Gilmour Watering Gear – FirstLook / FirstUse
Tested Tough
Long-time readers know that the RainyDayGarden policy is to water as little as possible. This is because, by watering only when absolutely necessary, we help promote deep root growth. Also, we don’t have time to deal with “fussy” perennials in our garden 🙂 We have always used the “we don’t water often enough” excuse to justify buying inexpensive nozzles and hoses. The problem with that approach is the hoses tend to kink, the nozzles tend to leak, and things generally only last a few seasons. Still, we put up with them because “we don’t water that often.”
This year, the interns made a reasonable argument that, BECAUSE we don’t water a lot, when we do we should be using the best gear we can find. Firstly their argument went, everyone would enjoy the task more. Secondly, we would not have to replace things as often. As it was their idea, the interns were tasked with researching the new gear. They came back recommending that we give the hoses and nozzles from Gilmour a closer look.
Gilmour Watering Gear
- Heavy Duty Classic Fireman’s Nozzle
- Heavy Duty Thumb Control Cleaning Nozzle
- Flexogen® Pro Hose
Robert Gilmour began Gilmour Manufacturing Company over sixty years ago in the U.S. with the introduction of the first pistol grip nozzle. Gilmour is headquartered in Wisconsin but make their own hoses at a plant in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The plant runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, turning out 190 million feet of hose per year. It is safe to say, they know what they are doing around a garden 🙂
Nozzles
We got two different style of nozzles, a watering nozzle and a cleaning nozzle. While different in their intended uses, they both have the following features:
- Comfortable, ergonomic design
- Heavy-duty, die-cast zinc construction
- Stainless steel coupling
Classic Fireman’s Nozzle (watering)
- 250 PSI to weather high water pressure
- Large on/off lever with front spray control
- Rotatable head alters spray from jet to light rinse
Thumb Control Nozzle (cleaning)
- Stainless steel front lip
- All-in-one thumb control
Flexogen Pro Hose
Gilmour is headquartered in Wisconsin and make their own hoses at their plant in Excelsior Springs, Missouri. The plant runs 24 hours a day, five days a week, turning out 190 million feet of hose per year.
The interns chose the Flexogen® hose because is supposed to be the strongest and lightest hose in its class. It has a patented 8-layer design with a reinforced core. The hose will perform without kinking, connect without leaking, and should hold up season after season. We’ll report back in a few years if the claims are true!
- 600PSI burst strength
- Enhanced foam layers makes it lightweight
- Patented 8-layer construction with reinforced core
- Crush-resistant and corrosion-resistant brass connections
- Stainless steel spring prevents kinking at the spigot
- Made in the U.S.A. and backed by a lifetime warranty
Our current hose was a nightmare to coil up and the nozzle had been broken since last Spring. As we said earlier, we put up with it only because we don’t water that much. Having the old and the new side by side, it was easy to tell by the feel that the Gilmour nozzle and hose were made with far superior materials than our current gear.
Unlike our previous nozzle, the Gilmore units have die-cast zinc construction which should stand up to rough use. The stainless steel coupling will withstand corrosion for a more durable connection that won’t leak or fuse to the hose. Everything mated together easily. The fit of the hose to the nozzle and the spigot were tight and, as we expected…no drips.
Moving the handle adjusted the rate of flow, and turning the large rubber-coated front knob adjusted the pattern of the spray. The large Fireman Nozzle was comfortable to handle during both the stream and wide spray extremes.
We are very happy with our choice of Gilmour gear for the RainyDayGarden. The items are ergonomically designed, well-made with quality materials, and manufactured in the USA. Also, they are backed with a lifetime warranty. And that’s a trifecta-plus-one!
Links to items mentioned:
Leave a comment