Neil 14 Report post Posted May 20, 2012 (edited) Hey :) Sorry , I confess I haven't posted in like a year. Maybe I'd hang around more and contribute , but I doubt I would know very many answers to posted questions. I think I'd be one just asking all kinds of questions. But we all start somewhere right? :) Anyway, I am finally getting around to upgrading my gear from a prosumer level PW I bought from Costco to a nice 5.5 gpm , 4K one from Pressure Pro. ( cold water for flat work-surface cleaning) It is not portable It is the type that has a kind of role cage around it that is also used to mount things to. I just mention that because to my delight, this machine can fit very nicely in my Chevy van either side to side or just taking up the side double door area with all the controls and so on facing out when the doors are open. so, if this machine is facing out like I just described, I think it will work out OK to mount a couple of hose reels to the top of this cage structure. And, I am debating with myself about whether I am willing to shell out the high prices for electric ones or just go with hand crank for now and upgrade later. Electric ones seem to be in the 500 - 1000 dollar range each ! So, how well do these electric hose reels work? And might it be a good idea to go cheap now and just keep an eye out for used electric hose reels ? Or do guys just wear them out? And are these things reliable? What kind of life span do they have? If you don't think electric is worth the cost, is there a make of hand crank hose reel you think is worth it? Thanks so much for helping me out. I promise I searched quite a bit before posting this :) Edited May 20, 2012 by Neil Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
John T 744 Report post Posted May 20, 2012 Hey Neal I would look for a hand crank stainless steel hose reel because they won't rust. The electric hose reals which I never owned one so I'm only guessing here but if there always out in the weather I would be leery of them always working right and there pretty expensive. I would look to go to one of the distributors here and see what type of non rusting hose real they sell. Good luck. 1 cleanhoods reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Christopher 102 Report post Posted May 20, 2012 I have a hannay electric hose reel that has always been outside, in the rain and in the sun and has held up great, especially since I bought it used about 4 or 5 years ago. The hannay brand is about the best there is out there whether electric or with the handle, their quality is great and it is a great product. There are other brands out there like Cox that offer electric but I have not owned that brand. Hannay is a little bit more expensive for the manual reel and a lot more expensive for the electric when compared to other brands but I know some guys that have the manual versions for over 15 years and just the regular maintenance replacement items like swivels that need to be changed out like on all other brands but no serious issues like frame integrity over that time period. I have purchased the cheap hose reels from the discount suppliers that are made in china and within a couple months the paint is flaking off, the locking-pin holes get worn out and get large so the reel moves more and more and the locking pin gets stuck in the sleeve due to rust. The brass swivels don't last long and need to be replaced as the rebuild kits for the cheap swivels don't always match up or are hard to find or the rebuilds don't last long. The bottom line is you get what you pay for. Good luck. 1 zapp reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Alexy 85 Report post Posted May 20, 2012 Hannay is a great reel. It will last many years. I have 2 1500 series reels that have seen constant use for 7 years with NO issues at all , nothing at all. That being said might not want to mount the reels over your unit. if they leak they will drain on your pressure washer also if you need to do maintinance or repair your pressure washer you have to deal with the reels. I would suggest you seperate the reels from the pressure washer. That way you have access to your machine and if you need to take it out of service you can disconnect the supply water and the pressure hose with a disconnect and keep going. 1 zapp reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleanhoods 43 Report post Posted May 20, 2012 I have a Cox hand crank reel that retired after being 15 years in service...actually i can put a new swivel on it and weld the handle back on and it will go on but went back to hand rolling. May fix it one day. Marko Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Neil 14 Report post Posted May 21, 2012 Hey, I appreciate the responses guys. Two of you mentioned the Hannay brand which I find interesting, especially Alexy's comment that in 7 years there have been no issues , wow :) I will do some research on that brand tomorrow. I don't mind paying more if the quality deserves the higher price. No, my reels will be mounted inside my van, all the gear will be. So it won't be out in the weather at all . But I do think it sounds like a good plan to keep the reels to one side of the PW - I guess stack them Again, I appreciate the insights from experienced guys- cheers :) Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apple Roof Cleaning 202 Report post Posted March 8, 2014 I have tried 3 electric hose reels for roof cleaning, and every one of them failed soon. In fact, hose reels themselves soon fail, when faced with the roof cleaning chemicals. We eliminated hose reels nearly 5 years ago, and never looked back. But then, we are roof cleaners, not pressure washers. We don't pull and reel up our hoses 10 times a day! Hose Reels restrict flow, unless they have large internal manifolds, and they rob pressure. Not a big deal with a PW, but it can be a big deal with a low pressure roof cleaning pump. SH is both a liquid and a Gas, and the fumes are very corrosive. Once these fumes find their way into your electric motor, bye bye electric hose reel. In a SH delivery system, the LESS connections you have, the better! Less to fail, less chance of leaks. 2 John T and cleanhoods reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleanhoods 43 Report post Posted March 9, 2014 I found since i posted last that hand rolling your hoses works well for me. Less stress on the hoses and unless" i "break down i can reel in hoses for a long time,lol. I can roll my hoses up pretty quick now. But heck like apple said i dont pull my hoses out a bunch mainly one time a night. One thing about hand rolling there is no maintenance on a rell if you dont have one, no orings,bearings or bushings or having to pull the tools to remove your hose for repair. It just seems to work best for me actually. Marko Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Apple Roof Cleaning 202 Report post Posted March 9, 2014 I found since i posted last that hand rolling your hoses works well for me. Less stress on the hoses and unless" i "break down i can reel in hoses for a long time,lol. I can roll my hoses up pretty quick now. But heck like apple said i dont pull my hoses out a bunch mainly one time a night. One thing about hand rolling there is no maintenance on a rell if you dont have one, no orings,bearings or bushings or having to pull the tools to remove your hose for repair. It just seems to work best for me actually. Marko Thanks for posting Marko! I wish more people who do not want or use hose reels would "Come Out Of The Closet". My company cleans more roofs here in the Tampa area then anyone I know, and we have been w/o hose reels for over 5 years now, and never looked back! You will never see a hose reel on any of my roof cleaning trucks, ever again. 1 cleanhoods reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
cleanhoods 43 Report post Posted March 9, 2014 Your welcome Apple, honestly i thought i would be the only one too lol. These days business' goes for the "easy way" but in all reality the easy way is harder in the long run considering cost and headache to maintain,purchase,and the time lost relying on them. Marko Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Beth n Rod 1,279 Report post Posted March 20, 2014 When we first started out, I used to just hand roll all my hoses. But then again, I used to carry them from the front to the rear and back of each house/townhouse configuration we did. KILLED my back! Never got into the electric reels. Bought my first one in 2000, 200' Rapid Reel and it is still in service to this day. In 2004, bought a 3 stack by hosetract and it is still in use as well. When it comes to this topic, I think it is going to come down to: How much hose do you use on a regular basis? 50' ? hand roll...easy-hand roll! 100'? hand roll or reel? 200'? Yeah, you bet a reel! Rod 1 cleanhoods reacted to this Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
