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Best hose-end shut off valve that will last and not restrict flow?

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28K views 26 replies 12 participants last post by  T76turbo  
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#1 ·
I've ordered a Dramm all-brass nozzle https://www.amazon.com/Dramm-12380-...=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=dramm+hose+nozzle&qid=1590373654&s=lawn-garden&sr=1-4 for my main lawn and garden hose. The nozzles with plastic and rubber on them don't last very long for me, and I read in several forums how people recommend that Dramm nozzle. However, it's old-school and doesn't have a flow control valve on it. So several people recommended ordering the Dramm shut off valve https://www.amazon.com/Dramm-114960-036434-Heavy-Duty-Shut-Off/dp/B000HHQAQY, and placing that on the hose before the nozzle to control the flow, but it's spendy at $18. And when I read the reviews, people say those Dramm valves aren't as good as they used to be and are prone to breaking down.

I've seen cheaper ones, like the one sold by Gilmour, at the store, but they all have plastic levers and parts and reviewers say they don't last. Also many complain that the opening in the cheaper valves is tiny and it restricts the flow of the hose too much.

Then I looked at buying a 3/4" full port quarter-turn threaded brass valve in the plumbing dept of Home Depot and putting hose thread connectors on each end. That would work, be super durable and not restrict flow, but it seems that the valve would be too big and clunky and heavy to carry around at the end of the hose, before the nozzle.

So what have you found to be the best performing, most durable hose-end shut off valve?
 
J
#3 ·
I have three of these and they are solid. No leaks, very durable.

TTKLE Super Heavy Duty 3/4 Inch Brass Shut Off Valve Garden Hose Connector https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JK1N9C5/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_Wwe0EbF3XSE3V

Underhill also makes a powerblast multimax nozzle that has flow control and can be completely shut off

.Underhill GNA-75 PowerBlast MultiMax Adjustable Nozzle with 3/4-Inch Hose Thread Inlet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M0ESIXK/ref=cm_sw_r_em_apa_i_hye0EbHNW4070
 
#6 ·
Eley are expensive but are solid and will last. They may include the 10 year warranty most Eley products offer but I'm not sure. I've used a few of thier Garden Watering tools for many years and they still work as new.

Only issue is they can be a bit stiff when turning the flow on. It gives my wife some trouble but she can eventually push it forward and adjusting flow once turned on is smooth and precise.

If you buy, use the forum link, I think they may get some credit. There are a few options, the link below is the "inexpensive" one.

https://www.eleyhosereels.com/products/garden-hose-ball-valve/?rfsn=2182989.9eb50e
 
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#7 ·
PNW_George said:
Eley are expensive but are solid and will last. They may include the 10 year warranty most Eley products offer but I'm not sure. I've used a few of thier Garden Watering tools for many years and they still work as new.

Only issue is they can be a bit stiff when turning the flow on. It gives my wife some trouble but she can eventually push it forward and adjusting flow once turned on is smooth and precise.

If you buy, use the forum link, I think they may get some credit. There are a few options, the link below is the "inexpensive" one.

https://www.eleyhosereels.com/products/garden-hose-ball-valve/?rfsn=2182989.9eb50e
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Thanks, will check it out!
 
#9 ·
+1 on the Eley stuff.

And I probably wouldn't worry too much about having a full port valve right behind the nozzle. At that point it's basically integral to the nozzle itself, so as long as the hole in the valve is the same size or larger than the hole in the nozzle I think any adverse effect would be negligible. That said, it has been almost 2 decades since I sat through fluid mechanics, so don't take my word for it. :lol:
 
M
#10 ·
What are your primarily trying to do with the Dramm Brass Nozzle? The older style brass nozzles control flow, pattern, and shutoff by rotation. Not sure how the 3/4 shutoff would improve the performance of that nozzle. I have a Dramm 3/4 brass shutoff attached to a Dramm aluminum water breaker that works well to syringe shrubs and large potted plants. The water breaker has no means to control flow or shutoff without the 3/4 brass valve. I also have separate nozzles for high flow hand watering turf, and an Underhill pistol grip nozzle that I use when washing cars. My Dramm nozzles are over 20 years old and still function as they were designed to. Underhill makes quality high flow nozzles, not inexpensive, if you have the water pressure and flow that is compatible with their products.
 
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#11 ·
Ware said:
+1 on the Eley stuff.

And I probably wouldn't worry too much about having a full port valve right behind the nozzle. At that point it's basically integral to the nozzle itself, so as long as the hole in the valve is the same size or larger than the hole in the nozzle I think any adverse effect would be negligible. That said, it has been almost 2 decades since I sat through fluid mechanics, so don't take my word for it. :lol:
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Good points ... thanks!
 
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#12 ·
Mocajoe said:
What are your primarily trying to do with the Dramm Brass Nozzle? The older style brass nozzles control flow, pattern, and shutoff by rotation. Not sure how the 3/4 shutoff would improve the performance of that nozzle. I have a Dramm 3/4 brass shutoff attached to a Dramm aluminum water breaker that works well to syringe shrubs and large potted plants. The water breaker has no means to control flow or shutoff without the 3/4 brass valve. I also have separate nozzles for high flow hand watering turf, and an Underhill pistol grip nozzle that I use when washing cars. My Dramm nozzles are over 20 years old and still function as they were designed to. Underhill makes quality high flow nozzles, not inexpensive, if you have the water pressure and flow that is compatible with their products.
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Thanks for the info. My Dramm old style nozzle does let you shut it off by turning the nozzle and control the spray pattern, but doesn't control the amount of water coming out. That's what I was hoping to accomplish by placing a valve before it.

