How to Choose a Hose

Choosing a garden hose can be quite simple, but for something that you will be dragging around your yard once a week during the next several hot summers, it might be wise to put a little thought into the purchase. Hoses come in different lengths, qualities, materials and diameters, all of which will affect how you do your watering.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Evaluate how much hose you need. Measure the distance from your faucet to the farthest point of your lawn. Garden hoses usually come in lengths of 25, 50, 75 and 100 feet. Get the smallest hose that covers your yard, because water pressure decreases as hoses get longer.

2. Purchase two hoses if you sometimes need a short one and sometimes need a long one. This way, you won't have to worry about water pressure when watering an area close to your faucet.

3. Pick a diameter that is right for your watering needs. Garden hoses come in different diameters, and the wider the diameter, the more water the hose will deliver. Choose a small diameter if you need to water only container plants and a wide diameter if you need to water a large area of grass.

4. Choose a good balance of quality and cost. Garden hoses come in different qualities, and the cheaper ones leak and kink more often. Test the hose out by picking it up and making a U shape with it. If it kinks, choose a more expensive hose. Look for a ply rating, which will tell you how thick the hose is, since the more ply, the less likely the hose is to spring leaks.

5. Get a coupling that matches the quality and strength you need. Brass couplings are the highest quality, followed by steel, but plastic couplings are easier to attach. If you are worried about having the strength to fasten a hose to a faucet, choose a plastic coupling and save some money as well.