- At a Glance: 5 Inexpensive Garden Hose Reels That Last
- Best Cheap Garden Hose Reel Reviews
- FINAL VERDICT: Best Cheap Water Hose
We took a look at the all the cheap water hose reels on the market and found 5 that are of much higher quality than their price indicates. Although they are all cheap water hose reels, they’re not “cheap” garden hose reels, if you catch our drift.
Let me guess, you’re sick of winding up your hose by hand around a flimsy metal stand or worse yet, leaving it on the ground reducing the life of your hose. If so you’ve probably entered the market for a garden hose reel to help tend to your garden.
If you’ve started poking around, you’ve probably noticed that there’s a range of options available as far as cheap garden hose reels are concerned. What’s better, an inexpensive self-retracting garden hose reel, or a higher quality reel with a hand crank? Of course you can always go with the most expensive option on the market and it’ll likely work well for you. But if you’re like me, you’re more interested in getting the best bang for the buck.
There are quite a few inexpensive garden hose reel options and the one that best suits your need will depend on a variety of factors such as the length of hose needed, portability, auto-retract features, and more.
There are essentially 5 different types of garden hose reels: Wall Mounted, Retractable, Compact, 4-Wheel, and 2-Wheel. We researched all the hose reels in those categories and found the best buys in each category.
Let’s take a closer look to find out what is best for you!
At a Glance: 5 Inexpensive Garden Hose Reels That Last
Best Cheap Garden Hose Reel Reviews
1. Liberty Garden Wall Mounted Hose Reel
At first glance, you wouldn’t think this hose reel cart is one of the more affordable models on the market.
It’s decorative, cast aluminum frame give in an air of quality you wouldn’t expect with a price at roughly $100.
A great option for the budget conscious gardener who needs an inexpensive reel to house their garden hose.
Liberty Garden Wall-Mounted Hose Reel Review
The Liberty Garden Wall-Mounted Hose Reel is equipped with a cast aluminum frame, allowing the manufactures to create a quality product with a reasonable price-tag.
It’s also complimented with brass components and powder coated making it a tad more weather resistant than other similar garden hose reels.
Owning this product will allow you to easily wind your hose up using the hand crank on the side of the reel.
Even better, this hose reel comes fully assembled. So no fumbling around with complicated directions trying to figure out where to screw one part to another. Simply mount it to to a sturdy wall and you’re set.
This cart is able to house up to 125 feet of hose, which is plenty long for the average yard. Most garden hoses are 25, 50 or 100 feet long.
The reel is also equipped with a storage shelf on top of the unit and hand crank to help reel and unreel your hose with ease.
Another criticism users have is that the assembly instructions are confusing. Fortunately one user created a short video that should help you with any difficulties with that process
PROS
- Features a storage shelf for small gardening accessories
- Decorative design makes garden hose storage look good.
- 125ft hose capacity
- Cast aluminum, brass fittings, powder coat help this product to last the test of time
CONS
- Some say they needed additional hardware to mount to their desired location
- Some customers complain that the finish changes as it ages
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2. Giraffe Wall Mounted Retractable Hose Reel
The self-retracting hose reel is a bit of a novelty, there aren’t many under $100 and if you do find one, be prepared for it to live a short life. Retractable garden hose reels have more parts and therefor more things that can go wrong with them.
But they are very convenient and save time and energy spent on hand reeling your garden hose every time you use it. For many gardeners, retractable hose reels are becoming a backyard staple.
Most auto-retract garden hose reels are going to cost you $150 or more, but not the Giraffe Wall Mounted Retractable Hose Reel. This is one of the better values on the market as far as garden hose housing is concerned. Although this is a cheap water hose reel, it is not low quality.
This garden hose reel will give your hose a longer life storing it safely and saving you time by reacting the hose without your assistance.
Giraffe Retractable Hose Reel Review
In terms of bang for the buck, you may not have to look much further than the Giraffe retractable reel. Given that most self retracting water hose reels are significantly more expensive, you’d think the Giraffe might be of poor quality.
And you’d be wrong.
Users seldom complain about the quality of the product, saying that the model is made from durable, high quality parts.
Retractable hose reels also work best when they have swivel capability, which the Giraffe has, up to 180 degrees.
It will rotate on an axis near its mount, allowing you to pull the hose in multiple directions. Feel free to mount on solid wood, even brick or concrete.
Another handy feature is the locking mechanism which holds your garden hose at any desired set location.
This reel has been found to be easy to install with clear instructions. It also comes with a 9 pattern hose nozzle.
You’ll be able to dismount from it’s wall bracket easily, a handy feature if you need to store it for the winter to prevent freezing.
PROS
- 180 degree swivel capability
- 78 ft hose capacity
- High quality hose, burst tested at 200psi
- Includes 9 pattern hose nozzle
- Locking mechanism holds hose for you at any length
CONS
- Like many retractable hoses, more moving parts mean more parts that could potentially break
- Some customers say that the reel sticks occasionally
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3. Claber Compact Hose Reel
Although the Claber Aquapony compact reel is going to be the most affordable option on this list, you’d be hard pressed to find a review that indicates it’s a low quality product.
