The best Hose reel carts without hose, compared.
Top pick: Gardena CleverRoll M Easy 60 m – Score 90 at about £79.99, with 4.5 from 2,030 reviews, a metal hose guide and a Kick&Stand foot on an empty 60 m trolley. Best value: Hozelock 2398 cart reel 60 m – About £49.21 with 4.2 from 1,936 reviews for 60 m of 12.5 mm hose and two fittings, with no hose in the box. Updated October 2026.
A hose reel cart without a hose is a wheeled drum for a garden hose you already own. You buy one in the UK to keep a long pipe off the lawn and to wheel it between beds. It is not a wall reel, a carry reel or a cable drum. You tell a suitable cart by the hose you will load. Measure length and diameter before you trust the largest number on the title. A capacity printed for about 12.5 mm or 13 mm hose, roughly ½ inch, holds much less of a 19 mm hose, roughly ¾ inch. Confirm the box is the trolley only. Then look for a hose guide, a parking foot or a wide stance, two solid or flat-free wheels, and a handle that folds for a shed. A hose union tap still needs backflow protection, and a frost-resistant claim is not permission to leave the hose on the tap all winter. How the metre claim changes with diameter is set out in the [hose reel cart capacity guide](/hub/garden-watering/hose-reel-cart-without-hose/sub/hose-reel-cart-without-hose-capacity).
A hose reel cart without a hose is a wheeled drum for a garden hose you already own. You buy one in the UK to keep a long pipe off the lawn and to wheel it between beds.
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Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What hose will you load?
Across 2,030 amazon.co.uk reviews at 4.5 stars, the Gardena CleverRoll M Easy (18515-20) is an empty metal trolley listed at £79.99 for up to 60 m of hose. Reviewers keep coming back to the metal hose guide: it lays even layers from the crank, including one-handed rewind, so you are not feeding the coil by hand. The Kick&Stand foot is there for when you pull the hose, and several buyers call the cart stable in that job. The listing weight is 3.8 kg, with two flat-free swivel wheels, a fold for storage, an anti-drip device, and a frost-resistant claim. Assembly is tool-free in the title, yet the instructions are often called rubbish and some buyers follow a video instead. A small leak after use still appears, and the guide only winds evenly if the hose goes on without twists. It is the top pick in this set on stars and review count, and the box still does not include a hose.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already own a hose around the 60 m class and want a metal guide with the largest review sample in this comparison.
Less suitable: You need the hose in the box, or you want a drum that reviewers treat as a true 100 m load.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the CleverRoll M Easy come with a hose?
No. The listing scope is one CleverRoll M Easy trolley, and included components are given as no.
Does it have a hose guide?
Yes. The title and bullets describe a robust metal hose guide that lays the hose in even layers from the crank.
Is assembly tool-free?
The title says tool-free assembly. The listing also says assembly is required.
The Hozelock 2398 (2398R0000) is sold empty at £49.21 for 60 m of 12.5 mm hose, with two fittings, and it sits at 4.2 from 1,936 amazon.co.uk reviews. Buyers who already own a 50 m Hozelock hose say it fits once wound on, and some use the cart to replace an older reel whose frame was rusting. It is freestanding with a handle and a reinforced axis, at a listed 2.54 kg, though the page does not state how many wheels it has. Assembly is the complaint that keeps returning: the picture sheet, the support spring, and the internal connector are easy to fit out of order, and at least one build needed a second person. Leakage at the connections is mentioned, and fittings that are not Hozelock are the ones reviewers struggle to seat. The listing warranty line reads “Aucune garantie.” It is the best value here against the £79.99 CleverRoll M, at a lower price with a large review sample, if you can live with that assembly.
Pros
Cons
Best for: Replacing a rusting reel when you already have a 12.5 mm Hozelock hose of about 50–60 m.
Less suitable: You want a stated hose guide, a known wheel count, or fittings from another brand.
Specifications
Common questions
Does this Hozelock cart come with a hose?
No. The title says without equipment, and the capacity line is 60 m of 12.5 mm hose rather than a hose in the box.
How many fittings are included?
The title says it is supplied with 2 fittings.
Does the listing say how many wheels it has?
No. Wheel count is not stated on this listing. It does say the cart is freestanding with a handle.
