DIY water hose reel, rotating join.
 

Hi, I am thinking of making my own water hose reel, which will last longer and has the certain look I want. The most important part is the rotating join, brass or anything that will last. I can't find it any where include local stores and online. Anyone has seen anything like it anywhere?

Rotary Unions | Rotating Union | Rotary Joints | Deublin Company

Good. Not cheap.

wow. There must be something cheaper that does the purpose.

While I understand that expensive doesn't guarantee quality, leaks from something one has just assembled are demoralizing and over time destroy a fella's will to live (along with everything that gets soaked).

I bought a hose reel with a rotary union that was leaking like crazy within a year. I loathe the thing and its usefulness has been more than cut in half. I'll follow along here and appreciate the inquiry!SmileWavy

What about not using one at all?

I've seen them with just the hose end coming out to the side right next to the axle.
With a snap fitting on the end and a short conecting hose to the tap.

You could make one from brass and O-rings.

I, my dad, my bother, and my... many others been buying the usual reel many times. Leaks and other issues are normal. For me, it snap at the plastic port, beside I hate to have to hold it down on every use. Then, I decided to hang the hose manually. Then, most of the time it gets frustrated because the hose can get too stiff. There is the all metal cart, but it's ugly and also the bushing can get loose after time and leaks.

1990C4S, can you be detail on how? Thanks.

sc_rufctr, another thought. Do you have experience with those snap fitting from HD? Are they any good, or also leaks like hell? :)

The snap fitting we have in Aus are plastic and have an internal O ring.
They are made by "Gardena" and Aust company but their products are made in China :rolleyes:

They rarely leak but years in the sun and wear a tear make them brittle and eventually then they need replacing.

This is a basic set. All you need for an average hose. ;)

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374006894.jpg

This is the snap end. I'm sure you have something similar in the US.

The point is you don't need a rotation joint if you use one of these next to the axle of a hose real.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1374006928.jpg

thanks peter. I'll go to the store to take a look.

They have gardena products here as well, home depot is just one that sell them.
you will have to replace them every few years,

6 Piece Garden Hose Quick Coupler Set


Harbor freight carries the quick disconnect for cheap. Have them and they work pretty well. I have found i'd rather have two hoses though.

IMHO, none of the "cheap" options suggested are going to be durable enough to endure the continuous rotation that the hose reel would require - unless of course it is not used very often. Those are made only to snap on and off for quick disconnects - not to rotate.

Agreed. The brass versions have a chance of lasting a season, the plastic ones are crap. And they need to be well guided or they will jam up.

There's a reason Deublin's are expensive. they have seals and bearings. Because you need them.

Why not simply buy a quick disconnect with a shut-off and disconnect the hose while you wind/unwind?

what do you guys think about this? Reelcraft rotating joint
http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Reelcraft-S60...lLg~~60_35.JPG
http://www.amazon.com/Reelcraft-S600886-Swivel-Assembly/dp/B008XZYGS6

Where's the rest of it?

Milt, I plan on building an all metal reel myself, using this part as the rotating joint to attach the hose only.

Those threads/fittings don't appear to be standard water hose fittings. You'll have to use adapters - if they even exist to mate to those connections.

Hey Ron,

I don't really understand what you are trying to do? It sound like the stiff hose is kicking your ass?

The quick connect is good if you get the brass ones. I have had great luck with them, then I realized that I almost never disconnect my water hose. Buy the sears black rubber hose. I think they are real rubber and not vinyl or some plastic job that get very stiff in the cold. They are soft and almost never kink. We have had ours for years and no issues, no leaks. My parents are getting older, so the cheap vinyl hose gives them a good kicking. They have had the Sears' Craftsman rubber hose for 7-8 years now. Very easy to wind up in one of those plastic hose reel they mounted to the side of their garage. They crank it up with one hand on the crank the other one to guide the soft hose. No leaks. Not cheap, but its worth not having to swear at the hose every time you go and use it.

Hey man, how's that bath room coming along? Your wife through you ass out of the house yet for not finishing?:)

MBAtarga, sounds like I need to visit HD for this. Thanks.

Look,
Alright, sounds like my writing is bad enough that you didn't get my point.

- I am not looking for hose nor reel. I am trying to make my own cheap reel but the best rotating joint, because we already snapped at least 3 plastic reels at the connector. I don't understand how people can keep up with those plastic one. They become fragile and easy to get snapped.

- I am not looking for hose. After different types of hose, hard/heavy-duty and cheap thin hose, I like the cheap thin hose so it can be handled easily. It doesn't last long, but I have no problem buying another cheap one after several years. The heavy duty last longer but every time rolling it in and out, I got so pissed. Instead of bending the hose, I feel it bending my arms.

- Bath room? I still move it a little bit at a time. The drain is done. Concrete patch is done and dried. Water pipes, valves are replaced. Only thing left is... the actual shower :D. There are other things come up, so it gets interrupted several times. Right now, I am back at my back yard watering system. It need to be redone because we added several more trees and the system doesn't have enough pressure, the way I "designed" :D. I think... instead of running another channel out there, I will add adjustable valve at each tree and adjust them all at lowest setting. Let see if this will fix the problem.

Ok, I got you now. Why do you think it has to swivel? How about a solid piece of brass threaded to a brass water house fitting coming out of the reel somewhere. Once the hose gets coiled up, I don't think it has to swivel. those Sears hose will not bend your arms. My parents are in their 70s, so they don't have the strength to wrestle that python water hose. the Sears hose, no problem.

I prefer quality RUBBER hoses...buy 'em once and they'll last a lifetime and "coil up" with ease, unlike the cheapies. I've had a 50' and 100' for 20 years...just coil 'em up and hang 'em beneath my deck. I despise all types of "hose holders' etc. that I've ever tried...YMMV.

edited: Just saw the last post...mine were purchased from Sears way back when after my dad tipped me on a "deal" they were having. No problems for my dad either and he ain't a youngin' anymore....

Yeah, but you can't attach a hose end to either side of that as it is, can you? Seems to me that the project will cost more than a ready made unit. This one is $115:

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/Yard-Butler-S...Z9g~~60_57.JPG

KC, we had those heavy duty and it last a long time, never leak, never break. Is just that I never like it. It's too hard/tough to work with.

Milt,
I know. It might cost me even more, and might not looks as nice, making it myself. I just get too sick of replacing them over and over. It was just a thought that if I make them myself, I know how the internal of the rotating joint works, or at least I can have option to choose the one with available parts/seals.