My Go With the Garden Hose Lance

Alright, let's talk about this garden hose lance thing. I finally caved and got one. My old spray gun was okay for watering the lawn, sure, but try reaching anything high up? Total nightmare. I was always stretching, balancing on things I shouldn't be, trying to water the hanging baskets or blast spiders off the eaves.

So, this lance arrived. Pulled it out. Looked straightforward enough – basically a long metal tube with a handle, a trigger, and a nozzle head you can twist. First job was getting it hooked up. Just unscrewed the old gun from my hosepipe, screwed this lance thing on. The connection felt solid, no immediate drips which is always a bonus, right? It felt lighter than I expected, which I figured was good for waving it around.

Putting it Through its Paces

Turned the water on at the tap. Grabbed the handle, pointed it towards the hanging basket that’s always a pain to reach. Squeezed the trigger. Bam! Water shot straight up, right into the basket. No step ladder needed, no leaning precariously. That alone felt like a win.

The nozzle head twists to change the spray pattern. Tried that out. You get everything from a gentle shower, good for delicate plants, to a pretty focused jet. Used the jet to clean some green gunk off the patio flags from a distance. Worked okay, shifted the loose stuff. Obviously not pressure washer strength, but good enough for light cleaning without getting covered in splashback.

• Watering high baskets: Easy peasy.
• Cleaning the conservatory roof: Much less hassle, could reach the middle bits.
• Washing the car: Great for rinsing the roof and getting into wheel arches.
• Reaching plants at the back of borders: Didn't have to stomp over other plants.

Did find my arm started to ache a bit after holding it up high for a while cleaning the fascia boards. It's not heavy, like I said, but leverage is leverage, you know? Holding anything out at arm's length gets tiring eventually. Also, the trigger lock is handy, saves you constantly squeezing if you're doing a long watering session.

So, What's the Verdict?

Look, it's a simple tool. It’s not going to revolutionise your garden Porshe, but it does exactly what it's supposed to do. It helps you get water, or a cleaning spray, into places that are awkward to reach with a standard hose gun. For me, the main benefit is not having to drag ladders out or get soaked trying to clean high-up spots. It just makes those specific jobs quicker and less annoying.

Is it essential? Probably not for everyone. If you've only got a small patio garden, maybe not. But if you have high baskets, gutters to clear occasionally, a conservatory roof, or even just want to water things at the back of deep beds without walking on them, yeah, it’s pretty useful. Made my life a bit easier, and that's what counts. Definitely keeping this thing handy in the shed.