The Gardena CleverRoll L Easy (18520-20) is the plastic-frame trolley with an “up to 100 m” title, listed at £91.99 and 4.2 from 1,582 amazon.co.uk reviews, and sold without a hose. Buyers who load about 30 m or 50 m often say the metal hose guide and Kick&Stand make the rewind easier on the back, and several call the wheels strong once the cart is together. The same review set says the 100 m headline is not realistic, and one buyer could not fit a 100 m by 1/2 inch hose. A crank handle broke on second use in one review when the drum was wound tight. The listing weight is 5.7 kg, with two flat-free swivel wheels, fold-flat storage, an anti-drip device, and a frost-resistant claim. A size line of 29 x 18.8 x 35.4 cm sits beside a 1 cm length figure, so test the drum against your hose rather than that length row. Choose it over the 60 m CleverRoll M only when your hose is clearly under a full 100 m of half-inch pipe.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A hose around 30–50 m when you want the L Easy guide and will ignore the 100 m headline.
Less suitable: You need a full 100 m of half-inch hose on the drum, or the 60 m cart already covers the garden.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the CleverRoll L Easy include a hose?
No. Included components are given as no, and the scope is one CleverRoll L Easy.
What capacity does the listing claim?
Up to 100 m. UK reviews include buyers who could not fit a long 1/2 inch hose, and one handle that broke when the drum was wound tight.
Is assembly tool-free?
Yes. Tool-free assembly is in the title, and the listing says assembly is required.
The empty Gardena CleverRoll S (G18500-20) is listed at £51.99 with a 40 m claim, 4.2 from 1,029 amazon.co.uk reviews, and a stated weight of 1 kg. Buyers call it a sturdy small trolley that is easy to assemble, one older disabled gardener said it made watering possible, and another uses the drum for a 20 m EV charging cable rather than a hose. The title capacity does not match every hose: one UK review says a 25 m standard hose only just fits. There is no lock, so the reel rotates while you wheel the trolley, the top handle is called too short, and the arms were not high enough for a 6 ft user in one review. A hose connector blew off under pressure in another. The listing prints dimensions of 4 x 4 x 4 mm, which is not an assembled size, and the warranty row says product guarantees of 0 months even though spare parts are listed for five years. It is a compact cart with a drip stop and a curved inlet for a short hose you have already measured.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short hose, or even a 20 m cable, in a small shed where you can fold the cart by hand.
Less suitable: A 30–40 m hose you expect to fill the advertised capacity, or a reel that stays locked while you move it.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the CleverRoll S come with a hose?
No. The title says empty, and the scope line is one CleverRoll S.
Can it be wall-mounted?
The listing asks the question and does not answer it. Wall mounting is not in the feature bullets.
Is the 40 m capacity guaranteed for every hose?
The title says 40 m. One UK review says a 25 m standard hose only just fits. The listing dimensions of 4 x 4 x 4 mm are not a usable assembled size.
The Gardena CleverRoll L Easy Metal (18550) is the dearest cart in this set at £125.95, with 4.2 from 758 amazon.co.uk reviews, a metal-frame hose guide, and listed dimensions of 74 x 48 x 90 cm at 5.42 kg. One reviewer rewinds a 19 mm hose one-handed with the guide, another says a 60 m hose has room, and the Kick&Stand is praised for holding the cart while you reel. The “up to 100 m” title is the figure reviewers dispute: a 50 m half-inch hose fills the drum in one account. Joints leak and come unscrewed, and one buyer with a 50 m, 19 mm Gardena hose lost the plastic wheels and the winding mechanism. It is heavy to lift once it is set up, and the listing asks whether you can leave it outside without giving an answer. Rigid flat-free wheels are specified, and the foot, handle, and crank fold; a frost rating is not stated for this ASIN. You are paying for the metal guide frame on a real load around 50–60 m, not for a proven 100 m drum.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A metal-frame guide for a hose around 50–60 m, including 19 mm, when the plastic L Easy feels too light.
Less suitable: A true 100 m load, or a cart you must lift often and leave outside with a stated frost rating.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the metal L trolley come with a hose?
No. Included components are one hose trolley.
Can it be left outside?
The listing asks and does not answer. Nothing in the spec block states a frost rating for this ASIN.
