Liberty Garden 880 Industrial 2-Wheel Pneumatic Tire Garden Hose Reel Cart with 300ft Capacity - Heavy Duty Bronze Outdoor Watering System for Lawn, Yard & Garden Irrigation

I owned two plastic hose reels before purchasing this product. I have about 250 ft of hose and the plastic reels just wore out over time. I spent many hours fixing the plastic parts as they broke and I decided it would be cheaper to purchase a good product rather than multiple cheaper products that would just wear out. I am well aware that more expensive != better made or good value so I researched as much as I could and purchased this reel based on positive reviews and what appeared to be a quality design. I have been very satisifed with this hose reel. There are no leaks, it is so, so easy to wind the hose on and off, it is just solid.Possible concerns:Rust: Yes, this may rust where plastic will not. However, as others have mentioned you just need to maintain the paint job and keep the paint sealed to avoid rust. Even if it rusts, I am sure the plastic reels will break down before this unit rusts so much that it needs to be replaced.Fasteners did not come with washers, could damage the paint: this is a valid complaint but easily fixed (washers are cheap, easy to purchase)The hose connection is actually outside the reel: Yes, I was concerned about this when I purchased it. The easy solution I found was to connect the hose to the reel and wind it on the OUTSIDE of the drum for about 1/2 turn and then gently transition it to the inside (go through the spokes) and start winding on the drum. I made sure to use a gentle curve for the hose and attached it using zip ties. I am surprised that the company did not suggest this in the manual.