By 

Victor H. Agresti “remodeling-guy” (Gaithersburg, MD United States) –

  

  

Rapid Reel Two Wheel Garden Hose Reel Cart Model #1043-GH

Pros:

- Every part of this device is well-made of [nearly] 100% rust-proof materials. E.g., the frame and reel-body are 1/10″ thick cast aluminum, the swivel mechanism is brass, the tires are rubber, and it uses stainless steel hardware and brass fittings.

- The painting on my reel is flawless.

- Brass swivel has a 3/4″ inside diameter for maximum water flow.

- 10-year no-leakage guarantee; probably the only brand with such a warranty. (Register your reel on-line at Rapid Reel.)

- Large 10″ rubber tires provide smooth and easy mobility, and need no air since they are rigid-foam filled. They can’t go flat.

- A solid full-palm design reel handle spins freely on a stainless steel shaft for easy rewinding. Handle is a very tough synthetic material, with a thick aluminum bracket.

- The included 5/8″ feeder hose (connecting the reel to a faucet) is high quality, made with weather-resistant rubber, and is 5′ long. It has brass fittings and some kind of spiral synthetic reinforcement thread.

- Maintenance free axle bushings (5/8″ diameter solid aluminum), allow easy rolling and should last the life of the unit, and it stays put when you stop.

- The hose reel by itself weighs 30 pounds, so when you unroll or roll up, the hose, the unit usually stays put. It might move if there isn’t much hose on the reel, but putting your foot on the front support member stabilizes the cart.

- Has a built-in manual reel brake to keep the hose from unwinding by itself.

- Nicely packaged and easy to assemble with the included Allen wrenches.

Cons:

- Lacks a hose guide, which would be helpful when rewinding. We keep a rag nearby and hold the hose with the rag when rewinding to guide it on the reel neatly.

- Lacks a shelf, which, on our much cheaper Ames hose reel, we keep nozzle accessories.

- This is really minor, but the feeder hose should be 3/4″ instead of 5/8″, as Rapid Reel used on their reels several years back. That way, there would be no water restrictions when using 3/4″ hose.

- Expensive.

Other:

- Holds 150′ of 5/8″ hose or 100′ of 3/4″ hose. An optional kit widens the reel to accommodate up to 225′ of 5/8″ hose or 175′ of 3/4″ hose.

- From the factory, the wheels have 3/16″ in/out play on the axle. To reduce that play, I installed two 1/16″ thick, 5/8″ stainless steel washers on the axle, one on each side of the wheel.

- An optional 4-wheel kit is available.

- Before you leave it outside in below freezing temperatures, follow Rapid Reel’s instructions for draining all water from the swivel and hose. It’s best to store it inside during the winter or at least cover it to protect the finish. If you forget to winterize it, and freezing water (which expands) damages the swivel, the entire plumbing (feeder hose & swivel) can be replaced. Rapid Reel sells parts.

Summary:

Rapid Reel models are almost certainly the finest garden hose reel carts on the market. I rated this model at 4 stars because it lacks a hose guide and shelf, but those issues may not be important to you. In fact, when our remaining Ames wall-mount hose reel falls apart, another Rapid Reel product will replace it.

