Forum home Tools and techniques

Soaker hose recommendations

Hi GW

Last year I bought some soaker hoses from Wikos, and needless to say they haven't lasted too well and now I need to replace (buy cheap buy twice).  I was thinking of buying hozelock this time, but wondered if anyone could recommend them if they've had them for a couple of years or more.

TIA

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,310
    I bought one of these in Spring 2018 and it has performed well for the last 3 summers and still looks fine.
    https://smile.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B01BVVIKSA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

    This has a slightly larger bore than normal but I managed to connect it to a standard hose with a bit of persuasion.
    They also sell the same hose with a normal bore.
    Ideally needs to be laid on a warm day otherwise it keeps re-curling up at every opportunity
    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FireFire Posts: 17,116
    Are there advantages to soaker hoses over line drip systems?
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 8,046
    I've had a couple of hozelock soaker hoses for 3 or 4 years and they still seem to perform well.  If the pressure is turned up too high you do get a few very fine jets coming out which generally go unnoticed until you walk into them.
  • KT53KT53 Posts: 8,046
    Fire said:
    Are there advantages to soaker hoses over line drip systems?

    Drip systems are used more to provide water to individual plants or pots.  Soaker hoses for borders, beds and extended runs of watering.  I use drip for pots, tubs and hanging baskets.  Soaker for new borders and veg areas such as runner beans which require plenty of water.
  • jayne10bjayne10b Posts: 101
    @Fire I've used both and find that drip lines are a bit fiddly and less forgiving than soaker hoses.  
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 29,150
    I had a drip line system in Belgium and ended up bundling it into a big bucket and then giving it away.   Last year I installed a very long, smooth plastic drip hose with holes at regular intervals in our polytunnel and used it to water the tomatoes and peppers and chillies.  It did very well but meant I was watering gaps between plants and had to be very picky about planting later tomatoes to get them sited next to a drink.

    Outside in the dahlia bed I had a much more flexible, normal "porous all over" soaker hose and it worked really well so I have bought another of those to use in the polytunnel for this year's tomatoes and will use the longer, "smooth with holes" one outside in a new, larger dahlia and cut flowers bed and bury it under chipped bark and compost to keep off the sun and reduce evaporation.

    I've gone off Hozelock products as I paid a lot of money for a wall-mounted, retractable hosepipe and it failed after just a few years.   Now I buy other connectors and any hosepipe on special offer as long as it's long enough and claims to be non kinking.  GC own brands seem OK here.
    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing." - George Bernard Shaw
  • jayne10bjayne10b Posts: 101
    @Obelixx so what brand have you used instead please?
Sign In or Register to comment.