A Tale of Three Watering Cans, From Lame to Excellent
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- Опубліковано 22 чер 2017
- Three lifetime quality galvanized watering cans of 3 different designs reviewed.
The french can I can't find a source for, but there are a lot of vintage ones on ebay that look similar.
Peasandcorn.com is the American distributor of Haws watering cans and a good place to buy them wholesale if you have a resale license. Shop around, but Amazon is the cheapest price I've found on the haws. Some colors are cheaper on Amazon. They are the same can. It's just that some are painted over the galvanized metal. Even at the best prices, they are still very expensive and probably only for lifetime gardeners. Someone else may very well be using it after you though.
HAWS WENT OUT OF BUSINESS :( If you can find a good used haws can, I suggest you buy it.
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We look at three watering cans, one french, one American and one English. All three are of very high quality construction. The American can is a very poor design, improved somewhat by adding a haws rose. It is a watering can, but seems more like it evolve from a bucket. The French can is quite nice with a longer reach and much better ergonomics. The rose is large and has decently small holes. I use it fairly often. The English Haws watering can is the best of the three. It has a very long spout and a very fine spray. That is important since watering the soil can damage seedlings and compact the soil surface forming a troublesome crust. Haws watering cans are expensive, but may very well last the lifetime of the user even if left out and full of water year round.
LeeValley.com carries Hawes watering cans
And a great price too! As long as shipping isn't too much that is. Thanks :)
Looks like Shipping from Lee Valley is 10.00, so 110.00 total, which is the best price I've seen.
Actually Lee Valley has a $10 surcharge on that can in addition to normal shipping, so more like $120 total. But still cheaper than the Amazon seller.
I just bought one of these Chinese made but similar to your French can design on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MTUHDR8
I paid $30 for it last week, but as of this posting the seller has jumped the price to $40.
Check eBay if you're interested, some one is selling the same can there for $36.
It's no Haws, the galvanizing is pretty thin and mine has a small leak in the soldered seam of the spout.
Still, it's less than half the price and solder can be re-flowed if the leak gets worse.
T'would be awesome if we could buy these Czech made cans:
ua-cam.com/video/0HbHNfijTao/v-deo.html
Unfortunately I don't see a way to get them in the U.S.
I believe the Czech company has gone out of business now.
I remember my grandfather using the haws watering can as shown that was over 60 years ago... and he must have had it a long time then as he was a very keen gardener and winning at lots of shows...when he passed away one of the things I wanted was the watering can so that every time I used it I would think of him...it is still in perfect condition and yes I still think of him and miss him whenever I use it...GOD BLESS YOU GRANDAD.
So cool. great story :)
Not out of business, just stopped distributing in US for a while. But now there's a Haws US site again, I understand! Just got a Haws indoors watering can and mister and they're amazing.
That's great to hear, thanks.
It's interesting that you mention Haws as being the best. My Partner has been working at Clumber Park's Victorian kitchen garden (in the UK) for the past couple of months and there they use the exact 8.8 Litre model that you have. In fact, they are still using some Haw's cans from the 1900's. She swears by the can's, appreciating their fine sprays and long spouts making the daily workload of a kitchen gardener that bit easier. In the UK for around £70 new, and she will certainly get one for her 22nd birthday for our no-dig beds! As usual, an excellent video!
Yep, Haws rock.
only skillcult could make a video on watering cans interesting
I do think that's interesting geekage ha ha. Maybe that's why. Not for everyone I guess, but tools is tools.
SkillCult I'm glad you did it. I would have never given a water can a second thought. Now I'm a little more educated on the subject. You are a wealth of knowledge and I'm thankful you share it with us.
While watching and reading, I mentally tried to calculate the number of hours I've spent watering in the past 30 or 40 years. A good can is a major tool!
I lost a good Hawes in a divorce, have a good French plastic can that must be going on 10 years, and also realized how many hours I must have spent despising some cans!
Thanks
This is an awesome review!! Watering cans are so often overlooked but such import gardening tools! Thank you!
👏🏼excellent video! Thank you!
Netflix should give this guy a series
I'll pass,but thanks for the vote of confidence.
Thanks for the video, the Haws look great - first time I've seen them. Until now I've used plastic watering cans, but a couple of days ago I bought a French galvanised one for the equivalent of $20 from a reclamation yard. The guy had a barrel of water, so tested it for me, and no leaks. The plastic cans have a capacity of 11l, the French one must be around 12l I think, and I much prefer it. Back in the day things were built to last. Incidentally in Paris, the apartment roofs are made from zinc, as they typically last about 100 years (if you live on the top floor it can get very hot in summer). I have zinc guttering on my house, and it should easily outlive me.
I love my Haws watering cans the solid copper indoor can is a work of art and design, and the large green metal can we have for outside is lovely to use.
Great company and more like an institution in England from what I gather.
Well presented! Thanks.
Galvanising is dipping in hot zinc, electroplating with zinc is not strictly galvanising, or at least that is how I understood it. With hot dip there is some alloying of the zinc with the iron at the interface, whereas with electroplate there is a sharp division between the zinc and the iron. I will give another vote for Haws cans, but they are cheaper in the UK, still pricy though.
