Customer Reviews

Gilmour Flexogen Hose

5 star:		(59)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(11)

 

 

I've a great big landscaped yard.
I own nearly a quarter mile of hose of almost every description. I've gotten good service from almost every brand - but only consistently good service from two; Craftsman all rubber, and Gilmore Flexogen. Ergo, those two are all I buy anymore.
I'm obsessively intolerant of leaks anywhere.
The Flexogen hose is the lightest and easiest to handle hose I own. The Craftsman may be a tad more durable, but being black, gets a bit warm in the hot sun.
I'm sure I'm at least partly wrong, but most of the complaints I've read here sound more like operator head space and timing problems than a problem with the hose. I've some over six years old and never had the need to test the guarantee.
To mitigate tangling problems with any hose, I suggest using 50' lengths and LR Nelson's Brass Quick Connectors (I also gave 5 stars). Further, I discourage tugging on a hose to get to that "last flowerbed." An extra section of hose is much cheaper than what the plumber is going to charge to replace broken hose bib pipes. I always leave a little loop of hose next to the bib and won't allow myself to pull hard enough to remove the loop.
If you place any hose on concrete and run over it, sooner or later, it will fail. I don't treat my stuff that way.
I just ordered two more Gilmore Flexogen hoses from Amazon to replace another brand that age has made a bit brittle. Good price, free shipping. What's not to like?

I'm an air conditioning technician, so I clean more than 500 air conditioners a year. When I got tired of using hoses that kinked, sprayed water over me from leaks in the hose or fittings, were difficult to reel or stow and had squashed, stamped-brass fittings which were hard to screw attachments to, I bought a Flexogen hose. Now I have a durable, leak-free hose which stands up to heavy daily use. It amazes me when I see how many homeowners have practically unusable hoses once the fittings have been run over in their driveway. This hose is (just a little more) money well-spent.

When they say "if you have a problem with your Flexgen hose, simply cut off both ends and send them post paid, along with your name, address, and length of the hose to Gilmour, and they will send you a new one free" they really mean it. I received a new replacement hose in ten days. They even paid UPS charges!

I do own this hose, it's fine, holds up well. But I'm writing in response to the cancer references. Please, do some research before you write comments! When I looked on Google:water hose cancer, I found the information I need to know when buying water hoses from any manufacturer.

The warning for this hose is there because of California's Proposition 65. Proposition 65 limits exposure to chemicals that are identified by the State of California to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm. These chemicals or elements may be naturally occurring or synthetic. Not all manufacturers are listing this specific warning, but those that sell their products in CA are required to. They all list whether or not the hose is safe to drink from.

ALL non-drinking water safe hoses carry two potential elements that put them into this category: brass (if they have brass fittings) and lead that leaches from the hose into the water.

The following is from an ABC News Report:
"Consumer Reports says the problem is that many hoses are made of polyvinyl chloride, which uses lead as a stabilizer. That lead can leach into the water." "In all, Consumer Reports checked 16 different hoses to see how much lead could leach into the water. Testers cut off two-foot sections, then the hose sections were filled with water and plugged. They went into an oven overnight to simulate a day out in the hot sun, and afterwards, chemists analyzed the water.

Consumer Reports' Jim Nanni says some had very high levels of lead, "In some of the hoses, we measured 10 to 100 times more lead than the government considers safe coming a faucet."

However, the hoses that were labeled safe to drink lived up to their claim, leaching only minuscule amounts of lead.

To be safe, Consumer Reports says before you drink from a hose, let it run for a minute or so. That will flush out any water that could have been contaminated by lead."

There are other reasons to not drink water from a hose as well, unless it is a hose labeled "drinking water safe." This type of hose is sold for the use on boats and campers.

The Gilmore "Flexogen" hose began life with Gates Rubber almost 35 years ago. Gates got out of the garden hose business about the same time they stopped making automobile tires; leaving themselves in a better position to focus on their belt business where they've dominated for decades. We still have a nearly 30 year old Gates version of this hose and I've purchased several Gilmore's as well. I wouldn't keep buying `em if they weren't the best!

Well, this hose will be the last one you buy unless the guy who hooked it up to a power washer claims that a tile from your roof fell and snapped it in two! (It can handle 500 PSI, so who knows what those guys were doing! I know they power washed our roof and also destroyed half my plants...I was not happy let me tell you!)

Well, I had just purchased it a few months ago and it didn't get tied in knots. That is pretty normal with those fifteen dollar hoses you can find just about anywhere. Well, they are just annoying! So, after buying a cheap one and knowing better, I ordered this one again.

I am again a happy gardener. Yes, even in winter you need a garden hose. It has a nice all weather construction, special foamed inner layers and a glossy sealed cover. What I really like about this hose is the Flow Guard Plus collar. When the hose is fully extended, normal hoses will kink at the faucet as you yank on them to get over to that last flower bed. Well, this one will not kink since it has a nice collar on it.

Definately a good investment. Just don't let anyone borrow it!

~The Rebecca Review

I purchased 6 of these hoses with what was supposed to be a lifetime guarantee. After a short time, the end on one of the hoses started leaking so I contacted the manufacture and got a replacement. A year later another hose started leaking and I got another replacement. Then another hose started leaking but the company would no longer honor the warranty! Now Gilmour is selling them. But it's the same hose - "Flexogen". The hose itself it actually quite good if you don't mind replacing the hose ends eventually, I've had to replace every end on every Flexogen hose that I have.

I have used so many name brand hoses and the Flexogen is by far the most hassle-free and least frustrating hose I've come across. It doesn't kink (this is my number one frustration!), survives wild temperature changes, lasts for years, and winds easily. This is the only hose I use now. I have 8 of them and highly recommend the Flexogen.

This hose is very sturdy and flexible. It's quality is better than what it is priced for.

I bought a couple 20 years ago, and they are as good today as they were then. I've bought a few other brands of hoses too, but they lasted only a few years. If you spread their price over the years, these hoses are actually cheaper. They are also more reliable. I often keep them under pressure for months without ever having a blow out. I own about 10 of them now. Nothing else.