat can easily puncture the liner. This is true even when you don’t have a cat (at the moment.)
@werehatrack 4) Don’t pull hard on the hose, or stretch it.
I have two fifty footers. They’re nice, but have to be treated a bit more carefully! I have another brand that I’ve had for a few years. I turn the water on with the valve closed at the far end, let it fill and extend on its own, then move it into place, still not pulling, carrying it. When finished, I carry it back close enough to where I store it so that it doesn’t pull on itself as it retracts. Then easy to put away. So far…
Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly, and children under 10 should avoid prolonged exposure to Happy Fun Ball.
Caution: Happy Fun Ball may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds.
Happy Fun Ball contains a liquid core, which, if exposed due to rupture,should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at.
Do not use Happy Fun Ball on concrete.
Discontinue use of Happy Fun Ball if any of the following occurs:
itching
vertigo
dizziness
tingling in extremities
loss of balance or coordination
slurred speech
temporary blindness
profuse sweating
or heart palpitations.
If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head.
Happy Fun Ball may stick to certain types of skin.
When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration. Failure to do so relieves the makers of Happy Fun Ball, Wacky Products Incorporated, and its parent company, Global Chemical Unlimited, of any and all liability.
Ingredients of Happy Fun Ball include an unknown glowing green substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.
Happy Fun Ball has been shipped to our troops in Saudi Arabia and is being dropped by our warplanes on Iraq.
@bobthenormal@werehatrack I personally wouldn’t trust any hose nozzle that regularly sells for 3 for $10. I have found that hose nozzles, like personal umbrellas, NEVER last long when they’re cheap to buy.
Seems like most reviews are all bad or all good with not much between. Either it starts leaking and breaking or it’s the best ever… Kinda seems shady. Fake reviews?
One consistent comment is they don’t extend as far as they say… So you might need this two pack of 50ft daisy chained to actually reach 50ft.
SIDE NOTE: the innuendo for this product is out of this world and absolutely sent to the moon by the name being pocket hose. They might as well have gone all the way and called it pocket snake. It claims to be 50ft when fully “filled” (but actually it’s shorter). It deflates and shrinks after it finishes spraying. And it seems like you also need to handle it carefully or it may burst prematurely. And that creepy looking inventor picture where he’s way too excited to show you his hose? Come the hell on.
Anyway, I have a similar design hose that doesn’t auto reroll itself, I imagine that feature is probably more annoying than helpful. But I haven’t had the problems many have with bursting and leaking. Mine is another brand though. It seems like if you were rough with it I could see it being an issue. Also there’s so much variability in people’s water pressure and ambient conditions that I bet plays a big role. I have so many questions for people using them, like…
What is the water pressure at? Does the water supply have pressure relief or do you get water hammer? Are there any other sources of transient pressure surge on the line? What is the temperature of your water vs ambient temperature? Do you leave it outside in the sun or freezing cold? What kind of terrain are you using it on?
I would bet the reason for most bursting has to do with some mixture of higher water pressure and temperature issue. But then idk if that’s really user error, why aren’t they making these tough enough to withstand higher pressures to be safe? Maybe because if they did the weight would be the same as a traditional hose? So many questions…
@bobthenormal Hey, that’s not a “creepy looking inventor!” That’s Richard Karn! He’s Al from Home Improvement and hosted Family Feud for a few years. I guess he also does infomercials.
And maybe he does iPhone repair.
@Limewater oh my you’re right. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse that he’s so happy to show me his pocket hose…
What’s weird is either my memory is bad (true) or he looks artificially younger than he did then. Wasn’t he more bald? Who even knows, it’s too bad there’s no way to look these things up. Oh well on with my day…
@Pufferfishy ha ha. It’s in my backyard to water the fruit tree I just planted and it’s out of the sun so hopefully it’ll last a bit.
I have a heavy duty Continental hose in the front but it’s so cumbersome to use.
Know that in order for these to “expand” you always have to unroll it to its full length BEFORE turning on the water. It’s annoying. I doubt anyone unrolls their entire regular 50’ hose before turning on the water… each and every time. It’s annoying. My wife insisted I buy her one. I bought her one. It is never used. Does it now leak from sitting outside jumbled in a bucket in the sun? I do not know. It is never used.