Will it hold 100 m?
The title says up to 100 m. One UK review says a 50 m half-inch hose fills it. Another says the guide works with a 19 mm hose.
The Draper 25060 is the lowest shelf price in this set at £31.99: an empty plastic cart with a 45 m claim, 4.2 from 433 amazon.co.uk reviews, and a listed weight of 1.9 kg on two wheels. Reviewers who stay inside that length say the hose went on without much trouble, several found the build easy, and the cart is small enough to store. One review puts the practical load at about 40 m, and another says at least 40 metres, while a 50 m hose does not fit. It is floor-standing, with adjustable height and an angled connector on a flow-through reel, and the listing does not mention a hose guide. The picture instructions are unclear, and buyers call it less sturdy than dearer carts and rather small. Value is described as reasonable rather than great, which fits a £31.99 plastic frame beside the Hozelock 2398 at £49.21 with many more reviews. It is the cheap portable option when your hose is about 40 m.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A short garden and a hose around 40 m when you want the lowest shelf price.
Less suitable: A 50 m hose, or a metal guide backed by a review sample in the thousands.
Specifications
Common questions
Does the Draper 25060 include a hose?
No. The title says hose reels without hose, and the included component is the cart at 45 m capacity.
Does it have wheels?
Yes. The listing says floor standing with an adjustable height and 2 wheels.
Will it take a 50 m hose?
The stated capacity is 45 m. One UK review says a 50 m hose does not fit.
The Specilite SP-HC-BLACK-DE1 is a two-wheel metal cart at £69.99 with 2.8 stars from only three amazon.co.uk reviews. Capacity is given in feet, from 80 ft of 3/4 inch hose up to 150 ft of 1/2 inch hose, which converts to about 24 m and about 46 m, and the listing does not state metres. The frame is alloy steel, listed at 5.31 kg and 34 x 60 x 93 cm, with a widened base, two rigid PVC solid wheels, a non-slip crank, and a tool-free assembly claim. One of the three reviewers called it sturdy and heavy duty once built. The same sample says the opposite: instructions called the worst that buyer had seen, flimsy plastic lugs on the wheel trim, and a return because the cart is not stainless steel despite the title. A maximum-weight row of 5.4 kg matches the cart’s own weight rather than a hose load, so do not read it as capacity. At this price you are close to the CleverRoll M at £79.99 with 2,030 reviews, and three reviews do not settle the feet claim or the stainless wording.
Pros
Cons
Best for: A metal two-wheel frame only if you will check the steel in person and you do not need a UK review sample.
Less suitable: You want capacity in metres, a stainless cart the reviews confirm, or more than three UK reviews behind the price.
Specifications
Common questions
What hose capacity does the listing give?
80 ft of 3/4 inch hose up to 150 ft of 1/2 inch hose. The listing does not give metres.
Is it stainless steel?
The title says stainless steel. One of the three UK reviews says that is incorrect and the buyer is returning it.
How many wheels does it have?
Two rigid PVC solid wheels.
Seven empty hose reel carts from amazon.co.uk are on this page. Wall reels, carry reels and cable drums were left out. Each score is the listing star line mapped to 100: 4.5 becomes 90, 4.2 becomes 84 and 2.8 becomes 56. Review count is shown beside that score and does not change it. Capacity against hose diameter, an empty box, a hose guide, the foot or stance, the wheels and assembly are buying checks from the listings and UK reviews, not extra points. This is not a laboratory test. Prices are the 19 October 2026 GBP snapshot. The top pick is the Gardena CleverRoll M Easy, score 90, at about £79.99 with 4.5 from 2,030 reviews. Best value is the Hozelock 2398, score 84, at about £49.21 with 4.2 from 1,936 reviews.
Star line
100%The score is the amazon.co.uk star rating mapped to 100. A 4.5 line is 90, a 4.2 line is 84 and a 2.8 line is 56. It is not a laboratory test. The review count sits next to the score and is not added to it.
Measure the hose before you compare empty carts. Length and diameter decide whether a title capacity is usable, then the guide, the foot and the wheels. A rule of thumb from the 19 October 2026 amazon.co.uk snapshot, not a market study: under £40 is a small empty cart, about £45–£70 a mainstream 40–60 m body, about £80–£100 a guided trolley, and above £110 a large metal trolley. Live prices win when you buy. Stars on this page are the UK listing lines mapped to 100, not a laboratory test.
