How Do You Install a Garden Hose Reel?

With the weather heating up, it’s a perfect time to get your yard equipment up to speed and the process starts and ends with a good hose reel.

An unruly hose can really make or break yard work. Kinks are a pain in the butt as is visually looking at a disorderly hose pile lying in its own puddle. But this is easily resolvable with a hose reel. We’re going to review ten exceptional choices, but first, it’s important to understand just how a hose reel works.

How Does a Hose Reel Work?

The mechanics behind a hose reel rest at the spindle. The spindle is what enables the hose to remain neatly coiled and off of your lawn, driveway, or patio. We’ll be diving into ten different models later on, but the most common (and most affordable) hose reel operates via a hand crank. You’ve likely seen these around the neighborhood as well as on TV shows over the past five decades. New models and technology have been introduced, mixing in springs that produce a self-retracting feature.

If the hand-crank or self-retraction isn’t your thing, you can also opt for a motor driven hose reel. These work at the push of a button, with a built-in motor powering that hose and giving you some much needed rest and relaxation. Motor driven models are costly, but if you lack the physical strength (seniors especially), they’re a wonderful option. 

How Should You Install a Hose Reel?

For some of us, simply replacing a light bulb can be a huge weekend win! This has nothing to do with intelligence, however. It’s just that some folks are handier, or handy-minded than others. With that said, if you’re not handy-minded, accept this challenge. Installing your own hose reel will be one of the most rewarding tasks you take on, guaranteed!

Before you decide on the placement, replacing the screws that came with the manufacturer is a wise first step. They are typically not as sturdy as those that you can find quite cheaply in a hardware store. Second, gather the items you’ll need for this job – measuring tape, a pencil, a hammer, a Phillips screwdriver bit, clear silicone, a masonry drill bit set, and a power drill. Feeling handy, right? You bet!

Next, hold the hose reel against the side of the house or whatever you’ll be mounting it to. Mark the holes with your pencil and then set aside the reel. If the wall is wood, aluminum siding, or vinyl, try and center the holes over the thinnest part of the row. If the wall is brick, avoid drilling into the mortar joints. These are weaker than the actual brick.

Before drilling, be sure to choose a bit that’s the same diameter or smaller than the shank of the screws. Next, center the drill, and you’ll be drilling roughly 2 ¾ inches in depth. After you have a nice hole in place, squeezing some silicone into the hole will help in sealing out moisture. Finally, hold the reel against the wall, grab your Phillips screwdriver and drive the screws in. Viola, you’ve successfully mounted your very own hose reel!   

The Best Garden Hose Reels in 2021

Reelcraft Heavy Duty Hand Crank Hose Reel

We kick off our list with a gorgeous model from Reelcraft. Firehouse red, so if you’re looking to make a statement in your backyard, patio, driveway, or even front yard, look no further! This crank hose reel is as much of a piece of art as it is a functional reel. Made of high-quality steel, the finish is top-notch and is also guaranteed to be corrosion resistant.

A great feature of this reel is that the gooseneck can be easily removed. This allows for longer hose lengths to be installed. The full flow swivel is manufactured with a seal design to ensure maximum service life, and water as cold as 0 degrees Fahrenheit can flow through the system with no issues at all. The entire unit is vibration-proof, and the self-locking fasteners are perfect if you’re using this model for industrial or field use.

To learn more, click here.

 Macnaught Retracta R3 Garden Reel

Telling friends and family you’ve got a “Macnaught Retracta” is a certain conversation starter. It rolls off the tongue, and after one glance at this sturdy number, you can understand why the reviews are incredibly positive. Engineered in Australia and backed by an impressive 10-year warranty, Macnaught might be one of the most respected manufacturers in the garden hose reel world.

The kit includes a feeder hose and most of the pictures show it mounted to the sides of walls or even sturdy pipes. The hose is made from a hybrid polymer material with “no memory.” Usually things with no memory, like people for example, aren’t ideal in any situation. But a hose with no memory doesn’t kink easily; it doesn’t remember how! Less kinking means better performance, and Macnaught brings it, that’s for sure.

Like it? Click here to buy now.

Giraffe Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel

This one doesn’t mess around when it comes to materials. The stainless steel is full industrial-grade which means finding anything as heavy-duty as this reel on the market will be tough. Some folks might wonder why exactly they need a product with industrial-grade steel. It’s a fair question, and while it might be a bit much for the average homeowner, industrial-grade steel is just that – industrial. There’s no corrosion here, and that alone is a massive benefit.

The Giraffe can hold up to 130 feet of ⅝ inch diameter of garden hose or up to 200 feet of ½ inch. The metal handle allows for a comfortable palm grip and the lockable hose guide can shut this number down at any point. This keeps the hose from tangling and becoming unruly. Another plus with this model is it can be mounted on walls or floors. This is nice if you’ve got the option.