V useful! Thank you!
Having rocks would help diffuse the water such that it won't pound the soil, but I feel that just dumping a whole bucket of water even over a rock covered flowerbed adds a lot of compression all at once to the soil below and it is just too fast. Does it make much of a difference, though, I mean watering slowly with a watering can versus just using a big bucket and pouring all at once (on a rock flower bed I mean). Very good stuff, man. I wish they still made the v150 or someone made a knockoff of it. Also, Tin is the ultimate metal for outdoor things like washbins and such. I don't think tin rusts; no galvanization needed.
Great video, thank you. I use watering cans a lot in the garden, especially for seedlings and light watering. In these cases I find its easier to walk back and forth with a can than trying to wrangle hoses. I found most off the shelf cans worthless. I went with the plastic Hawes can but wish I had sprung for the metal. The plastic rose only seems to last a season or two and now the top rim of the plastic can is starting to crack. The real deal is now on my wish list.
Look a the pinned comment, 99.00 and 10.00 shipping I've seen dramm plastic cans last a while, but not the same. I see haws is making titanium cans now!
Really like learning from you. Thanks for the effort.
Thanks Scott.
I had no idea that watering cans were so varied in design or that interesting, but I found this fascinating, thank you! I hope you stumble across the filter :)
I'll find it someday buried in the dirt I'm sure. I can order another one anyway. thanks :)
Just found your channel , I feel like i went to watering can collage! my mom would be proud ! Great channel Good bless
Your degree is in the mail...
Great! Hey let me know if your going to do stickers or tee shirts, SKILL CULT is a bad ass name! be well ,god bless
Thank you for the detailed review - help me with the search of a good watering can
Sadly, Haws went out of business.
Thanks! I have purchased many cans over the years, for a lot of money. I have seen the Hawes and wondered whether it was worth the price. Appreciate you sharing your opinion.
Great episode!
Thanks. Wasn't sure people would be interested.
Having used galvanized (french/german) watering cans as a child (60 years in the rain, still going strong in my father's garden) I prefer the weight and round edges of plastic and its larger size (3.6 gallons)
Do you have a brand or model you like? I had one Dramm can that was nice, but I doubt it would still be around. I should see if my mom still has it. That was over 10 years ago now.
Didn't give it much thought, never had the need for a long necked, on amazon de my "14L Green Plastic Watering Can" goes under various brands for 8€
I use watering cans a lot as well, and I agree, quality makes a HUGE difference in the performance. I like my HAAS plastic watering can the best. It is the same design as yours. Filling is as important as pouring IMO, especially if your putting something in that you don't want spilling or splashing, like urine or manure tea. I usually take the end off because they clog too quickly.
I have some trouble filling this Haws, but it doesn't slop out and I think it was designed with just that in mind. I've learned to stay out of the way of spillage. I use the rosette, but depends on what I'm watering and what I'm pouring out. The filter helps some. How long have you had the plastic one?
Hello dear Can I have the suggestion is how to fix the leakage from water cans at the time of production of water cans
been looking at purchasing a haws for a while now as I watch a lot of allotment channels and the majority of them use them in the metal or plastic variety. I've had my fair share of crappy watering cans
Yep, Haws is certainly the cats meow in the U.K. I read an amazon review last night and someone was buying the professional can that I have after wearing out two plastic haws cans. I haven't used the other models, some might be okay, but this one is seems like the best designed. Someone else pointed out the opening for filling is small, but actually is kind of a pain, but I think it is designed not to slop when you carry it. It also falls over when empty. Otherwise, no complaints. If you can work it somehow, Peasandcorn.com used to sell them wholesale as a distributor, so if you have a resale license...
The biggest frustration I have with my watering can is that the fill hole. It's very small so is difficult to fill from a bucket. It is also too close to the front edge and if you fill it much more than half full, when you start watering it slops out the fill hole as well as the spout.
Yeah, that can be a pain. I forgot to mention that. The haws is a little difficult that way and I fill it from a bucket a lot. not enough be put me off, but if I were redesigning I might make it larger. I don't have any real problem with spillage unless it's over filled. The french can is pretty easy to fill.
Why do you prefer manual watering to something like a gravity-fed drip system?
I use them mostly for fertilizing. They are versatile for that and I can apply what I want, when and where I want easily. I could see someday having some kind of injection system for fertigation, but this still provides a lot of versatility in addition to something like that. I also use them on remote parts of the property for establishing and feeding trees and small tasks like that. They don't see tons of use, but they still see regular use and it's important stuff. I do most watering by a combination of hand spraying and sprinklers on manual timers now, but plan to put in automatic water eventually.
You are one seriously impressive guy. I want to be on your team when the zombies wake up.
Ha, heard that a few times. That's a pretty short list of people :)
Yea I bought the made in USA bucket style this year. Brand is Behrens and I regret it. It is like watering straight from your lower back. Gonna save up for the Haws for sure. I'd love to hear your thought on how much water to drink, especially after that last heat wave in Northern California.
