Garden Hose Quick Connects
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Kezorm
Well-known member
Garden Hose Quick Connect Sets
Commercial-duty drinking water-safe brass construction. Quickly attach-detach hose and watering tools. 10-YEAR warranty. Highest-rated. Midwest family-owned.
www.eleyhosereels.com
slidehammer
Well-known member
The "Groundwork" ones from Tractor Supply work pretty well for me.
jack stand
Well-known member
I've got a collection of the brass ones, and as typical with garden houses they can dribble a little. I can reccomend them but can't tell you a brand name. But over the years I've added to my originals and they appeared to be the same standing in the store and remarkably I've never had any new ones NOT fit what I had (from well over 10 years +).
This tells me that there's only one company making these or that there's actually a standard just like in air hose qc's.
This tells me that there's only one company making these or that there's actually a standard just like in air hose qc's.
I get them from Walmart, Lowes, HD. Like others mentioned, there appears to be a standard as they interchange. Seems like I have more issues with the hoses leaking over time where the metal end is crimped on. Or the rubber washer needs to be replaced. I haven’t had a lot of issues with the cheapie quick connects.
couch67
Well-known member
my favourite has been from lee valley - all brass and haven't leaked with many years of use. I'd recommend their brand.
16again
Well-known member
Buy once, cry once. Best out there!Garden Hose Quick Connect Sets
Commercial-duty drinking water-safe brass construction. Quickly attach-detach hose and watering tools. 10-YEAR warranty. Highest-rated. Midwest family-owned.
Those Eleys are big! I use these:
And I get them here:
And I get them here:LeeG
Well-known member
I’ve tried a few. So far the Eley’s are the best. They require very little effort to switch hoses or ends.
Natty Bumppo
Well-known member
I buy the ones I can find locally at Tractor Supply or HD. They are cheap. But it seems like invariably I have to replace them every few years. I am tempted to try the ones from Eley this spring.
roc_on_the_rocks
Well-known member
Same. Mine are bronze colored aluminum, they'll eventually corrode but they're cheap.
Two Speed
Well-known member
I've used the basic plastic gardena ones for decades. Yes, the quick couplers are missing peices due to dropping them, but they still do what they are supposed to do. Change orings every couple of years (normal off the shelf size) works for me.
LS6 Tommy
Well-known member
I have hose reels and don't take my leaders off my hydrants, but Dramm 740's are really nice.
Tommy
Tommy
Milton Shaw
Well-known member
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- Feb 11, 2011
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Ace hardware around here carries an all brass set with wall quick coupler, hose end with shutoff and several extra ******* for hand attachments . About $20-25 and great. All brass, no plastic and with rubber washers. I have had several and keep an extra one around. The quick connect at the wall makes it easy to disconnect hose to keep the wall freezeproof faucet draining and working. The O ring inside is a #115 in my assortment so it's easy to find at hardware stores. I use mine with pressure washer as it gives me a cutoff at the washer to use in changing wands.
BombShelter
Well-known member
I use the Yard Works from Menards but I might try some of the more heavy-duty ones listed above.
The Yard Works are inexpensive, sometimes the female coupling needs some muscle to get the male part in. It's easy to forget you have pressure and you spray water everywhere when your connecting the two. The internal flap seal will fail over time, especially in cold conditions but I beat on mine pretty hard and have a bunch of spares so I'm not worried if they do break.
These do restrict the flow, some of the other heavy duty models look like they will work up to 3/4" which is nice if you like the larger garden hose like I do. The Elray looks like it doesn't have a built in flap-valve so you'd want to add in a valve. I move hoses between different pieces of equipment, it's nice to have a valve or shut off at the end of the hose so your not walking back to the bibb everytime.
The Yard Works are inexpensive, sometimes the female coupling needs some muscle to get the male part in. It's easy to forget you have pressure and you spray water everywhere when your connecting the two. The internal flap seal will fail over time, especially in cold conditions but I beat on mine pretty hard and have a bunch of spares so I'm not worried if they do break.