Ready to buy? Click here.

Decorative Wall Mount Metal Garden Hose Reel

The beauty of cast iron steel is that it’s not only one of the most durable things on the planet, but when artfully constructed, cast iron steel pieces are incredibly attractive. The manufacturer understands this better than anyone and sought to make a functional and aesthetically pleasing reel. The Decorative Wall Mount Hose Reel checks all the boxes!

A cool feature with this reel is the added storage shelf on the top. It’s ideal for keeping nozzles, garden tools, and other miscellaneous items. A 5-foot leader hose is included and the entire set measures 14” x 15” x 15.4.” The hose reel can be removed from the rack which helps when moving it about the garden, and all the appropriate mounting hardware is included making the set-up a snap. There aren’t many reasons not to choose this option as your next reel.

To see pricing, click here.

Giraffe Metal Garden Hose Reel Box

Marketed as a storage hideaway, this is essentially a large box with a crank handle that stores your hose in the most inconspicuous manner possible. Aircraft-grade aluminum is used throughout, and the entire box is resistant to rust and anti-corrosion. The handle sheath ensures a firm grip and the overall engineering mechanics design results in excellent stability.

The sheer weight of this box is enough to leave it on the ground without any worry that the natural elements will move it. Wind nor rain nor a snowstorm is uprooting this reel box. There is also a lockable hose guide that you can stop at any point to keep the hose from tangling. 

To read the latest reviews, click here.

Goplus Ironmax Retractable Garden Hose Reel

The Goplus reel comes in turquoise and the clamshell design allows for easy hose changes and any cleaning you need to take care of on the interior side. This is a portable garden hose reel; you can snap it on the wall mount but just as easily take it off and transport it around your garden.

If you do decide to leave the unit on the mount, Goplus has included a 180 degree swivel base. This allows you to reach every corner of the garden without a care in the world. The working pressure is 120psi and a standard ¾” metal connector is workable for most household faucets. 

To learn more, click here. 

Strongway Retractable Garden Hose Reel

Calling on an extraordinarily strong spring wind system, Strongway lives up to its name with this unit. Featuring an auto wind system with speed control, a hose guide, a steel mounting bracket, and a ⅝” x 80ft. PVC hose, this is one of the more complete hose reels on our list. The auto guide system keeps the hoses kink-free and orderly while winding, and the impact resistant polypropylene made reel is extremely lightweight and durable over the long term.

The convenient, built-in carrying handle adds a portability characteristic that can’t be overlooked, and the PVC hose delivers 90 PSI of working pressure. This isn’t the most powerful PSI on the list, but if you’re not looking to do any industrial cleaning, this is perfect for the garden or home.

Like it? Click here to buy now.

Sunneday 100ft Retractable Garden Hose Reel

With its patented slow rewind technology and free locking system, “tangling or kinking reel anxiety” (a real thing!) is never gonna happen with this model. The guidance system is highly intuitive allowing for the hose to roll-up perfectly with nearly every use. The slow rewind system might sound, well, slow, but in the hose reel world, a reliable rewind is critical. There are others on this list that rewind quicker, but Sunneday prides itself on providing a rewind free of kinks. There’s clear value in that!

Weighing in at a manageable 32 pounds, the mounting system also allows for a 180-degree swivel. This is becoming quite popular with garden hose reels, as hitting all angles of the garden is a definite must. Like some other models on the list, this one can also be removed and clamped back on. Yet, at 32 pounds, it’s not the lightest removable hose reel out there. 

To read reviews, click here.

AMES Aluminum Hose Reel Cart

If you’re looking for something with wheels to keep your hose situation in order, look no further. Not all reels need to be pegged onto walls or plunked down on your driveway never to move again. Some folks want something they don’t need to carry, so AMES has brought to market a fabulous choice here with quality wheels and manufactured with rust-free aluminum.

There are numerous reviews online of folks opting for this model as previous plastic models weren’t cutting it. There was either breakage or parts simply falling off, and they were buying new carts every couple of years. AMES includes a generous guarantee and like some of the other reels we’ve reviewed, the online reviews speak quite positively to client satisfaction with this model.

Ready to buy? Click here.

To Sum it Up…

Who knew watering could be this fun? A quality hose reel will make this summer’s yard work all the more enjoyable. Pop in some earbuds, cue up the tunes, and it will be tough for the family to get you back in the house.

In this article we discussed how a hose reel works, and then how to install one. We hope the installation portion wasn’t overly technical. We recognize not everyone is handy nor interested in being handy, but installing a hose reel is really quite simple. Plus, you’ll feel great about yourself afterward, and who doesn’t enjoy that?

We then reviewed ten great hose reels and now leave the decision up to you. It’s likely not going to be easy, but any of these ten will be a great addition to your garden.

Check out The Best Outdoor Hammocks next!