That's too bad. I hate to see them cranking out quality product that is designed poorly, if designed isn't too strong a word lol. good for you for going for quality though. That rubber add on nozzle from haws helps, but the flow is pretty low. Short version on hydration is that it's possible to over "hydrate", especially with plain water. Standardized recommendations are too high because a baseline cannot be established for all people under all conditions. Every other animal gets by on using their thirst mechanism and we should work on cultivating that instead of overthinking it as if we are smart enough to out think an established complex system like that which dynamically adapts to constantly varying conditions. The most harmful belief today is that water can do no harm and more is always better. Not true.
Makes sense. By the end of a very hot day I'm craving honey, lemon, salt, mint in my water. And beer...
Exactly! It's about electrolytes, not just water. Huge amounts of plain water can further dilute an already challenged system that is trying to maintain balance. Yet many today would defer to plain water thinking it is somehow magically better in all circumstances. There is a reason all the electrolyte drinks contain some type of sugar.
What about copper for cans?
It looks great, and is very durable, but also expensive. Some of the old haws, especially small ones were brass and copper. I think they still make small ones of copper and brass actually.
I use a galvanized can also, can't remember the brand. I had a hard time finding a 3 gal plastic can, and plastic in fla sun is no good. I leave my stuff out all the time, because I'm irresponsible. anyways, I also use a lot of liquid fertilizer, both aerobic and anaerobic, and refilling a 1 gal can all the time is a pain in the ass.
I think the haws is over two gallons and the french can is more.
Thanks Bro. Another tool to add to the list. And no prima donna chickens. Baakaa
No chickens allowed in the garden! I only have 4 left and one is still messed up from a raccoon attack, so it's touch and go with her.
Though it is a poor design, I can't help but like how quirky the American can is.
I was young like you once and ought expensive best quality but now i buy the cheapest because i don't intend to keep tools for 10 years . I think you are facinated with best quality , i once was best quality broad axe. Abd best quality adz. Where is my adz? Well that was 19 years ago and i left it in a friends shed then moved away . I don't know where it is . I would like to have a high quality garden hose made of rubber to use for three years . But yea its typically Harbor Freight they sell a set of bypass loppers that the handles don't slip off after 20 hours of use like the $35 loppers @Lowes
I would think that the ideal amount of water to drink would be the amount needed (or desired) to quench one's thirst. Do you disagree?
Yes, assuming the thirst mechanism is in working order, which I don't think it always is. Also, some people can get into a state characterized by excessive thirst that is continued or made worse by consuming more plain water. A surprising number of people now think that drinking huge amounts of water is more healthy, that it is not only benign, but essentially the more the better. But it can have negative consequences. Other animals probably just drink when they are thirsty. We can become highly influenced in our behavior by ideas which can supersede natural instinct.
Most people ingest substances which are unfit for human consumption, which can and does throw any combination of senses off, depending on who you're looking at, which of the aforementioned substances they ingest, and how much. Pretend for a moment that we're examining someone who doesn't fit that criteria. Off the top of your head, what do you think might cause their sense of thirst to malfunction?
I think some people are just really out of touch with their biofeedback. Not sure why, probably from stuff like being too cerebral or always in artificial environments with constant distractions, maybe constant access to food and drink of all kinds. I think those systems are very trainable though if you start a dialogue of sorts with the cues that are probably there all along. I suspect there is probably a strong individual physiologic component, independent of variables like size, food consumption, activity and so on, that makes people more or less resilient when exposed to a state of dehydration. Probably part conditioning, but no doubt there is more to it. Wim Hof, the iceman ran a marathon in the desert with no water, just to show he could do it. But his physiology is super resilient.
Most people on the planet were, at a very young age, told by people they looked up to, that their feelings don't matter (in different ways, and to varying degrees.)
Instinct is based in feeling. Those who pay the least attention to their own emotions, how they feel towards all that they interact with, have the least instinct, or more accurately, receive the least data from their instincts, because they're *ignoring them,* usually at an unconscious level, by the time they reach adulthood.
How many kids have you known to be out of touch with their emotions?
the American can looks like a Behrens
Yeah, it is. I wish they would improve their design. Build quality is great.
thanks for the education! i took back the last three watering cans i bought thinking, wow, do people really use these pieces of shit? i mean, seedlings are delicate creatures...
Most tools it seems are hardly designed, or at least that is too strong a word. Maybe just sort of copied from other examples and not really tested. If you can still get a good fan sprayer, they are the exception.
I have galvanized one left on the balcony edge and unfortunately fell. The watering pipe solder broke.
I just saw the cans in plastic for a cheap bastard like me. Thanks. BaaKaa
I don't know much about them. I'd read the reviews carefully.
Which one won't water plants? That's the one to avoid. No need to be difficult
And if I handed you three shovels and one was clearly better designed and worked much better and wasn't as much work to use you would pick just any one of them? or if you were buying one, you'd just buy the cheapest one? Or ditto with any other tool? I don't get it. These are lifetime tools. Why go through the process of making one and not make it a highly functional design since people have to use it for decades. That one is rhetorical.
Troll.....
Nice video, thank you! And glad to see we have top-class watering-can design here in England.