Anybody take science in high school? Ever hear about galvanic reactions? That’s when you have 2 dissimilar metals touching each other in the presence of an electrolyte (like water…) It will result in corrosion. it will result in your hose being seized to the faucet. If you do buy one of these hoses, go to your hardware store and buy a bottle or tube of anti-seize compound. Use it to treat the threads before you attach your copper hose to your brass water faucet. Use it on the other end when you attach any other attachment to your hose (sprinklers, sprayers, etc…) That is… if you ever want to be able to disconnect it!
Yeah, I don’t know why they’d use copper for the hardware when brass is the anti-corrosion standard for stuff like this.
Five years ago, I bought a 100ft brass hardware one from one of the many Amazon brands (Buheco, item doesn’t exist anymore), and it has been great for my very light usage. I keep it coiled in my garage and essentially only use it to wash my vehicle and as a “just in case” when I use my backyard fire pit. It’s so much easier to unroll/roll/store than a rubber one, and the valve at the end is useful for swapping sprayers without having to turn off the spigot.
Expandable hoses might not be great for people who use them every weekend, will leave them outside in the sun for a long time, have pets who might puncture them, etc., but I’ll never get another rubber one for my purposes.
These are not the hoses that the celebrity in your pictures was doing a commercial for-in fact the picture of him has been doctored to show him holding the hose you
are selling. The ends of your hose are noticeably different. This is an extremely dishonest misrepresentation that is kind of despicable. [VolMod Edit: keep politics in the Political Bullshit thread ] Shame on you.
Specs
Product: 2-Pack: Pocket Hose Copper Bullet 50FT Expandable Garden Hose w/ Sprayer
Model: 17129-12DUH
Condition: New
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
$119.98 (for 2) at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Mar 13 - Monday, Mar 17
Got to love those pocket hoes!!
@yakkoTDI I think you read that wrong.
@yakkoTDI Are you talking to yourself, @yakkoTDI?
@yakkoTDI Hose that don’t kink? I’m out.
@awkward_pause So a kinky hose is your kink? I know some hoes that can help you with that.
Do these really work? A family member bought a knockoff (I think it was a knockoff) that did not work. It never returned to the small shape
This is the perfect gift for a couple of hosers.
@shahnm take off, eh
@shahnm Great for washing down a jelly donut, eh!
@moose3425 I was waiting for someone to get around to saying that…
@absherlock And that too…
When I shop for Copper Bullets, garden hoses are not even in the same section in the store.
I probably have four or five of this type of expandable hose. Maybe more.
How many are currently available for use?
None. Zero. Nada. Zilch.
All have leaks and all are worth about the value of a bucket of crap. In other words, worthless IMHO.
So what’s my gripe, you say?
Well it’s the fact that in a short time the inner tube will spring a leak.
I’ve repaired any number of these with the repair kits one can by on Amazon and still they will spring leaks at an ever increasing rate. It isn’t the outer woven polymer sheath that fails. No siree. It’s the inner tube.
Pain in the buttski to repair, but it can be done with a bit of patience and experience by cutting the hose, fishing the inner liner out and fitting a coupling where the leak was.
The weakness, Gentle Reader, then is in the cheap, cheap polymer used by the Chinese manufactures to save a penny, or more appropriately perhaps, a fen (1/100th of a yuan). Those expandable inner tubes just doesn’t hold up in my experience.
Save your money is my advice. If you are suckered into this “deal,” I look forward to hearing how long your hoses last. So please post here about your regret and remorse. Don’t say you weren’t warned.
@Jackinga Good to know, thanks! You just saved me from another meh purchase.
@Jackinga
Strange. The one I have has been working great for the occasional car wash and outdoor cleaning for a few years now. Never had a nozzle that shut off the stream while the water spout was open, though.
@Jackinga This. This is why I won’t buy these kinds of hoses anymore.
@Jackinga heheh…you said long hoses…
@Jackinga Maybe manufacturing techniques have changed, but the one I bought many (10?) years ago is still intact and does not leak, and this is with moderate usage. I make sure to never leave it outside in the sun. Mine is one of the original ‘Pocket Hose’ branded ones, green with orange plastic fittings. I can’t even remember where I bought it.
@Jackinga @PooltoyWolf Sunlight may dry out the tubing faster leading to those barely reparable leaks. The one I use for aquarium maintenance is fine but the ones we had outside in the sun (where our spigot is) are being used as tie-downs now.