These do restrict the flow, some of the other heavy duty models look like they will work up to 3/4" which is nice if you like the larger garden hose like I do. The Elray looks like it doesn't have a built in flap-valve so you'd want to add in a valve. I move hoses between different pieces of equipment, it's nice to have a valve or shut off at the end of the hose so your not walking back to the bibb everytime.
OOOooo this is cool. purchased! thanksGarden Hose Quick Connect Sets
Commercial-duty drinking water-safe brass construction. Quickly attach-detach hose and watering tools. 10-YEAR warranty. Highest-rated. Midwest family-owned.
Another vote for eley. They are expensive no doubt but it will save you money in the long run. More importantly It will save you from the aggravation of subpar quick disconnects. Everything I have purchased from them has exceeded my expectations. The only con is the heft.
I will say when I bought mine I am pretty sure they manufactured their stuff in the USA and I believe that may not be 100% the case anymore which is understandable but still a bit disappointing. Knowing the company ethos I would be extremely surprised if this change caused any reduction in quality though.
I will say when I bought mine I am pretty sure they manufactured their stuff in the USA and I believe that may not be 100% the case anymore which is understandable but still a bit disappointing. Knowing the company ethos I would be extremely surprised if this change caused any reduction in quality though.
scooby074
Well-known member
Another vote for Lee Valley. I think they are actually made by Gilmour. Work great and you can actually replace the seals if necessary.
CSRPenFab
Well-known member
So true! The Eley quick connects are damn near bulletproof and built like a brick sh*t house. Buy once, cry once. Zero complaints on my Eley hose reels, poly hose, and the connects.Garden Hose Quick Connect Sets
Commercial-duty drinking water-safe brass construction. Quickly attach-detach hose and watering tools. 10-YEAR warranty. Highest-rated. Midwest family-owned.
rlitman
Well-known member
This thread got me thinking about what's wrong with my HF brass connectors. They're well priced, pretty much indestructible, and cross-compatible with most of the similar brass ones on the market, so parts availability isn't an issue. The seal doesn't last more than a season, but it's cheaply replaced.
The down-side is that the three locking balls allow the male end to move quite a bit (which can cause leaking), plus less balls means more wear and tear on the male end. But while looking it over, I realized that adding more balls wouldn't be all that difficult. Disassemble, clamp the part in a vise with one hole facing up, use drill press through that hole to add a hole on the opposite side, open new hole with tapered reamer to match size of neighbors, use drill bit in pin vise to counterbore the new hole to allow the ball to float; repeat.
Adding three more balls took all of 10 minutes. I couldn't be sure that the 4mm ball bearings I found online were stainless, so I went with ceramic.
The down-side is that the three locking balls allow the male end to move quite a bit (which can cause leaking), plus less balls means more wear and tear on the male end. But while looking it over, I realized that adding more balls wouldn't be all that difficult. Disassemble, clamp the part in a vise with one hole facing up, use drill press through that hole to add a hole on the opposite side, open new hole with tapered reamer to match size of neighbors, use drill bit in pin vise to counterbore the new hole to allow the ball to float; repeat.
Adding three more balls took all of 10 minutes. I couldn't be sure that the 4mm ball bearings I found online were stainless, so I went with ceramic.
I googled for this within GJ a few years ago and found some old threads where people recommended A.M. Leonard, and said "pay once, cry once." They look a lot like the Eleys and some other good ones here. I'm happy with them. The other good advice I got was to lube the O-rings with NAPA Silglyde or the like.
Prices aren't so bad but the shipping adds up. So order more pieces than you think you need right now, because if you decide you want one more female barb next year...
www.amleo.com
Prices aren't so bad but the shipping adds up. So order more pieces than you think you need right now, because if you decide you want one more female barb next year...
Leonard Quick Coupler Hose Connector Brass Female
Quick and convenient attachment!The convenience of quick attachment, without the water restriction of small ID couplers. Heavy-duty solid brass male and female couplers have standard hose threads. Inside diameter is 5/8".
www.amleo.com
So once again, for a fair price, HF will sell you a kit that you complete! I first noticed this when somebody reviewed one of their drill press vises and said it was fine, all you had to do was file this, smooth that, Loctite this, find better bolts, grease these at these three points, and I thought, "Or I could buy the Wilton?"