With the Claber Reel, you’ll get a nice, lightweight house for your garden hose, extending it’s life.
If you’re looking for the basics – a reel that houses your garden hose for the lowest cost possible, this is the model for you.
Claber Aquapony Garden Hose Reel Review
There aren’t a whole lot of bells & whistles with the Claber Garden Hose Reel that you’ll see with some other reels on this list.
Nor will you get a garden hose included with this reel, so you’ll need to factor the cost of a garden hose into the equation if you don’t already have one.
What you will get is a high quality, yet simple product that will extend the life of your hose and assist you in storing and reeling in your garden hose.
The compact, lightweight frame will allow you to move your garden around your yard easily or store in winter months to prevent freezing.
The angled hose connection within the reel is designed to prevent kinks in the water line.
The simple, yet efficient, one piece hand winder coupled with with the triangular from make for a sturdy, reliable housing for your garden hose.
The simple design also makes for easy assembly with no additional tools required
PROS
- Compact & Lightweight
- Simple, yet sturdy triangular design suggests fewer problems
- Hand winder assists in retraction
- 50 foot hose capacity
- Least expensive, quality product
CONS
- Harder to retract than self- retracting reels
- Some users complain about leaky fittings
- Unlike a hose carts with wheels, you have to carry this reel to move it
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4. PayLessHere Garden Hose Reel Cart
The PayLess Here Hose Reel Cart is a sturdy 4 wheeled cart that allow for easy maneuverability around your yard.
It’s sturdy steel frame design equipped with a powder coating to prevent rusting should be a fixture in your garden for years.
PayLessHere Garden Hose Reel Cart Review
If you’re inclined to go with a 4 wheeled model, you’ve probably found that the cost of these carts vary wildly from product to product.
Users complain less about rusting issues with the Payless garden hose reel cart than they do with the Ironton. This is likely due to the powder coat finish that the Payless manufacturers boast.
This is a stable cart with all terrain tires which will help you get your garden hose to every corner of your yard.
Due to it’s stability, it may be suited for elderly gardeners who have mobility issues.
The green powder coated paint not only prevents rust, it’ll be an aesthetically pleasing accoutrement for your garden.
Equipped with a comfortable padded handle and handy storage basket for easy access to your favorite gardening accessories.
It has a capacity of up to a 300ft garden hose, although some users say that it becomes hard to maneuver with 200ft or more of hose.
Some users also complain that the hardware included is cheap and which makes the model susceptible to leakage
PROS
- Stable 4 wheel design
- Handy Storage Basket
- Steel frame with anti-rust powder coat finish
- 300 foot Garden Hose Capcity
- Aesthetically pleasing
CONS
- Some users complain of low quality hardware
- Tires are made of plastic, not rubber
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5. Suncast Hosemobile Pro Hose Reel Cart
This is another budget friendly, quality garden hose reel cart that allows for some maneuverability.
You won’t have to worry about any rusting issues with this model, which sits on a sturdy resin frame.
Suncast Hosemobile Pro Hose Reel Cart Review
This cart has wheels with an easy grip push handle making it easy to transport either for storage or to between your back & front yard.
Unlike steel models, which are susceptible to rust, the Suncast Hosemobile hose cart could be more durable in humid or moist climates that plague the steel framed carts.
With a 175ft hose capacity, you’ll be able to use this to water a small to medium sized yard.
The lightweight plastic frame enables users to easily transport to another water source or to store inside to prevent freezing.
The easylink system this model features coupled with the minimal amount of rust makes for a unit that is resistant to leaking.
The plastic frame does, however have drawbacks. Some users complain that it breaks with rough usage.
It also does not come with a garden hose or nozzle. So if you don’t have either of those items, you’ll need to factor that into your cost.
PROS
- Anti-rust plastic frame
- Lightweight
- Brown taupe finish will look great next to any house color
- Easy to assemble
- Easylink system resistant to leaking
CONS
- Plastic components require delicate treatment
- May not last more than a few years
- Garden Hose, leader hose, and nozzle not included
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FINAL VERDICT: Best Cheap Water Hose
We like to thing of all 5 of these water hose reels, not as cheap, but as the best bargains on the market.
The perfect hose reel is going to vary from person to person depending on what their needs are. If you have a large yard and don’t want to detach your cart from one water source and move it to another, you may want to go with one of the sturdy 4 wheel carts in the Ironton or Payless carts. They house up to 300 feet of hose. These also may be good for elderly gardeners due to their sturdiness.
If you have a smaller yard or don’t mind detaching and moving from one water source to another, the Giraffe self-retracting reel is a winner.
Overall our number one pick is going to be the Giraffe wall mounted retractable hose reel:
The self-retracting mechanism is extremely handy and users don’t have many complaints about durability despite the low price tag. Our number two goes to the Payless 4 wheel hose cart. Rust is the number one complaint about the steel carts and the Payless seems to have dodged those complaints with its powder-coat finish.
Have any other thoughts on a good cheap water hose reel? Feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments below.