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How to use a hose reel cart

Updated: 22 October 2026

The flat pack is on the patio, or the reel you own has soaked you, walked off, or jammed the guide. How to use a hose reel cart, for the models in this comparison, is a sequence: set the handle before any clip locks, pressurise slowly, wind without forcing a full drum, and drain the hose before frost. If the hose will not fit, the table is on the [3/4 inch hose reel capacity](/hub/garden-watering/3-4-inch-hose-reel-cart/sub/3-4-inch-hose-reel-cart-capacity) page. The [3/4 inch hose reel cart comparison](/hub/garden-watering/3-4-inch-hose-reel-cart) is the product table if you still need to choose. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The flat pack is on the patio, or the reel you own has soaked you, walked off, or jammed the guide.

Our top picks

Draper Draper 25068 45 m hose reel cart

Best overall

Draper Draper 25068 45 m hose reel cart
7.9/10about £22.98
View offer
Relaxdays Relaxdays XL 60 m hose trolley

Alternative

Relaxdays Relaxdays XL 60 m hose trolley
7.7/10about £80.90
View offer
Draper Draper 25060 45 m hose reel cart

Best value

Draper Draper 25060 45 m hose reel cart
7.5/10about £31.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Assemble it before any clip locks
  2. 2.Connect the tap and deal with the first leak
  3. 3.Wind without breaking the crank
  4. 4.Drain it, and know when to stop

Assemble it before any clip locks

Open the carton and expect a picture sheet. On the Draper 25068 the handle can go left or right, and the clips do not undo, so the side you choose is the side you keep. Dry-fit the handle before the last clip. If a screw is missing, stop. None of the six listings includes the garden hose. If the last metres will not sit inside the drum, stop rather than crushing them on with the crank. The hose reel cart buying guide is the checklist if you have not bought yet.

Connect the tap and deal with the first leak

Put a washer in every threaded joint before you open the tap. Draper buyers describe getting soaked until the joints were tightened. Open the tap part way, then open it fully. If water sprays at a short hose joint, Hozelock’s UK FAQ treats that joint as a replaceable connector in two BSP sizes. That spare is not a Draper or Relaxdays part number. Both Draper listings say flow-through, so the supply can stay on while you pull hose. Reviews of the Relaxdays cart say the inlet is fixed. Unreel, connect the tap, water, disconnect, then wind.
Draper Draper 25068 45 m hose reel cart

Testsieger

Draper Draper 25068 45 m hose reel cart
7.9/10about £22.98
View offer

Wind without breaking the crank

Stand on a light reel. The Draper carts are 1.37 kg and 1.9 kg, and reviews say they walk unless your foot is on the base. Use the Gardena fold-out foot. If the guide binds, stop and pull a few metres off by hand. A 50 m hose often will not wind onto the Draper 25060’s 45 m claim.

Drain it, and know when to stop

Empty the hose before a frost. Disconnect the tap and drain at a low point. Gardena’s frost-resistant line is a material claim, not permission to store the trolley full of water. Water Regs UK says the double check valve should sit indoors. A temporary use ban is a reason to stop using the hosepipe. Ofwat says a breach can mean a fine of up to £1,000. Call a plumber if the tap has no indoor double check valve and you will not fit one.

Common questions

Which way should the handle go before you clip it?
On the Draper 25068, choose the side you will stand on before the clips lock, because reviewers say those clips do not undo. Stand where you will crank, with the hose leaving the drum towards the garden, and fit the handle on that side. Dry-fit and turn the drum by hand once if you are unsure. Set the handle before the last fixings on a Gardena or Relaxdays build as well.
Why did water spray out the first time you opened the tap?
Draper reviews describe a soak until the joints were tightened. A missing washer or a seal that has not seated will do that. Shut the tap, fit or reseat the washer, and open the tap slowly. If the spray is at a short connector on a Hozelock-style reel, their FAQ points to a replacement connector in two BSP sizes. Do not treat a US swivel strip-down as the method for these UK listings.
Why does the cart walk away while you crank?
The light plastic reels weigh about 1.4–1.9 kg, and the hose pull is enough to drag them. Put a foot on the base, or fix a wall reel with the correct brackets. Use the Gardena fold-out foot if that is the trolley you have. A heavier metal frame walks less. It does not remove the need to stand the cart before you wind.
What if the hose guide will not take the last metres?
Stop cranking. Gardena reviews describe a jam near a full 100 m of half-inch hose, around 90 m, and a broken handle when the wind was forced. Pull hose back by hand and relay the coils. If the hose is longer or thicker than the drum, the capacity page is the next read, not a stronger arm on the crank.
Can you leave the cart outside in winter?
You can leave an empty cart outside if you accept weathering, and you should not leave it full of water. Drain the hose before frost. A frost-resistant material line does not mean stored water is safe. The double check valve belongs indoors, where it will not freeze, which is a tap fitting rather than a cart feature.
What if the reel only spins when the tap hose is off?
That matches reviews of the Relaxdays trolley: the inlet is fixed, so the drum does not freewheel while the supply hose stays on. Disconnect, then wind. A Draper listing that says flow-through should spin with the supply connected. If that reel is locked, look for a hose trapped in the guide or an overfull drum before you assume the axle has failed.
When should you stop and use a spare part or a plumber?
Fit a new washer first. If the swivel still leaks, use the maker’s spare rather than a workshop improvisation. Call a plumber or the water supplier when the tap has no indoor double check valve and you will not fit one, or when you are adding a pump, a soaker, or a non-household supply. A missing fixing in a new box is a return, not a homemade repair.

Related pages

Best 3/4 inch hose reel cart

Metal or plastic hose reel cart

3/4 inch hose reel cart

Hose reel cart buying guide: bore, feed and wheels

3/4 inch hose reel capacity by bore, not the title

Sources

Maker capacity tables, Water Regs UK, Ofwat and the England and Wales fittings rules. Listing prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk lines saved on 20 October 2026. This is not a laboratory test.

  1. Gardena UK — CleverRoll L Easy (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  2. Garden4Less — Hozelock 60 m metal hose cart (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  3. HydroSure — 110 m x 19 mm hose cart (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  4. Ofwat — hosepipe bans (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  5. Water Supply (Water Fittings) Regulations 1999 (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  6. Water Regs UK — hose union taps (retrieved 20.10.2026)
  7. Water Use (Temporary Bans) Order 2010 (retrieved 20.10.2026)