A hose reel cart without a hose is a wheeled drum for a hose you already own. UK shoppers use it to get a long pipe off the lawn and to move it between beds. It is not a wall reel, a carry reel or a cable drum, and it is not a set that includes the hose. Every cart kept for this comparison is the trolley only. If you need the pipe in the box, that is a different product. Measure the hose you will load, both length and diameter, before you read the title.
The box is the trolley, sometimes with two fittings. It is not a watering kit. If you have no hose, this category will not reach the beds.
A 60 m or 100 m title usually assumes about 12.5–13 mm hose. Gardena’s 19 mm column is shorter, and the L figure at 19 mm is without the hose guide. A 50 m half-inch hose fills one “up to 100 m” drum in a UK review.
A frost-resistant material claim is not permission to leave the hose connected. WaterSafe says disconnect the hosepipe and lag the tap. Seasonal fittings should be drained.
Measure the hose you already own before you compare carts. Write down the length and the outside diameter. A printed 45 m, 60 m or 100 m claim usually means 12.5 mm or 13 mm hose, about ½ inch. A 19 mm hose, about ¾ inch, holds much less length on the same drum, and forcing it through a narrow guide is a common way to blame the cart for a kink. Where the maker publishes a table, use it.
A hose guide and a parking foot matter if you rewind often. Some empty trolleys advertise a metal guide and a foot. Others use a wide stance and a low centre of gravity, and a compact listing may not mention a guide at all. These carts have two solid or flat-free wheels, not large air-filled tyres. A folding handle matters when the shed is small. Assembly is part of the price. UK reviews often call the picture sheet poor.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You have a 12.5–13 mm hose and want it off the lawn. The Gardena CleverRoll M Easy is the top pick at about £79.99, score 90, with 4.5 from 2,030 amazon.co.uk reviews. It is an empty metal trolley listed for up to 60 m, with a metal hose guide and a Kick&Stand foot. The hose is not in the box, and the guide only winds evenly if the hose goes on without twists.
You already use 12.5 mm fittings and you are replacing a reel whose frame was rusting. The Hozelock 2398 is the best value at about £49.21, score 84, with 4.2 from 1,936 reviews, two fittings and no hose. Buyers report a 50 m Hozelock hose fitting once wound on. Assembly, including the support spring, is the complaint that keeps returning, and the wheel count is not on the listing.
A 100 m title is easy to misread. Gardena UK lists the L Easy as 100 m, 80 m and 50 m for 13 mm, 15 mm and 19 mm, and the 19 mm figure is without the hose guide. The CleverRoll L Easy is about £91.99, score 84, with 4.2 from 1,582 reviews. Buyers who load about 30 m or 50 m often praise the guide. A 100 m by ½ inch hose does not fit in more than one review.
The top pick is the Gardena CleverRoll M Easy at about £79.99. The score is 90, from 4.5 and 2,030 amazon.co.uk reviews, on an empty metal trolley listed for up to 60 m, with a metal hose guide, a Kick&Stand foot, two flat-free swivel wheels and an anti-drip device. The hose is not in the box. Instructions are often called poor, and the guide needs the hose on without twists. The best value is the Hozelock 2398 at about £49.21, score 84, with 4.2 from 1,936 reviews. It is sold for 60 m of 12.5 mm hose, with two fittings and no hose. Assembly is the repeated complaint, the wheel count is not stated, and the listing warranty line reads “Aucune garantie.” Neither score is a laboratory test.
Gardena CleverRoll M Easy 60 m
Score 90 at about £79.99, with 4.5 from 2,030 reviews, a metal hose guide and a Kick&Stand foot on an empty 60 m trolley.
Hozelock 2398 cart reel 60 m
About £49.21 with 4.2 from 1,936 reviews for 60 m of 12.5 mm hose and two fittings, with no hose in the box.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources from the research digest, plus the amazon.co.uk prices, stars and review counts captured for these seven listings. Last reviewed 22 October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the UK listing lines captured for these seven products on 19 October 2026. We did not run a laboratory test.
