GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel
GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel Review SW-8-100ft
Specifications
- L 22″ X W 17″ X H 16″
- Hose Length: 100′ (Optional)
- Liter Hose: 5′
- Manual Crank
- Self Guiding Reel
- Made in China
Summertime is a season where I find myself constantly dragging around the hose. When watering plants, trees, grass, and setting up sprinklers, it seems that my garden hose area is always messy. I’ve tried mobile hose carts, stationary hose carts, and even designer hose pots. With the garden hose getting that much use, it just never seems to get put away neatly.
This was a perfect opportunity to take a look at the GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel. GiRAFFE TOOLS offers a variety of swiveling garden hose reels, including self-retracting reels. I choose to review the manual crank reel for purely aesthetic reasons. I felt that the stainless steel look complimented this area of my house more than the other garden reels. Although this is a manual reel, it has a self-guiding feature and a large handle for easy winding.
GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel | Materials
I immediately noticed that the GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel is constructed from seamless 304 stainless steel. Seamless stainless steel will resist rust better than welded seams, extending the life of your investment. 304 Stainless steel is a high-quality stainless steel that is also more likely to resist rust.
Mounting
You will find that 4 concrete anchors are included for installation. If installing yourself you will have to have some knowledge as a hammer drill will be needed for a concrete installation.
I ended up mounting this through my home’s wood sheathing and into the studs under the siding of my house. I had to temporarily remove some vinyl siding to find the studs for mounting. The mounting bracket is 16″ on-center which is perfect for mounting to studs. It is important that this reel be secured by all four mounting points as this reel has some good weight to it. For my wood installation, I had to purchase four stainless steel lag bolts and washers. I screwed them into the wood studs along with some silicone to prevent water intrusion. In addition, I cut some PVC spacers which I placed behind the mount. This prevented the siding from cracking when tightening things down.
Once mounted the hose reel appeared slightly off level. I found that there were four adjusting screws that allowed the reel arm to be adjusted for level. These four screws were a little loose, so it wouldn’t hurt to make sure they are tight if you don’t need any adjustments.
GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel Features
The internal connecting mechanism is made from solid brass and appears to have a nice quality swiveling feature. Brass will resist corrosion better than plastic or aluminum.
GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel has a self-guiding mechanism. This mechanism assists the reel in neatly organizing the hose while reeling it in. There is a plastic switch that can shut the auto guide track system off if need be in the event of a jam
The 4″ handle is large and easy to grip. This large handle and arm are proportioned properly so you don’t hit your hand against the house while reeling.
The large handle and arm combined with the smooth but lightweight material of the hose makes reeling the hose back in an easy task with minimal effort.
Garden Hose | Water Nozzle
This hose reel is available with or without the hose. In the picture below, you can see that I have a good amount of pressure on the hose trying to force a kink, with negative results.
If you elect to purchase without the hose, any 5/8″ garden hose up to 150′ will work with this unit.
GiRAFFE TOOLS also offers a plastic water nozzle with 9 water settings to choose from. This nozzle is not included but is available as a $25.99 option
Room for improvement
I would like to see a cover offered for this hose reel. Protecting a $250 investment is important, especially if you live in a hot or cold climate. Covering can only extend the life of this product. The self-guiding system is made from plastic, so keeping these parts out of the elements when not in use would be a nice feature. Living in Connecticut, I would cover this unit during the winter when the reel is not in use if one was available.
Conclusion
While testing the GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel I was impressed. Crafted from Seamless 304 Stainless Steel and having a solid brass internal system, these features should extend the life of your investment. The reel was very sturdy once mounted properly. The kink-free hose pulled out easily and reeled back in neatly thanks to the self-guided track system and the large handle. While testing this product for a little over a month, I thought that it looked good and functioned nicely. We have tested several GiRAFFE TOOL products which have all been holding up well.
Buy It Now
The GiRAFFE TOOLS Wall Mounted Stainless Steel Garden Hose Reel can be purchased directly from their website for $192.50 without the hose, or $241.79 with the hose. While this pricing is similar to others, the self-guided system is what sets this unit apart.