Well that kinda sorta defeats the purpose of an outdoor hose, doesn’t it?
@haydesigner No, not really. Loads of things meant for outdoor use, from swim rings to cars, last a lot longer if you store them away from direct sunlight.
A true example of a hose that is a Grower not a Shower!!!
@bigjl98 Maybe a Copper Shower?
@bigjl98 @rpstrong if it’s not Golden: count me out!
Even jackson fucking pollock could outdo “AI”.
Pro tips:
1) Never leave the hose pressurized when you aren’t actively using it. It will rupture.
2) Never leave the unpressurized hose in sunlight, not even on a shelf with a window behind it. Neither the covers nor the liners of these hoses are UV-tolerant, no matter what the package might say.
3) Your cat can easily puncture the liner. This is true even when you don’t have a cat (at the moment.)
OTOH, the nozzles included with them are usually decent, but they aren’t worth $20 each, that’s for sure.
@werehatrack yeah you can commonly find a two or three pack of sprayer heads, one of which is this one, for $10
@werehatrack 4) Don’t pull hard on the hose, or stretch it.
I have two fifty footers. They’re nice, but have to be treated a bit more carefully! I have another brand that I’ve had for a few years. I turn the water on with the valve closed at the far end, let it fill and extend on its own, then move it into place, still not pulling, carrying it. When finished, I carry it back close enough to where I store it so that it doesn’t pull on itself as it retracts. Then easy to put away. So far…
@krmugn52 @werehatrack Do not play with Happy Fun Ball™
@krmugn52 @manjar TL;DR expansion:
Warning: Pregnant women, the elderly, and children under 10 should avoid prolonged exposure to Happy Fun Ball.
Caution: Happy Fun Ball may suddenly accelerate to dangerous speeds.
Happy Fun Ball contains a liquid core, which, if exposed due to rupture,should not be touched, inhaled, or looked at.
Do not use Happy Fun Ball on concrete.
Discontinue use of Happy Fun Ball if any of the following occurs:
itching
vertigo
dizziness
tingling in extremities
loss of balance or coordination
slurred speech
temporary blindness
profuse sweating
or heart palpitations.
If Happy Fun Ball begins to smoke, get away immediately. Seek shelter and cover head.
Happy Fun Ball may stick to certain types of skin.
When not in use, Happy Fun Ball should be returned to its special container and kept under refrigeration. Failure to do so relieves the makers of Happy Fun Ball, Wacky Products Incorporated, and its parent company, Global Chemical Unlimited, of any and all liability.
Ingredients of Happy Fun Ball include an unknown glowing green substance which fell to Earth, presumably from outer space.
Happy Fun Ball has been shipped to our troops in Saudi Arabia and is being dropped by our warplanes on Iraq.
Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
Happy Fun Ball comes with a lifetime warranty.
@bobthenormal @werehatrack I personally wouldn’t trust any hose nozzle that regularly sells for 3 for $10. I have found that hose nozzles, like personal umbrellas, NEVER last long when they’re cheap to buy.
Ass scene on TV!
We’ve had one for a few years and my wife loves it. I didn’t know about the problems that others have experienced.
https://www.costco.com/copperbullet-pocket-hose.product.4000281387.html
Seems like most reviews are all bad or all good with not much between. Either it starts leaking and breaking or it’s the best ever… Kinda seems shady. Fake reviews?
One consistent comment is they don’t extend as far as they say… So you might need this two pack of 50ft daisy chained to actually reach 50ft.
SIDE NOTE: the innuendo for this product is out of this world and absolutely sent to the moon by the name being pocket hose. They might as well have gone all the way and called it pocket snake. It claims to be 50ft when fully “filled” (but actually it’s shorter). It deflates and shrinks after it finishes spraying. And it seems like you also need to handle it carefully or it may burst prematurely. And that creepy looking inventor picture where he’s way too excited to show you his hose? Come the hell on.
Anyway, I have a similar design hose that doesn’t auto reroll itself, I imagine that feature is probably more annoying than helpful. But I haven’t had the problems many have with bursting and leaking. Mine is another brand though. It seems like if you were rough with it I could see it being an issue. Also there’s so much variability in people’s water pressure and ambient conditions that I bet plays a big role. I have so many questions for people using them, like…
What is the water pressure at? Does the water supply have pressure relief or do you get water hammer? Are there any other sources of transient pressure surge on the line? What is the temperature of your water vs ambient temperature? Do you leave it outside in the sun or freezing cold? What kind of terrain are you using it on?
