I've wanted to switch to some kind of quick disconnect system over the years, having seen a plot of professional/commercial applications in nurseries and the like (and tiring of the battle to spin accessories on/off hoses over the years), but up until now, nothing had been satisfactory. The few I tried, whether metal or plastic, were always just absolute junk and turned me off to the whole concept. Enter the Gardena products and, in particular, this adapter. I bought it to swap out for the plastic one that came with my 7-in-1 Gardena sprayer, because you can't snug the plastic ones down without fear of breaking it and I wanted something that would endure better in the desert sun. There are still plastic parts on this adapter, of course, but not the critical connection to the hose where you want to snug it up and prevent any leaks. And, for those curious, unlike the grey vs. orange (Euro vs. North American) thread issue, I encountered absolutely no leaks when using these on my good old USA-made hoses. Whether it's because you can tighten them more or because they fit North American hose, I cannot say, but they don't leak a drop and that's the bottom line. In terms of fit and finish, these bad boys are miles ahead of the junk at the home improvement and big box retail outlets. They are heavy/weighty in the hand and that heft almost always correlates with quality. No cheap parts, no cheap metal, just loads of German engineered and German-made, uncompromising quality. The connections are quick, simple and rock solid, especially when coupled with metal adapters, although these will work with either metal or plastic versions, as they are fully interchangeable. In my case, I snagged two of these and one of the 39022-G premium metal adapters, and was able to rig up a complete system for my backyard needs. Slap the 39022-G on one end of your hose, the 39018 on the other and then a second 39018 to your hose bib and voila. You can now quick disconnect your watering implements (e.g. sprayers, sprinklers, etc.) from the end of the hose AND you can disconnect the hose from the hose bib at will. For those that might want to store their hose or be able to quickly remove it to make it easier to untangle or coil up, this will save you tons of time. Being able to swivel it on both ends will also make it easier to deal with snags/kinks. I could not be happier, and I am re-ordering another set to do the same setup with the hose in my front yard. Absolutely fantastic product, light years ahead of the import junk and other garbage out there. Highly recommended.
