My Costco hose is gray and it is full of kinks. I think I'll take it back and see what they say. I thought it was going to be the perfect long hose, but it seems to have taken a distinct dislike to me. The hose will wait till I get to the back of the garden to kink. No amount of coaxing will convince it to follow me with water. 'Glad I saw this thread. Back to Costco I go!!!

One thing I have noticed, even with the cheap, kinking hoses, is if you use one of those trigger-type spray nozzles and let the hose get nice and fat before moving it around, it won't kink as badly. They don't seem to kink if they're under pressure.

Okay Woofie, now there's another "tip" you need to add. I'm going to try that with my new hose....after I return my old one tomorrow.

I think that's true.

Karen

Oh, it's definitely true! Even the worst of the crummy hoses we have lying around here can be made useable if you're careful. But you have to have the kinks straightened out before you turn the water on. I have some that you can't even coil, because they just kink instead of curling. (Still in the process of replacing the garbage hoses with good ones. )

I am always afraid to let the hose get fat with with one of those trigger type nozzles. The heat is so intense out here I am afraid the water holding in there will blow up the hose !

Sandi , Costco is great about refunds no matter how long you have had things. I guess you got the relative of my hose !

Even with the trigger, as long as your using it , it will be fine, just don't leave it and forget about it, turn the water off after using and open the trigger to let the water out.

I've not had to return more than a couple of things in the years that Costco has been here. They seem to always offer good products for a fair price.

I'm really bad about getting interrupted and forgetting to turn the water off! Haven't had any catastrophes yet, tho! (fingers crossed!)

oh I am so happy I am not the only one that gets with kink problem...

I am with you guys... hoses hate me ... no matter where I buy it, no matter the brand... I had a fit today and threw the thing!

This weekend I need to make a decision and get at least one...

woofie, where do you get the connectors for your hoses???

We mostly get ours from Harbor Freight; they have inexpensive brass ones. But our local Ace hardware store also carries something similar, just more expensive! And I think you can get them through Amazon, too.
http://www.harborfreight.com/6...

I bought mine at Home Depot.

I have a garden hose that is flattened like a fireman's hose which we bought several years ago from Home Depot, and I enjoyed using it since it is easier to loop around after being used, stays really neat afterwards. Unfortunately left outdoors for awhile in the blazing summer heat it had some holes or maybe just wear and tear..but I have not thrown it away yet, I think we can still repair it using rubber/silicone sealant. In the meantime, we bought a garden hose at Costco, especially this time of the year with Spring on hand lots of planting stuff available.

>> They don't seem to kink if they're under pressure.

Oh, that's why I've had such good luck! I don't think I've bought a hose in 4 years, just inherited junk and replaced washers.

One thing about damaged cheap hoses: drill enough holes in them and you have a drip system. You might need a pressure regulator if you want a slow drip system. I don't know if it would be practical/economical to add "spagetti" tubes off to the sides. I've never tried this myself.

Bury it under mulch to make it less ugly.

You can always give our Flex-Tech thermoplastic PVC hoses a try. The RTW hoses work well as garden hoses. They are extremely durable, yet lightweight, kink-resistant. Our hoses are all made here in the U.S. too!

Here is our website:

flextechhose.com

Go to the contact us page and I will connect you to a distributor.

Good luck!

Hi Mr. / Ms. FlexTech.

At first, browsing your website, I thought that all your products would be much much too-high-quality for me. Then I found your "RTW" line. That one's only much too good for me. Like the very best, industrial quality, plus if anyone happens to need chemical and hot oil resistance at 800 psi, no problem.

My own price/quality point would be more like buying old, damaged hoses at garage sales and repairing / cutting them up for short lengths.

I have a very small yard, so a few lines of relatively inflexible 3/4" black PVC tubing brings plastic spigots to every place I want one. Then short lengths of cheap, cut-up but flexible garden hose put a flexible hose end anywhere in the yard with as near to zero dragging as I please. (I use a lot of 2-valve "Y" fittings with hose threads, screwed into a PVC Tee fitting.)

I'm guessing that even in bulk, your least expensive RTW hose would cost more than, say, $19 or $32 per 100 feet?

I understand if you don't want to talk price online and be accused of advertising. But I think it's useful to the forum to hear about quality such as we don't see at Wal-Mart!