I would bet the reason for most bursting has to do with some mixture of higher water pressure and temperature issue. But then idk if that’s really user error, why aren’t they making these tough enough to withstand higher pressures to be safe? Maybe because if they did the weight would be the same as a traditional hose? So many questions…
@bobthenormal Hey, that’s not a “creepy looking inventor!” That’s Richard Karn! He’s Al from Home Improvement and hosted Family Feud for a few years. I guess he also does infomercials.
And maybe he does iPhone repair.
@Limewater oh my you’re right. I don’t know if that makes it better or worse that he’s so happy to show me his pocket hose…
What’s weird is either my memory is bad (true) or he looks artificially younger than he did then. Wasn’t he more bald? Who even knows, it’s too bad there’s no way to look these things up. Oh well on with my day…
Well, shit. I just bought an expanding hose and sprayer at Lowe’s on Saturday.
@kittykat9180
@kittykat9180 hopefully you kept the receipt for when it bursts in 2 weeks.
@Pufferfishy ha ha. It’s in my backyard to water the fruit tree I just planted and it’s out of the sun so hopefully it’ll last a bit.
I have a heavy duty Continental hose in the front but it’s so cumbersome to use.
@shahnm
Know that in order for these to “expand” you always have to unroll it to its full length BEFORE turning on the water. It’s annoying. I doubt anyone unrolls their entire regular 50’ hose before turning on the water… each and every time. It’s annoying. My wife insisted I buy her one. I bought her one. It is never used. Does it now leak from sitting outside jumbled in a bucket in the sun? I do not know. It is never used.
I don’t have any use for hoses, but these look like they are pretty good ones.
Thank you for your kind words. This is the first time I’ve actually been on this site and I am not impressed. Have a great Monday everyone.
@Lkinzenb2
You’ll probably fit right in, then…
Pocket you say?
@blaineg That looks more like an unfortunate medical condition…
I’ve never had one of these that didn’t pop over time. And generally very, very shortly into its working life…
Anybody take science in high school? Ever hear about galvanic reactions? That’s when you have 2 dissimilar metals touching each other in the presence of an electrolyte (like water…) It will result in corrosion. it will result in your hose being seized to the faucet. If you do buy one of these hoses, go to your hardware store and buy a bottle or tube of anti-seize compound. Use it to treat the threads before you attach your copper hose to your brass water faucet. Use it on the other end when you attach any other attachment to your hose (sprinklers, sprayers, etc…) That is… if you ever want to be able to disconnect it!
Yeah, I don’t know why they’d use copper for the hardware when brass is the anti-corrosion standard for stuff like this.
Five years ago, I bought a 100ft brass hardware one from one of the many Amazon brands (Buheco, item doesn’t exist anymore), and it has been great for my very light usage. I keep it coiled in my garage and essentially only use it to wash my vehicle and as a “just in case” when I use my backyard fire pit. It’s so much easier to unroll/roll/store than a rubber one, and the valve at the end is useful for swapping sprayers without having to turn off the spigot.
Expandable hoses might not be great for people who use them every weekend, will leave them outside in the sun for a long time, have pets who might puncture them, etc., but I’ll never get another rubber one for my purposes.
@Kabn If they don’t explicitly say that the fittings are solid copper, they’re almost certainly just copper-plated, probably over zinc or steel.
@Kabn @werehatrack Nowadays, a lot of hose end fittings are aluminum. Yes, they will become infused by corrosion over time.
Okay, which of you bought $400 worth of these…?
@PooltoyWolf That’s a lot of hose!
I want to steal can’t find where to order it
@normjones2
These are not the hoses that the celebrity in your pictures was doing a commercial for-in fact the picture of him has been doctored to show him holding the hose you
are selling. The ends of your hose are noticeably different. This is an extremely dishonest misrepresentation that is kind of despicable. [VolMod Edit: keep politics in the Political Bullshit thread ] Shame on you.
@bcarr18 ummm he’s literally on the packaging
Wow igot em today, what is the ASAP,work like a charm
They work great good price