Garden Hoses

But that's where the similarities stop. There are great hoses and not-so-great hoses. So by all means, buy a great hose, says master gardener Paul James.

"I'm not trying to be a hose snob," he says, "but cheap hoses get kinks in them, are next to impossible to coil neatly, tend to stiffen and crack in cold weather and are far more likely to burst under pressure. They also come with cheap fittings, which tend to leak and are easily crushed."

Good-quality hoses rarely kink, crack or burst. They stay flexible in the cold and come with heavy-duty fittings. A good-quality 50-foot hose costs somewhere in the neighborhood of $25 to $30, which isn't bad considering that it can last as many years if properly cared for. Here are some tips for taking care of them:

It also pays to drain hoses before freezing temperatures arrive, as water freezing in the hose can cause cracks. Likewise, it's a good idea to disconnect a hose from the faucet when freezes threaten because a serious water leak in or under the house might occur.

It's easy to change leaky fittings. One simple version, which costs a couple of dollars, is a pressure fitting that includes a lock nut, a squeeze collar and a connector shaft (figure D). Check out the video below to see how to install this fitting and make other handy hose repairs.

If your hose springs a leak somewhere along its length, you can buy hose menders which are installed the same way you replace fittings. One type of hose mender uses a pressure coupler (figure E), and another a screw-type mender (figure F).

If the hose has several holes in it, turn it into a sprinkler hose by punching more holes (about six inches apart) along its length with a nail or ice pick and laying it in the lawn or garden. Or salvage a six- to eight-foot length of hose, install new fittings at one or both ends, and you've got a handy little hose that's ideal for filling watering cans or washing off feet.

Two more quick tips: If the hose gets too stiff to coil as a result of being left out in the cold, stretch it out on a sunny day and in no time it should be flexible. If the hose gets tangled, detach it from the faucet, grab one end, and start flipping and turning it until all the tangles are gone.