long-lived garden hose?

ClareBroommaker's picture

Looking for a recommendation for a garden hose that will last "forever" even when left exposed to sun eight months a year. One that I can stretch out over the street where cars will run over it would be excellent. Please be as crassly and specifically commercial in your recommendations as necessary. And at this point, I'm willing to say price doesn't matter; I will scrimp and save to get a good hose that can really take heavy [ab]use.

Sweet Tatorman's picture

I cannot offer a specific recommendation but can offer the encouragement that they do exist. I have a 50' 3/4" black rubber [not vinyl!] hose that I am pretty sure is one I inherited when my mother died 32 years ago. I have no idea what it's age was at that time. It still is in good shape but probably has had a somewhat gentler life than what you describe above.

ClareBroommaker's picture

Wow, a hose like that is a treasure. You need to leave that to someone in your will. Some of my best tools are things that my Dad had from his father, and then I inherited from him.

I wonder if sources that sell to construction, mechanical, concrete businesses, and so forth might be a possibility. Anyone here work in similar trades and know of really good hoses?

Sweet Tatorman's picture

It might be worth talking to the principals at a commercial landscaping business to learn what they buy for hoses.

Mark works hose crew at Hershey Park. He and the rest of the crew show up at 5 am every morning to hose down the entire amusement park. They have to finish by 10 am (the front sections) to 11 am (the back sections) so they're done when the guests arrive.

We talked about hoses.

They use 2 1/2 inch diameter fire hoses under very high pressure to blast the asphalt, concrete, and other areas clean. The hoses are rubber with a layer of some kind of nylon and then a second outer layer. Even so, the hoses don't normally last more than a month before they start springing leaks, normally at the front business end as that's the end that gets the most stress. Once the outer layer abrades off, the hose will leak. They trim the damaged part off, replace the coupler, and then start over with a shorter hose.

Hoses get dragged across the ground, whatever surface it happens to be. They don't hose grass so the hoses take a real beating.

Hoses get replaced regularly. I'm assuming that Hershey Park buys decent hoses but even so, they don't last as long as I thought they would. Hoses are also worked by young men at dawn so they are probably less careful with their hose than you would be.

Maintenance uses a 3/4 inch hose that Mark thought lasted pretty well. He'll find out the brand for me.

One final note: don't eat Dippin Dots. Even after overnight thunderstorms, Mark and the crew have to scrape spilled Dippin Dots off the asphalt. They don't dissolve on their own and wash away.