Darlac 4 Way Brass Manifold – Fits Standard 3/4" BSP Outdoor Taps – Water Timer Compatible – Solid Brass Tap Manifold for Watering

Okay here goes for my ten pennyworth,its up to you to decide whether you want one of these or the plastic type,I bought the plastic one last year and a water lance to go with it,I duly set it up and it took a while to get used to using it and remembering what pipe was on which connector,anyway it did the job although it must be said it did leak a bit if all four where in use,and if only one was in use it leaked.Well here in Cornwall we get mild winters a bit of frost and that`s your lot,so I forgot to take the plastic lance and the four way off during the winter months and we got hammered this winter with attitude,freezing conditions below zero a lot of the time,snow,we got it,well come springtime this year I decided to get an early start and scrub the yard,dig over the garden etc.,when I turned on the tap to wash down all hell broke loose,water spraying every place,I got soaked turning it all off and found that the four way had split wide open in the freezing conditions,the lance had also split open and both items went into the bin.So I was in the market for a new set and I did want it quick or I would be all behind in my work.So off to Amazon and eyes down for a page search,there where loads of strange devices and I went for the same type again cheap plastic,while I was in the process of choosing I saw this item and had a look,looked at the price and when I had picked myself up off the floor decided,no way,however when I thought about it I went back and had a better look at it,then I ordered it.When it arrived it was a lumpy bit of kit,heavy as it was solid brass,well constructed,the outlets had small easy to use mini controls and you knew which way was on and off,also as it was a heavy piece there was even a support you fit on the back of it to take some of the load.Once I had set it up with my new lance it was testing time,I carefully switched on the main tap and opened the small tap,I squeezed the lance trigger and was surprised and impressed with the resultant blast of water of water,I tried all the outlets and was even more impressed by the fact there was not a hint of any leaks from anywhere.I will be sure to bring this outlet in from the cold during the coming winters and all those after as well.All in all it is very much worth the initial outlay to buy this outlet,it is very well made and will last for many years to come,if you want to buy the cheap stuff its up to you BUT in the long run you would be well advised to get this Brass fourway outlet as in my opinion it will outlast any cheap plastic outlet,it does not leak like the plastic one`s and will with care last many years as well,I can say honestly I am so glad I made this choice,its one of those things that as soon as you get one and fit it,switch it on and use it you know you have an excellent and superb bit of gardening equipment you can trust to perform for many years to come.Marks out of 20,easy,25. :)

>>> Do Not Waste YOUR Money <<<I have had to amend my 5star review to a 1star. Why? Well simply its because the manufacturing process is not as bombproof as you would hope and so when I eventually got into my garden I noticed tht the threaded section had sheared off and so rendered the valve useless. As it was still less than 1 year old I asked them to explain and the answwr I received was, quite frankly, rather childish and purely speculative. It made no offer of replacement, no offer of any discount, just a estimated cost to repair it. Tsk Tsk Tsk!!! Really such a poor way to endure customers to stay and recommend. So Pls do not waste your money on this. BTW, I know we have had a long winter but certyainly have had no length of time where it has been minus zero degrees.Original recommendation below.This is the best you can buy, really! Without doubt, the design & manufacture of this Manifold is 101% worth every penny & because of its cost it just makes sense to take some simple precautions. The main one being to protect it in winter time from freezing as ice does not respect anything when expanding while it freezes. If you dont you be sure that the come Sring time when your using it you will get the dreaded small leaks which in the long run will cause you further issues. I kow this because I did not heed my advice and so an earlier 4way manifold, also quite expensive, went the way of others and ended up in the bin.Ok, on this model its kinda strange to have such small opening/closing levers, but aside that you feel the engineering quality when using the levers. What I was really impressed with was the short cranked restraining / stabilizing rod thats at the back an which allows you to fix it to the wall or timber behind, The result means that it is now fixed at 2 ponts the threaded tap outlet itself and the cranked rod. This gives it the stability to resist any tugs, flexes or mistreatment that happens and makes this Manifold Bombproof. Along with the reputable Darlac name I doubt very much that you will find anything better on the market. Treat yourself to this & you will be so pleased you did.

Nothing wrong with the product as such. It fits and operates well. Mine, however, had a pinhole leak. It had taken along time to arrive and my timetable for fitting an irrigation system in the garden was such that I could not waste time sending it back: so I had to repare it by soldering and silcone mastic. There must be a very thin wall in the casting. A good product at a good price but with poor delivery and sent out with a fault.I have edited this review as of 27.8.12, just over a year after my first review. Having had to repair the unit on arrival to repair a leak in the casing, I have now had to bin it. 2 of the threaded inserts have now split within the thread and leak what ever you do. The threads are cut into a very thin wall which has simply caved in. In the 'valley' of the thread the residual thickness of the brass is so thin tat the threads have simply collapsed, Once again I'm about to go away and I need the irrigation system. Do I buy another one these destructively cost reduced items and hope that I get one that works this time or look elsewhere?