GARDENA (18630) Retractable Garden Hose Reel 115' x 1/2" Wall Mounted, Automatic Retraction & Length Lock for Easy Watering. Heavy Duty Swivel Bracket 180°, Includes Nozzle. Made in Europe

Top product, easy to install, works well

I purchased the 115’ model two years ago and I have been happy with my purchase - up until the recoil mechanism broke. Luckily I was within the 2-year warranty window, and within 5 minutes of calling Gardena support, they had ordered me a new replacement reel free of charge.Pros/ObservationsSolid build, not flimsy. The hose itself is a small diameter but seems durable and does not kink easily. Water pressure is great. The hose fittings use a screw clamping design that requires only hand tightening, no tools. The auto-retract feature is awesome - a quick pull on the hose, mic drop and walk away. Installation was tricky for me, primarily due to the construction of my home. I screwed a scrap Ipe board to my stucco skirt using 4 metal Fliptoggle anchors, and then screwed the base into the wood. As I would find out the hard way, the 2-year warranty and excellent customer support were a lifesaver.ConsDurability - Within a few months of use, the hose guide that tracks horizontally while spooling the hose to ensure that the hose lines up and doesn't overlap seemed to get out of adjustment. When spooling the hose, the hose would overlap and rub against the housing, causing it to stop short of fully spooling. At one point there was a loud grinding while unspooling the hose, and after that I could see something was broken… this was after ~18 months of gentle use. I am hoping that design/build improvements have been made.

This is a great product, I was actually surprised to see that the guide is linked to the rewind mechanism and will do it cleanly all on its own!

I have three other high quality hose reels on different sides of my house, but this one is the favorite by far. I'm glad I spent the extra dollars (German engineered Gardena products are not known for being inexpensive). This is a well designed, precision built automatic retracting hose reel. Be warned that this 115-ft long hose and reel is very heavy, but once it is securely attached to its wall mounted swivel base, it feels light and responsive to operate. As you extend the hose, the reel locks whenever you stop pulling.To retract, just give it a tug and it winds up perfectly, never any catches or tangles of the hose as the geared guide wraps the hose perfectly around the reel. I don’t want grass clippings and debris accumulating inside the reel, so I lightly wrap an old towel around the hose near the reel and let the towel clean the hose as it automatically retracts.Some people are not familiar with Gardena’s Power Grip connector. It slips over the hose and tightens down by hand. If it ever comes off, just slip it back on and tighten by hand. If you wish to shorten the lead-in hose, you can cut it shorter and replace the Power Grip connector easily.

I originally bought one for my dad to use with his greenhouse because he was tripping over his rolled up hoses on the ground.While the instillation isn't difficult it is heavy and needs to mounted securely to a post in the ground, likely a 4x4 with a 2x6 mounted to it for best instillation and function (this is how we did it). This does take some work but was totally worth it when mounted.He loves this hose and reel and has raved about it every time he is out in the garden working. It has been two years now and it still reels back quickly and well without any issues. It is a much cleaner look and overall is much better than all the rolled up hoses.The hose seem durable and has thus far had no issues with cracks or leaks. Just makes sure in the fall if you live in a cold weather area you blow the water out of the hose and it seems to last just fine.As I said he has loved this so much I just bought a second for my own yard and thus far love it.I will likely be buying more in the future.

While I like the retractor functionality, I’m not a fan of the nozzles that come with it. Sometimes I’d like a good old-fashioned hose nozzle but I get why these clip on nozzles are a thing.

I can’t believe Gardena, a reputable company sent me a “USED” unit when I purchased and paid for a Brand New unit..!!! Box was damaged, you can tell it has been shipped multiple times and the unit inside was not even wrap in plastic or with any protection. Very disappointed, I shipped it back..!!

I can detach any nozzle and attach another without turning off the water at the spigot! I love that feature and the fact that a gentle tug causes the 150' of hose to rewind gently, not so fast that it takes a kid out whose walking by in the yard. Or an ankle knocker to an adult. Perfectly wound. Strongly agree this is the best! It rotates from left to right on the arm that's attached to my brick home. Only problem is that after I am through using it and bled the line of any excess water and/or pressure in the hose line, it leaks. Only way I've found is to turn the water off at the spigot.