The Steps to Making Your Own DIY Hose Reel

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Every gardener can tell you how important it is to have a good hose. It is essential for gardens, no matter how big or small, to have easy access to water. A hose is the easiest and most economical way to water your garden. When you are done watering your garden it is important to put your hose away properly. Although there are many ways to store a garden hose, the most popular is the hose reel. This article will go over the materials and steps needed to design your own DIY hose reel. 

What Is a Hose Reel?

A hose reel is simply a structure that you can use to coil your hose around. Winding a hose around your hose reel keeps it safe from the elements. This will keep your hose in top working condition, by avoiding damage from keeping your hose in a bunched up mess. Not only is a hose reel helpful it often can be used as a design element in your garden. It can also save your lawn from unsightly dead spots that may appear if your hose is left sitting out.

You can purchase your hose reel at any home store. They range in price from $30-$200 depending on what material it is made out of. While purchasing a hose reel is an option, many home gardeners are opting to make their own DIY hose reel. 

Basic Steps for Building a DIY Hose Reel

The first step needed to make your own DIY hose reel is to decide what kind of DIY hose reel you would like to make. There are quite a few types of hose reels you could make.  Stationary hose reels, mobile hose reels, hose reel carts, or a hideaway hose reel.

Stationary Hose Reel

Like the name suggests, a stationary hose reel can not move. This makes stationary DIY hose reels the easiest to construct. They can be wall mounted or stand on a base, and typically involve a manual crank that spins to wind up the hose. Make sure to plan your stationary DIY hose reel around a spigot so you will have easy access to water.

Mobile Hose Reel

A mobile DIY hose reel is built similarly to a stationary hose reel, but is made to be moved around your yard. The biggest difference is that this type of DIY hose reel usually has wheels or a carry handle. This helps it to easily be pushed or carried around a yard or garden.

Hose Reel Carts

A DIY hose reel cart is essentially a mobile hose reel built on a horizontal surface. This could be a table or cart. These can be helpful if you will also be toting lots of specialty hose attachments or other garden tools around when you are doing your watering.

Hideaway Hose Reel

Hideaway hose reels are another easy DIY option. These are used to decoratively cover your existing stationary hose reel to make decorative. They can be made of simple wood structure, although some are made with more intricate lattice designs.

Helpful Tools for Building a Hose Reel

Once you have decided the type of DIY hose reel you would like to create, your next step is to gather your tools. Here are some basic tools you will probably need for your DIY hose reel project: a power drill, hammer, saw, measuring tape, level, and sandpaper.

After you have gathered helpful tools you can begin to assemble your DIY hose reel. There are many different plans for hose reels online. There are lots of free downloadable plans for you to follow. Here are the basic parts and assembly steps required in most plans

Build a Spindle

A large wooden wire spool is an easy spindle for a DIY hose reel. You can find them relatively cheap on craigslist, or used from your local utility company. If you can’t get your hands on a cheap used wooden wire spool, you can usually find them at most hardware stores for a little more money. Your basic wooden wire spindle is about 20-25 inches in diameter which is more than enough to coil a 25-50 foot hose. If you have a longer hose you should use a 36 inch wooden wire spool.

If a large wooden wire spool isn’t available you can create your own spindle using plywood and a PVC pipe. 

Build a Frame

Depending on what kind of DIY hose reel you are building, stationary or mobile, you will need to buy treated lumber. The plans you chose to follow will determine how much lumber you will need to purchase. You can use treated lumber to build a supporting frame to hold the wooden wire spool. The frame can be as simple as two “X”es on the sides of the spindle to keep it off the ground. 

Attach Rebar

Rebar is useful for building a DIY hose reel. Measure the diameter of your rebar and find a drill bit slightly larger to drill holes into your lumber base. Thread the rebar through those holes and through the center of your wooden spool. This will allow the spool to spin easily.

Create a Handle

A simple wood dowel and wood screws will attach to your wooden wire spool to make a handle.

Paint

The final touches of building your DIY hose reel are the paint or stain your wood. You may also want to consider weather proofing your DIY hose reel so that rain water or sprinklers do not cause it to splinter or the paint to flake. If you are creating a mobile DIY hose reel, you would want to find a way to attach large rubber wheels to your base. 

Connect to Water Source

Once the paint has dried you can attach your hose. Connect it to the spigot, making sure you leave enough slack so it can easily spin while staying attached to the faucet. You can use C-clamps to attach the water hose to your spindle so that it can be coiled and uncoiled without coming off the spindle

Other Storage Options

Although building your DIY hose reel may seem like a lot of effort, it can be done on a budget, and can be completed within just a few short hours! However, if building a DIY hose reel isn’t in your budget or schedule, there are other ways to store a garden hose. It can be as simple as draping your garden hose over a hook. Some options provide more discreet storage, such as using a large storage bench or a ceramic pot. The downside to using these methods of storage is that the hose can get easily tangled when not neatly coiled

In Conclusion

DIY hose reels can add a stylish touch to any backyard garden. They can be easily built with a few basic tools and some sturdy supplies. Using a hose reel to store your garden hose will keep it working in excellent condition. This DIY project is a fun and easy way to spend some time outdoors.

Related Article: Best Garden Hose Reel: Top 10 Reviewed and Our Pick

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