Customer Reviews

Ames True Temper Reeleasy Hose Reel Cart 2386275

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have been looking around the local gardening and home improvement center chains trying to find a replacement for my Ames ReelEasy Hose Cart which recently cracked at the handle. I have looked at the Suncast products which are a little less expensive and carried by most of the chain stores, but they just pale in comparison when you look at their quality. The other products are flimsy and wobbly. I have had my Ames ReelEasy for over eight years and had it not been for it cracking where the handle meets the reel I would not be replacing it. It still works, but is a pain to try and wheel around from the back to the front of the house, since the handle won't stay in the upright position. This reel has spent the last eight years in horrible Chicago climate and has never leaked and has never needed a repair. I do make sure to store it in the garage in winter and make sure there is no water left in the hose and reel that would freeze and expand. Other than some slight fading from the sun and that darn crack in the handle this reel has stood the test of time. I don't know what the life expectancy of a garden reel is, but eight years to me is pretty good. That said I have opted not to purchase an inferior reel cart for twenty dollars less and chose to replace my reel with what I know will last. I will add that the Ames hose reel is a solid product and it is not flimsy like its competition. In this case you get what you pay for. So, if you're contemplating spending the extra twenty to thirty dollars I say go ahead, you will be glad you did.

I'll start by saying that I'm not much of a "hose reel user" - finding them to be generally a little impractical for my long backyard - but I feel the Ames Reel Easy product line to be the best of the home-handyman variety of products.

To those who complained - I say: You need the "professional" metal $300 hose reels - not a plastic one.

The Ames and Suncast reels are light, plastic, and intended for light use - NOT for 300' of heavy hose and rough handling. Buy what you need, not the cheapest thing you can find.

I JUST finished writing a very negative review for a Husky "Power Washer" that was a "reel" piece of junk and not supported by the factory AT ALL - so I was thrilled to find that Ames knows how to support the end-user and stand behind their products.

The story: I literally picked my Ames "Reel-Easy" hose reel up off the curb down the street. (It looked to be in good shape and people in my neighborhood are pretty well-to-do and toss out perfectly good stuff like vacuum cleaners that need a bag or cord.) I found that the place where you attach your hose to be reeled in was stripped (plastic - but that's the way home units are made) and that the "water assembly" was cracked and leaked pretty badly. Not usable as it was.

(Doesn't sound like a positive review, right? Read on!)

Acting on a whim, I removed the broken part and found that the place that usually leaks on these reels (the slip-coupling between the reel and the frame) was in great shape and didn't leak at all. (Well-made!) and the rest of the unit was still nearly new. So I thought I'd look online for a replacement part. SURPRISE! Ames' web site has the reel and the part online. OK - let's see what this part costs. I went through the process and no price or shipping cost was mentioned. I played along and clicked the "complete your order" button expecting to find the "enter your credit card number" and the shipping is $20. SURPRISE TWO! "Ames provides these parts free to it's customers." I almost got hurt when I fell off the chair.

So - yes, plastic hose reels are for light use and they tend to break, but - if you MUST have one and don't want to spring for the $300 golf-course style professional ones, they buy from Ames. THEY stand behind their products, treat the customer right, and do the right things. THIS is why I'm giving them a positive review.

(Unlike Husky - those lousy jerks)

I had this product for about 5 years. It leaked a bit from the start. I ensured washers were in place. I replaced washers. Nothing worked. The leak wasn't terrible, but it was annoying.

I will say that winding up the hose was really easy and nice. There is a foot handle on the base that you can stand on that allows you to crank away.

After 5 years the leak got bad -- a plug blew out on the crank attachment. I am searching for a new one now. I won't buy this one again.

The product arrived well packaged.
There were no leaks initially, although it does have a leak at the reel after a few months service. That can be fixed.

The major drawback is the flimsy construction and feel of the plastic frame and reel.
I find myself treating the unit very carefully.

That said, the unit is servicable but I don't see this lasting too long.

The maxim "you get what you pay for" applies to this item. This hose caddy is limited to 1/2 inch hoses, my 3/4 hose does not work well with it. The connections to the main hose and to the one on the inside of the caddy are of cheap construction, and one has to worry that the connections will either leak or burst if you have continuous pressure on the unit. I will give this caddy to my daughter who has 1/2 inch water hoses and look for a more stable, better quality caddy.

I bought this item from HomeDepot. It started leaking in the first season itself. I did a mistake of calling Ames about the leak, I should have returned to the store.

Ames sent me parts, I replaced according to instructions. Leaking stopped then started again after a month. Called Ames again, they sent me parts again. This time leaking did not stop. Called Ames again, they sent me another part, replaced that too. Leaking does not stop. Finally called Ames for replacement, did not wanted to continue replacing parts. They refused to send replacement cart, they said they can only send parts and it should stop the leak.

I gave up, garbaged this hose reel. Waste of my money and time. Shopping around to buy new one. Trying to decide between RapidReel Wall Reel and ReelSmart Outdoor Sink Station with Auto-Rewind.