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http://lexingtonlawnandlandscape.com/sell-melnor-300-oscillating-sprinkler-with-brass-nozzles-best-price.html#comment-797 Byron W. Campen Sun, 06 Nov 2011 00:46:50 +0000 http://lexingtonlawnandlandscape.com/sell-melnor-300-oscillating-sprinkler-with-brass-nozzles-best-price.html#comment-797 <div style="margin-left:0.5em;"> <div style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> 7 of 7 people found the following review helpful: </div> <div style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <span style="margin-left: -5px;"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/common/customer-reviews/stars-4-0._V192240704_.gif" width="64" alt="4.0 out of 5 stars" title="4.0 out of 5 stars" height="12" border="0"/></span> <b>Large coverage area, but a tad flimsy.</b>, <nobr>April 26, 2010</nobr></div> <div style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <div><div style="float:left;">By </div><div style="float:left;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/pdp/profile/A27H3RG5KF1MCI/ref=cm_cr_if_pdp/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&tag=stjd001-20&linkCode=xm2" target="_top"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Byron W. Campen</span></a> (Dallas, TX) - <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/cdp/member-reviews/A27H3RG5KF1MCI/ref=cm_cr_if_auth_rev/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&tag=stjd001-20&linkCode=xm2&sort_by=MostRecentReview" target="_top"></a><br/><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html/ref=cm_rn_bdg_help/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&nodeId=14279681&pop-up=1#RN" target="AmazonHelp" onclick="return amz_js_PopWin(this.href,'AmazonHelp','width=340,height=340,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=1,status=1');"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reputation/c7y_badge_rn_1._V192249968_.gif" width="70" align="absmiddle" alt="(REAL NAME)" height="15" border="0"/></a>    </div></div><div style="clear:both;"/> </div> <div class="tiny" style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <span class="crVerifiedStripe"><b class="h3color tiny" style="margin-right: 0.5em;">Amazon Verified Purchase</b><span class="tiny verifyWhatsThis">(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/amazon-verified-purchase/181-6431411-4215159" target="AmazonHelp" onclick="amz_js_PopWin('http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/amazon-verified-purchase/181-6431411-4215159', 'AmazonHelp', 'width=400,height=500,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=0,status=1');return false; ">What's this?</a>)</span></span> </div> <div class="tiny" style="margin-bottom:0.5em;"> <b><span class="h3color tiny">This review is from: </span>Melnor 300 Oscillating Sprinkler With Brass Nozzles (Lawn & Patio)</b> </div> This sprinkler covers a surprisingly large area, and puts down a lot of water. My only gripe is that it is lightweight, which suggests that it may break easily, but also means that if there is any torque on the hose it will be difficult to get the sprinkler to sit flat. Not that this is particularly hard to compensate for, but it does make usage a tad fiddly. <br/><br/>Edit: Hasn't broken yet, so that's good. Putting a quick-connect fitting on it prevents torque from the hose being a problem, too. <div style="padding-top: 10px; clear: both; width: 100%;"> <div style="float:left; padding-right:15px; border-right:1px solid #CCCCCC"><div style="padding-bottom:5px;"><b class="tiny" style="color:#666666;white-space:nowrap;">Help other customers find the most helpful reviews</b> </div><div style="width:300px;"> <a name="R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB.2115.Helpful.Reviews" style="font-size:1px;"> </a><span><span class="votingPrompt">Was this review helpful to you? </span><a rel="nofollow" class="votingButtonReviews" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/voting/cast/Reviews/2115/R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB/Helpful/1/ref=cm_cr_ifvoteyn/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&token=AABEC2F3C96A3767A91719DC7E97E2AB47A3841A&target=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3QtcmV2aWV3cy9CMDAwMDVZMElHL3JlZj1jbV9jcl9pZnZvdGVyZHIvMTgxLTY0MzE0MTEtNDIxNTE1OT9fZW5jb2Rpbmc9VVRGOCZzdW1tYXJ5PTAmYWxpbmtDb2RlPXhtMiZ0YWc9c3RqZDAwMS0yMCZ2PTImbGlua0NvZGU9eG0yJmFzaW49QjAwMDA1WTBJRyZ0cnVuY2F0ZT01MDAwJmFraWQ9QUtJQUpWTDRMNVE3TjRKQVNOQkEmc2lnPTkzRyUyQjhoVkNqZE00eDlsMEh2cXowTDNhMmJRcmpZY1RWVWN6WVNoZk41TSUzRCZleHA9MjAxMS0xMS0wNlQyMyUzQTA2JTNBMTVaJmF0YWc9c3RqZDAwMS0yMA&voteAnchorName=R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB.2115.Helpful.Reviews&voteSessionID=181-6431411-4215159"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reviews/btn-yes-sec-md._V192249951_.gif" width="35" alt="Yes" style="vertical-align:middle;" height="18" border="0"/></a> <a