Review: FARMMAC 100 ft Retractable Hose Reel, the 5/8 Inch Wall Reel With a 9-Pattern Nozzle

Who this reel is for

Most 100 foot retractable reels get their compact case by using 1/2 inch hose, and the flow at the far end shows it. The FARMMAC wall reel is one of the few at this length that carries a full 5/8 inch hose, which makes it interesting to anyone who runs a sprinkler or fills a trough from the reel rather than only hand watering. It is a budget product from a brand without a history, so the appeal is the bore and the price, not the pedigree.

This review is based on the maker’s published specifications and on recurring owner feedback. We have not run this product ourselves.

What you get

The listing describes 100 feet of 5/8 inch hose on a reel that locks at any pulled length and rewinds automatically with a tug. It hangs on a reinforced wall bracket that swivels 180 degrees, and it ships with a 9-pattern nozzle offering cone, mist, fan, shower, jet, flat, angle, center and full settings. The casing is called heavy duty. What the listing does not state is almost as important: no hose material, no pressure rating, no retract speed, no hose guide and no length for the faucet connection hose. That thinness is reflected in the score.

Retraction and lock

The mechanism as described is the standard pattern: pull to length, the lock holds; tug again, the spring winds it back. There is no mention of a slow-return feature, so expect the brisk rewind that spring reels in general deliver and keep hold of the nozzle until the last few feet are on the drum. The listing also does not mention a guide to lay the hose evenly, and uneven winding is the most common complaint owners make about budget reels, so watch the first few retractions and straighten the hose if it bunches to one side.

Hose and flow

This is the reason to consider the FARMMAC over a 1/2 inch competitor. Over 100 feet, a 5/8 inch hose passes considerably more water than a 1/2 inch one, which is the difference between a sprinkler that throws a full circle and one that dribbles. The cost is a bigger, heavier drum, and more weight on the bracket. Because the hose material is not stated, assume a standard reel hose that should be drained before frost and kept out of the sun when possible.

Build and mounting

A heavy-duty casing and a reinforced bracket are claims without numbers in this listing. A 5/8 inch reel full of water is heavier than a 1/2 inch one, so the mounting matters more: studs, masonry or a solid post, not siding alone. The 180 degree swivel lets the reel face along either direction of the wall. The nozzle is a plastic 9-pattern unit, usable and easily swapped.

Living with it

Drain the reel and bring it under cover before a freeze. Rinse grit off the hose before it retracts. Check the bracket screws after the first few weeks of pulling. The seller offers to resolve issues after purchase but states no warranty term, so note the return window when the reel arrives and run it hard inside that window.

Alternatives to Consider

The Giraffe Tools 5/8 inch by 100 foot retractable reel is the established brand with the same bore, for a buyer who wants a known name. The NEOTEC 100 ft reel trades the bigger bore for a slow-return rewind and a stated 200 psi hose. If auto rewind is not essential, the Eley wall-mount reel is a lifetime-grade hand-crank reel that takes any 5/8 inch hose you choose.

Verdict

Buy the FARMMAC 100 ft retractable reel if you want a 5/8 inch hose on a retractable wall reel at a budget price and you accept a thin specification and a new brand. Skip it if the hose material, pressure rating and rewind behavior matter to you, in which case the Giraffe Tools 5/8 inch reel is the safer spend.