Minky VT20500103 Retractable Reel Washing Line with 15 m of Drying Space, Grey

Product Information

For the hook I just took out an adjustable spanner to grab hold and twisted it in – equally, if not better would be some mole grips that actually clamp the hook but I didn’t struggle at all my way – here’s a look at how I clamped the hook for install: To get the quality score, we’re looking at a number of factors, but typically we’re studying the brand of the product, the warranty included and basing it on what customers have to say about the quality. If you’re an outdoorsy type, you’re probably here for something to take camping with you, and if that’s so, we recommend the toctax retractable washing line. The reason being that you don’t need to fix it in place with screws or glue like with most indoor and outdoor models. What are the size and lengths available?

The size of your family is something else to think about here, and how much washing you need to hang up at a time. A heavy-duty retractable washing line with multiple lines like the Brabantia wallfix, or the Better 35m washing line, is more likely to suit your needs here than our best overall- Vileda’s cordomatic, as it only has a single, 15 metre, line. Always one of the most important factors is price, and the amount you are willing to pay for your retractable washing line will probably affect the overall quality of the product. For example, if you want a near indestructible washing line like the Brabantia Wallfix, you’re going to have to shell out a lot more than you would for the Beldray washing line. The majority of retractable washing lines will be housed in a plastic casing like what you can see in the following photo- , although some have metal too, like the Wallfix model. Obviously, metal is more resistant to impact damage and temperature variations, but rust is always a threat to any metal object left outdoors. Plastic housing, on the other hand, won’t rust but it can be affected and degraded by UV and frost, depending on the quality of the materials used.There’s only a single line, not two like the Minky retractable washing line, but the line offers a good combination of strength and flexibility. In our tests, we were able to zig zag it across a small garden using some screw-in eyelets and it made great use of the space. One handy tip worth mentioning. Your fixings are only 40mm long. So you only need to drill 40mm deep. You can put a bit of tape down 45mm from the tip to give you a guide of where to stop drilling. However, there is one flaw to this design that stands out, and that is when you have a lot of clothes on each line, the inner lines won’t get as much air flowing through to them and might dry at a slower rate. So the first thing to mention that I am not happy about myself, if you watched the video you’ll know I binned the screws. I ended up going for 50mm screws but I think anything size 4 and 40mm up is fine, size five would be bullet proof and beyond the weight rating of the line itself considerably, and if you like to be sure then use the size 5 40mm wood screws rather than those supplied and feel immeasurably more comfortable with that. Here’s a look at the fixings:

The nylon rope itself is nice and strong and can support a fair amount of weight. We didn’t test it to the maximum 45lbs, but it held up well with a couple of towels, some wet shorts, and a few t-shirts while being hooked up between a couple of trees. For people with larger families, or those who just get through a lot of clothes, a single line isn’t always practical, and it would just take too much time to get all the washing done. So, in the end, it comes down to your specific circumstances and needs, and you have to weigh up the pros and cons of each type of retractable washing line. Best retractable washing line overall: Vileda Cordomatic 15 Metre Automatic Retractable Clothes Line [personally tested and proven] Lovely kit – my short video shows you the blow this can take with a full line of wet washingFor the review score, we gave Minky 2 x 15m Outdoor Retractable Reel Washing Line 9.2 out of 10. To reach that score we use information on what customers are saying about the same product from a number of retailers, to create an aggregate score. In terms of the install, we used a 7mm masonry drill bit. There’s nothing fancy going on here. We simply help the washing line up in place, then with a pencil marked where we should drill. But on the downside don’t be fooled, you’ll need an area of 2m by 2m to fit this washing line in, it’s no small compact unit at all. It’s just a different retracting method but if you’re looking for something to put up against a patio or conservatory that’s easy access then it might be what you’re looking for. Here’s a look at that install and demo process – I warn, the music might annoy you so turn your volume down! Best alternative heavy duty retractable washing line: Vinsani 30 metre Retractable Reel Clothes Lines Washing Line with Twin Cable – Wall Mounted Heavy Duty Clothes Dryer 2 x 15m Lines of Drying Space– this is easily as robust as the Minky [personally tested and proven] Worth a look: Soreli Retractable Washing line 12M What you should know before buying a retractable washing line

If we were to do anything different this time it would be install the unit much higher (almost out of arms reach) and then the same with the hook. What we noticed with both lines fully loaded. The washing sags to the point it really is a bit low. Granted the clothes are wet and heavy but here’s an example. We bought the relatively cheap heavy duty washing line prop and that worked out just fine and has been no problem at all for the last 5 months: The first question that you need to ask yourself is- where do I intend to use my retractable washing line? Is it for setting up in the bathroom to pop towels over? To set up in the garden like a traditional washing line? Or maybe you want something that you can take camping with you? The reason it can do this better than the others is that Brabantia have gone with a largely metallic construction for the wall fix, and every support arm for the washing lines is extremely solid and robust. There’s just no plastic model that can compare.It’s worth remembering just how much weight these are holding. so make sure the fix is firm – following my rundown is going to save you a ton of time. Vileda Cordomatic 15 Metre Automatic Retractable Clothes Line installed using 40mm size 5 screws rather than the supplied fixing kit I used an adjustable spanner to grab my hook and just twisted it into the timber – install complete! TOP TIP FROM EXPERIENCE: Bin the screws and wall plugs that come with these units and use decent brown 7mm standard wall plugs and a decent 4.5 size (gauge) screw that is at least 40mm long. Almost all the kits I tested were adequate but didn’t fill me with confidence, not with a 10-15kg of wet washing getting thrown about in heavy wind!

Vileda Cordomatic 15 Metre Automatic Retractable Clothes Line – fixing kit didn’t feel strong enough Personally, I think dual lines like the Minky are a good size for small to medium families. Conclusion for best retractable washing linesThe Tensor retractable washing line isn’t a budget buy, and costs more than the Vileda, Minky, Toctax, and Beldray models. It isn’t super-expensive, but then again, there isn’t anything that would make me choose this over the Vileda or Minky for garden use. For indoors, however, I would pay the extra for the sleek design. So, you’ve aways got a large load to dry at once, but you can’t bring yourself to shell out for the Brabantia Wallfix. Not to worry, this 35 metre heavy duty retractable washing line from Better (yes, that’s the name they chose for their brand, and not my opinion) is an excellent alterative. Let me just be clear about the 35 metre thing. It’s not one single line that runs for 35 metres, but 5 parallel lines of 7 metres each. This keeps things quite compact, and so you don’t need to have a garden the size of a tennis court to use this model. Before you start giggling like school kids, I’m referring to the size of the casing, and the length of the line. Both of these factors correlate to what we said above about whether you are in the market for an indoor retractable washing line or one for the garden, such as the Minky retractable duo model. ALTERNATIVE: Best wall mounted retractable washing line: Brabantia WallFix Retractable Washing Line with Fabric Cover– best of the best but it’s wall mounted retractable rather than a straight washing line.