rel="nofollow" class="votingButtonReviews" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/voting/cast/Reviews/2115/R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB/Helpful/-1/ref=cm_cr_ifvoteyn/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&token=5786AB67516E10479F935120EC41EF1BBAAD17C2&target=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3QtcmV2aWV3cy9CMDAwMDVZMElHL3JlZj1jbV9jcl9pZnZvdGVyZHIvMTgxLTY0MzE0MTEtNDIxNTE1OT9fZW5jb2Rpbmc9VVRGOCZzdW1tYXJ5PTAmYWxpbmtDb2RlPXhtMiZ0YWc9c3RqZDAwMS0yMCZ2PTImbGlua0NvZGU9eG0yJmFzaW49QjAwMDA1WTBJRyZ0cnVuY2F0ZT01MDAwJmFraWQ9QUtJQUpWTDRMNVE3TjRKQVNOQkEmc2lnPTkzRyUyQjhoVkNqZE00eDlsMEh2cXowTDNhMmJRcmpZY1RWVWN6WVNoZk41TSUzRCZleHA9MjAxMS0xMS0wNlQyMyUzQTA2JTNBMTVaJmF0YWc9c3RqZDAwMS0yMA&voteAnchorName=R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB.2115.Helpful.Reviews&voteSessionID=181-6431411-4215159"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/reviews/btn-no-sec-md._V192249949_.gif" width="35" alt="No" style="vertical-align:middle;" height="18" border="0"/></a> <span class="votingMessage"/></span> </div></div><div style="float:left;"><div style="padding-left:15px;"><div style="white-space:nowrap;"><span class="tiny"> <a name="R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB.2115.Inappropriate.Reviews" style="font-size:1px;"> </a><span class="reportingButton"><nobr><a rel="nofollow" class="reportingButton" href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/voting/cast/Reviews/2115/R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB/Inappropriate/1/ref=cm_cr_ifvoteyn/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&token=6A8CE714AC01F78E0302EB115016716B044C8A35&target=aHR0cDovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL3Byb2R1Y3QtcmV2aWV3cy9CMDAwMDVZMElHL3JlZj1jbV9jcl9pZnZvdGVyZHIvMTgxLTY0MzE0MTEtNDIxNTE1OT9fZW5jb2Rpbmc9VVRGOCZzdW1tYXJ5PTAmYWxpbmtDb2RlPXhtMiZ0YWc9c3RqZDAwMS0yMCZ2PTImbGlua0NvZGU9eG0yJmFzaW49QjAwMDA1WTBJRyZ0cnVuY2F0ZT01MDAwJmFraWQ9QUtJQUpWTDRMNVE3TjRKQVNOQkEmc2lnPTkzRyUyQjhoVkNqZE00eDlsMEh2cXowTDNhMmJRcmpZY1RWVWN6WVNoZk41TSUzRCZleHA9MjAxMS0xMS0wNlQyMyUzQTA2JTNBMTVaJmF0YWc9c3RqZDAwMS0yMA&voteAnchorName=R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB.2115.Inappropriate.Reviews&voteSessionID=181-6431411-4215159"></a></nobr></span> </span> <span style="color:#CCCCCC;">|</span> <span class="tiny"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB/ref=cm_cr_if_perm/?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00005Y0IG&nodeID=&tag=stjd001-20&linkCode=xm2" target="_top"></a></span></div><div style="white-space:nowrap;padding-left:-5px;padding-top:5px;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB/ref=cm_cr_if_cmt/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00005Y0IG&nodeID=&tag=stjd001-20&linkCode=xm2#wasThisHelpful" target="_top"><img src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/x-locale/communities/discussion_boards/comment-sm._V192250344_.gif" width="16" alt="Comment" hspace="3" align="absmiddle" height="16" border="0"/></a> <a href="http://www.amazon.com/review/R1RDSZ6UALZ9NB/ref=cm_cr_if_cmt/181-6431411-4215159?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00005Y0IG&nodeID=&tag=stjd001-20&linkCode=xm2#wasThisHelpful" target="_top">Comment</a></div></div></div><div style="clear:both;"/> </div> <br/></div>

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

Large coverage area, but a tad flimsy., April 26, 2010

By 

Byron W. Campen (Dallas, TX) –

  

Amazon Verified Purchase(http://www.amazon.com/gp/community-help/amazon-verified-purchase/181-6431411-4215159', ‘AmazonHelp’, ‘width=400,height=500,resizable=1,scrollbars=1,toolbar=0,status=1′);return false; “>What’s this?)

This review is from: Melnor 300 Oscillating Sprinkler With Brass Nozzles (Lawn & Patio)

This sprinkler covers a surprisingly large area, and puts down a lot of water. My only gripe is that it is lightweight, which suggests that it may break easily, but also means that if there is any torque on the hose it will be difficult to get the sprinkler to sit flat. Not that this is particularly hard to compensate for, but it does make usage a tad fiddly.

Edit: Hasn’t broken yet, so that’s good. Putting a quick-connect fitting on it prevents torque from the hose being a problem, too.

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