 Buy a Rapid Reel instead! |
| Review Date: May 8, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Cleveland Hts Ed, Cleveland Hts OH USA |
| The Suncast TWM200 is an inferior product in all respects. I purchased this same model locally last summer and it did not last a full year before its plastic parts began to loosen up and, worse, leak like crazy. By leak, I mean the water pressure would force the parts to loosen up so water would gush out from the seal. There was no way to fix it. Yes, I used it with a high quality rubber hose that surely weighs more than cheaper plastic hoses, but that should not be an issue for a quality hose reel product. I had been reasonably satisfied with earlier Suncast wall mount models but those were of a higher quality. This most recent design is terrible. So, I spent more and purchasd an all metal Rapid Reel and have been totally impressed with the high quality of the materials and components. They even supply all the tools needed to install and assemble it except for the drill bit and electric drill. The instuctions were easy to understand. Other reviews seem to echo similar sentiments. Do yourself a favor-- spend a bit more and I think you will be pleased. |
The Plastic Turned Brittle in 12 months
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| Review Date: April 4, 2010 |
| Reviewer: R. Debelen, CA United States |
| I guess this product is not made to withstand direct sunlight. My unit turned brittle after 12 months of use and the right wheel's mechanical parts fell apart. |
Cheap junk
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| Review Date: March 28, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Gary R. Webber, |
I bought this to use in my back yard. After 6 months the rotating seal would pop out every time I turned on the water and then walked somewhere reeling out the hose and nozzle to sprinkle my plants. To not have the supply hose pop off and geyser water I had to first stretch out the hose to the location I wanted to water, then walk back and turn on the water faucet and then walk back to the nozzle and use it. A pain. The water pressure from the faucet isn't high at all. I tried screwing in the rotating seal plate, which kept it from blowing off, but then the entire hose reel would pop off the supply connector and squirt water everywhere.
Conclusion: bad design, cheap plastic parts that warp and won't seal and operate under use. |
Flimsiest piece of junk ever purchased at Home Depot
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| Review Date: November 5, 2009 |
| Reviewer: John L. Mchugh, San Antonio, TX |
This was easily the poorest quality item I have ever purchased at Home Depot - and that is saying something. I should have known what I was getting myself into when I noticed that almost all of the boxes on the shelf holding this item had already been opened [a sign that they had possibly been purchased and returned]. I ignored this warning and found an unopened box and purchased it.
My second clue should have been when I got home and opened the box, only to discover several pieces of flimsy plastic requiring assembly following a poorly-worded instruction booklet. It wasn't exactly rocket science to assemble, but neither did the flimsiness improve once assembly was complete.
Finally, I was given yet a third sign that this was not a top-shelf item when it did not provide instructions or screws for mounting to a brick/masonry wall. The instruction booklet simply said that the screws provided were for wood or siding mount, and for masonry, to consult with your local hardware store. When consulted, the Home Depot professional advised that the task required a pack of masonry screws ($10 - or 25% of the cost of the original hose reel) and a 5/32 masonry drill bit (thank goodness I already owned one). Foolishly optimistic, I purchased the masonry screws and continued the installation process.
When mounted to the wall, there is no way to tighten the screws holding the reel (the reel housing covers the screws), and as a result, when cranked, the whole assembly would jump up and down.
Despite all of the above setbacks, I was resigned to my purchase, until I discovered that, far from holding the 250' of hose as described on the box, it held 100' feet comfortably, and one could squeeze another 50' on with a careful and exact reeling method.
Well, that was the last straw, and I am making yet a third trip to Home Depot to return this item where it can rejoin its opened-and-returned brethren on the shelf.
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Mixed opinion, basically positive
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| Review Date: October 7, 2009 |
| Reviewer: M. Fred, Polk City, FL |
I bought this to replace an Ames unit that suddenly fell off the wall. Still don't know why, but the sides were torn as though a giant had ripped them apart. No sign if it being hit by anything, and a vandal would certainly choose another target, I would think.
Back to the Suncast. First, take some time to decide how you want to place it relative to the hose bib that will supply it. It is designed to be fed from the left, which didn't work for me. But you can assemble the unit in reverse, so the supply is on the right side. The hose will then feed into the reel on the bottom side of the reel, rather than the top, but it works OK. Also, the crank will then be on the left, but if you're left-handed, you may want the crank on the left anyway. Finally, make sure the reel is neither too close nor too far away from the hose bib, so the supply hose won't kink. A right-angle adapter for either the reel or the bib would give more flexibility in mounting location.
The next concern is mounting it on the wall. They've cleverly designed it so that once mounted, you can't reach the upper screws with a tool to tighten them. However, when the reel is pushed down onto the mounting bolts, a ramp built into the casting will tighten up against the shoulder of the screw. So, for best security, tighten the screws gradually, and see how hard it is to press the reel down onto them. If it's too easy, it will be a flimsy installation. The lower screws can be reached with a 5/16 box wrench OK, so leave them a little loose to start, and tighten them down after firmly seating on the upper screws.
So far, it's worked well for almost 4 days, so I can't yet comment on its durability. It does seem flimsy compared to the (more expensive) Ames unit, but a sturdy appearance didn't help that one much. For Reel 2.0, I'd recommend to Suncast that they a) make it ambidextrous, b) make the mounting screws accessible, so they could be retightened as they loosen over time, and c) supply a right-angle adapter for the inlet. |
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