You have 20 year old nozzles still in action? That's great to hear, and makes me think I bought a very good, durable nozzle by upgrading to Dramm. :)
 
#13 ·
Cheap option is grab a 10-12 pack of plastic ones off Amazon and consider them disposable. Also get a pack of rubber gaskets for all your connections.

The Dramm brass shutoff is very good and the internals are completely rebuildable. I had one on a hose bibb for a few years(lost access to the handle so I used the Dramm as the main shutoff for that spigot) It finally started to develop and tiny leak this season and when I contacted Dramm they were nice enough to send me a complete rebuild kit. It's tight and smooth as ever now.
 
#14 ·
I'm not sure if I have posted this elsewhere on the forum but I think I have found the most economical hose shut off valve that doesn't restrict flow. I had been using these Underhill High Flow Control Valve That you can get on Amazon. They are a little pricey but they were nice but the one thing I didn't like about them is that they tended to develop a small leak within a year or less of usage. So went about trying to find a better option.

After looking around at what was out there I found this 3/4" NPT threaded Ball Valve at Lowe's for around $3.50. You will also need a 3/4" Male GHT to 3/4" Male NPT or FIP Adapter and a 3/4" GHT Female to 3/4" NPT or FIP Male Adapter. Use some thread tape on all the threads and make sure you use hose washers between the connections and you are all set. I also added Eley quick connect adapters to make things easier if I need to swap the hose over to something else like a pressure washer.

Now, the adapters I linked in the paragraph above are Stainless Steel and a little pricey but they should last you forever. You can find similar items at Lowe's or Home Depot in Brass for a lot cheaper and those too should last you quite awhile. I was unable to find the adapters in PVC so that would be an even cheaper option just not sure how long they would last. If and when the ball valve ever breaks or leaks, you can just go buy a new one for $3-4 and swap your fittings over and you are ready to go again. You will have full flow no matter what kind of hose you have. There is a little investment up front but after that it's cheap and works great!

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#18 ·
Mightyquinn said:
I'm not sure if I have posted this elsewhere on the forum but I think I have found the most economical hose shut off valve that doesn't restrict flow. I had been using these Underhill High Flow Control Valve That you can get on Amazon. They are a little pricey but they were nice but the one thing I didn't like about them is that they tended to develop a small leak within a year or less of usage. So went about trying to find a better option.

After looking around at what was out there I found this 3/4" NPT threaded Ball Valve at Lowe's for around $3.50. You will also need a 3/4" Male GHT to 3/4" Male NPT or FIP Adapter and a 3/4" GHT Female to 3/4" NPT or FIP Male Adapter. Use some thread tape on all the threads and make sure you use hose washers between the connections and you are all set. I also added Eley quick connect adapters to make things easier if I need to swap the hose over to something else like a pressure washer.

Now, the adapters I linked in the paragraph above are Stainless Steel and a little pricey but they should last you forever. You can find similar items at Lowe's or Home Depot in Brass for a lot cheaper and those too should last you quite awhile. I was unable to find the adapters in PVC so that would be an even cheaper option just not sure how long they would last. If and when the ball valve ever breaks or leaks, you can just go buy a new one for $3-4 and swap your fittings over and you are ready to go again. You will have full flow no matter what kind of hose you have. There is a little investment up front but after that it's cheap and works great!

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Hey, just following up on your great post on an old thread. How is your hose shut-off setup working and do they still work well? Or have you made any changes to what you're using?
 
#19 ·
Yes, they are holding up just fine so far and don't seem to leak like the other "commercial" ones I have used. The only downside if it is one is that it's quite long/large for a hose cut off but for what I use a hose for it's not bad at all.
 
#20 ·
I also bought a Grey PVC On/Off Valve from McMaster-Carr as I was buying some other thing and needs something extra to justify the shipping costs. This valve has worked quite well too and is much shorter than the one I fabricated but is a little more money but doesn't require all the adapter fittings.

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#21 ·
Mightyquinn said:
I also bought a Grey PVC On/Off Valve from McMaster-Carr as I was buying some other thing and needs something extra to justify the shipping costs. This valve has worked quite well too and is much shorter than the one I fabricated but is a little more money but doesn't require all the adapter fittings.

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Yeah, that looks much lighter and less bulky. Wish they sold something like that at the home improvement stores! Have you ever tried a brass 1/4 turn shut off valve, like you can get in the plumbing section of Home Depot? it would be similar to your setup with the adapters, but the brass would replace the PVC. That would probably be super durable but am wondering if it would be too bulky and heavy to carry around on a hose end?
 
#25 ·
Justin9314 said:
+1 on the Underhill shutoff. Super heavy duty and it's 3/4". It won't disappoint.

Underhill CV075H Super Heavy Duty Brass Shut Off Valve ¾-Inch Hose Thread https://a.co/1jEhh3S
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Just FYI, the opening on that shut off valve is .55" so it will reduce the flow a bit if you are concerned about that. It is better than the crap you can buy at the big box stores.
 
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