But it does sound fairly easy, and you did say 10 minutes.
Time, money, skills, usual projects. The usual juggling act!
rlitman
Well-known member
Except that those AM Leonard (a genuine top shelf company I have only the highest praise for) couplers also only have three locking balls. I've had similar issues with R134a connectors, where 4-ball versions were unreliable, so I spent extra to get a set that had 5 and 6 (the smaller side only got 5). Had this come with 4, I'd have had no easy recourse since each hole is already opposite another, but with only three it was super easy to locate the three additional holes opposite the first three.
Really, these brass couplers come in three popular flavors. There's the auto-shutoff type that requires gorilla strength to connect (plus the moving insert can get jammed and ruin the whole thing), there's this style where the washer has an integral seal, and there's the Eley style with the external o-ring seal. These washer/seals are prone to splitting, but they're cheap and easy to change. Plus I wonder if the extra balls will lengthen their lifetimes. I guess I'll know more by the end of this summer.
Anyway, the hard part was the counterbore. It's just a couple of turns of the bit away from exiting the interior end (brass drills easily and quickly), and once that happens the ball falls through and the magic is gone. That's why I did that part by hand.
I bought the Gorilla ones on Amazon and was surprised that they have the opposite "polarity" as all the others I have in my collection.
kaymccampbell
Well-known member
Can't help you here. I have the Gilmour plastic ones. Some of mine are 20 years old.
The orbit found at Fleet Farm and many other locations.
Solid brass, three balls, internal oring……..$7.00
Just keep them reasonably clean, no quick connect likes sand or dirt on the matting surfaces.
After years of use:
Solid brass, three balls, internal oring……..$7.00
Just keep them reasonably clean, no quick connect likes sand or dirt on the matting surfaces.
After years of use:
Resurrecting an old thread here because I'm looking for full-flow, all brass quick connectors that will last many years. It seems out of all the made in USA ones (like Eley and Dramm), Lee Valley has the best price on these at $14.50 per pair and free shipping if you spend $40. Much less expensive than the Eley and Dramm quick connectors. But wondering if the LV ones are full-flow or are the openings in the middle smaller than the inside hose diameter? They don't say in the product description and can't tell from the photos. Also, do you still recommend them a year later?Another vote for Lee Valley. I think they are actually made by Gilmour. Work great and you can actually replace the seals if necessary.
Gardena Quick connects
Full metal sets
I've been using these for years, buy the metal ones though, the plastic ones last for 2-3 years and get brittle. The nice thing about their quick connects, is that the one connecter stops water flow, making for easy connector changes.
Full metal sets
I've been using these for years, buy the metal ones though, the plastic ones last for 2-3 years and get brittle. The nice thing about their quick connects, is that the one connecter stops water flow, making for easy connector changes.
boyleged
Well-known member
Im almost to the 4 year mark on these Amazon quick connects from PLG. No complaints
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IDHCL58/?tag=atomicindus08-20
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01IDHCL58/?tag=atomicindus08-20
couch67
Well-known member
The LV ones have a 1/2" ID at its smallest point which is the male connector. I have a few of them in use now for I'm guessing 4 or 5 years - light use mind you, but still not leaking and no washer replacements.
scooby074
Well-known member
The LV ones are made by Gilmour (I think). They are essentially full flow. Much larger than the Gardinas. If I was to guess, Id say the "male" side is 3/8 or 1/2" ID. There is no stop to interfere like some of the Gardina models. Ive never noticed reduced flow using the LV connectors.
Ive been using these connectors probably 15 yrs. Highly recommend. If you get a leak from the gasket wearing out, you can buy replacement gaskets for a couple bucks. Ive yet to need to buy gaskets in all these years!
I'm curious... are the seals a washer or o-ring on the female end, and where have you been able to find the replacements?Another vote for Lee Valley. I think they are actually made by Gilmour. Work great and you can actually replace the seals if necessary.
rlitman
Well-known member
Neither. The o-ring style has the seal on the male end. The all brass male type (also sold by Harbor Freight) as pictured above uses a 3D seal with a wiper element. I buy 20-pack replacements at a time, and change them annually: