Liberty Garden Products 703-2 Multi-Purpose Steel Garden Wall/Floor Mount Hose Reel, Tan Poly

If you're even Remotely handy, you can turn this reel into a quality product. It's great value for the money. I have one in my back yard, and am going to buy two more soon.Mine had zero issues it's first year. It was a game changer. Going into my second year, after leaving it exposed in a harsh winter, it had significant leaks.For about $20 I replaced the swivel piece with a Hourleey Garden Hose Swivel Adapter, added some fresh rubber hose washers, added a few wraps of thread tape, a few squirts of WD40 silicone lube to hydrate the rubber o rings in the swivel, and I have had zero leaks all day long. I left the hose pressurized all year last year, I'll do it again this year.I expect to replace all the rubber next year as well, but that's expected for anything with rubber seals being stored outside in the sun being abused.As far as the rust goes.... It's metal. It's going to rust. Buy something that's plastic or fork over for a reel that's six times the price made of high grade metals and finishes if you're concerned about rust.

For the past few years, every spring I'd buy one of these suncast 175' mobile garden hose reel pos' and every year after a couple of months of light use the thing would start coming apart like the death star in empire strikes back. I live in texas so that's only about a 1/3 of the summer.So this year I ordered this guy and it's great. Solid, smooth, made of metal. Really, comparatively, a nice thing. I followed a couple of tips I found in the review here. I added a 16x16x2 cement paver from HD for about $4 and the hose attachment extension for a few bucks more.Also people on here were complaining about rust. I don't care. Rust away, as long as it doesn't disintegrate into a pile of worthless plastic pieces. Plus, cars have been rusting in this country for 100 years. Sand it paint it get over. Jeez. Anyway, I had some left over caulk from a bathroom job so I filled some of the seems that were not so tight.Here's how the cement block went. I gathered the following ingredients1) 16x16x2 cement paver1) 3/16" cement drill bit ( I don't have a hammer drill and you don't really need one for this ) the one I got was called Bosh Multi-Purpose Tungsten Carbide Drill Bit for Drilling Tile, Masonry, Wood, Metal and Concrete4) 1/4" X 1-1/4" concrete anchors. The ones I got were Tapcon 1/4 in. x 1-1/4 in. Hex-Washer-Head Concrete Anchors4) washersa can of air1/4 in driverNotice the blue tape on the drill bit. Mark the depth of the screw so you don't drill all the way through the paver. When you are done drilling blow out the holes. Move your face or you'll end up with eyeballs full of cement dust. You must blow out the holes or the screws wont sink to the correct depth. Use the driver to drive the screw and washer in and you're done.For the hose extension,1) pipe wrench1) thing of plumbers silicone tape1) 1/2" x 3" galvanized pipe nipple1) 1/2" "street elbow" just means it's a 90 with one male end and one female end1) 1/2" 90 female femaleRemove the brass fitting from between the wheel and the housing. Wrap all threads in plumbers silicone tape. Screw in the pipe nipple first, tighten with pipe wrench. Then add one the 90's, then the other ( order kind of matters but you'll figure it out ). Add the brass fitting and your done.The only WARNING is this, because of a kind of crappy design flaw, the thing only works wrapping the hose in one direction. The handle just screws in so when you try winding it up the wrong way, the handle just unscrews and comes off. :). So make sure and point your hose extension in the correct direction so you can reel it in the correct direction.

Base has been changed from the older design; mounting holes don't quite match. That was a disappointment, because I was replacing an old one that had succumbed to sun, winter, etc. and was hoping for an easy switchover. (The galvanized T-fitting developed a lot of internal rust, became impossible to remove. I see some aftermarket brass fittings. They might hold up longer. This spring some junctions leaked. I decided it was time to replace the whole thing. The handle had broken and I found a better one on Amazon.)Still overall, this is a very good unit that could be made better.) Usually I would bring it indoors for winter; last winter I left it outside. That probably sped up its demise. I'll be bringing this new one indoors.I sprayed some white lithium grease into the areas where the axle meets the base, also into the handle. The new unit works quietly and is free from leaks.