On Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:30:07 -0600, Reed wrote:

MiamiCuse wrote:
I have an old old garden hose that is all rubber. It does not kink, it's
pretty heavy. The fittings on the ends are leaking and broken so they need
to be replaced.

The hose is not the typical 5/8" size. It is 1/2". I cannot use the
standard economy 5/8" hose menders. Instead I need to get a metal 1/2" barb
to 1/2" MIP connector which cost like $5 a piece. Then I need another
adapter to go from that to hose coupling - one male one female, and that's
another $5 a piece, and of course two hose clamps. Altogether I would have
spent $24.00 on fittings to repair the hose, when I can get a new one for
$12.99 at the big box store and of course those are lighter but kinks easy.

What would you do?

I'd fix it.

would any of these 1/2" fittings work for you ?

http://www.hardwareandtools.com/icat/12incoupling/

All of those have problems. IMO the best is the brass with hose
clamp--- but that damp clamp gets caught on everything. The plastic
ones are just too weak & I've never been able to get the crimp on
stuff to work.

I have a couple brass ones with the saddle clamp like the plastic on
that page. They work best for me. I can't find 1/2" ones- but a
call to Nelson might turn some up-
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000UJY1DS

If I couldn't find those I'd replace the hose with the best hose the
budget can handle. And save the old one for siphoning, and using for
rub guards.

Jim