Expandable Hoses

First they were weighed. They all came in about a pound, a lot lighter than a regular hose.Then it was time to go to work. Testers measured the length, flow rate, and water volume, comparing the results to regular garden hoses."Their length increased by three times, as claimed," and Bernie Deitrick of Consumer Reports said. "And their flow was good, just like a regular hose."But if you go to do something like fill up a kiddie pool with the valve fully open, the hoses may shrink, a lot, because of lower water pressure. And using these hoses with sprinklers also poses a challenge."To use it with a sprinkler, you need to turn the water on first before you put the sprinkler in place," Deitrick said. "When you turn the water off, the hose will contract, and it may pull the sprinkler through your garden."

Consumer Reports also folded, twisted and even knotted all three expandable hoses. No matter what the testers did, the water continued to flow. Then, after the water drained out, all three shrank back to their original size, as promised.All three lived up to their claims, but it was the Pocket Hose that came out on top. Consumer Reports says the advantage of the Pocket Hose is that it doesn't shrink quite as much when the pressure drops. With any of the hoses, you should be aware that they can't be patched. You have to be careful with the outer covering.

Arrom described one of many memorable moments at the University."Perhaps my greatest satisfaction came from directing the Latin American & Latino Studies program for 14 years, and working with my wonderful colleagues, students, and generous donors to build this gem of a program and raise the visibility of Latin America at Brandeis," she wrote in an email to the Justice.After she retires, Arrom plans to continue doing research, writing and mentoring young scholars of Latin America."I also plan to spend more time with my family—including my new grandson—and travelling to places I could never go because of my academic commitments," she wrote.Among the other retiring faculty members are Prof. Dave Jacobson, who was unable to comment by press time; Prof. Ibrahim Sundiata; Prof. Richard Lansing,who was unable to comment by press time, and Prof. Hiroko Sekino.