Dramm 12353 Heavy-Duty Brass Shut-Off Valve

I’m old and have been gardening for a LONG time. Believe me when I tell you all hose splitters are crap. The last one I had, a Home Depot special, broke in such a way I had to have a plumber remove it from my spigot ($$$!) This one, however, is ABSOLUTELY FREAKING AWESOME. It goes on like a dream, no leaks anywhere. The levers are easy to turn. It’s solid, no plastic, and super heavy. If it lasts as long as my Dramm hose shut off valves, it will last forever. And this is basically 2 of those attached to a Y fitting. It did need to be snugged up a little on installation, but holy cow it’s nice! There are few things made to really last anymore, but Dramm products are worth every penny.

It is definitely made in USA quality but it also comes with the price. Operates smoothly no leaks. The rubber O-rings are replaceable. If maintained, it should last forever. The body is heavy so it is of good quality. It is machined one piece and not soldered like some oversea products. Highly recommended.

This is a very sturdy and well made tool- and it is stamped “made in USA”. I have used many other hose sprayers with most lasting only a year or two. This is the reason I was willing to spend more on this one. Feels great in the hand and works well.

The best valves, been using these for decades and most of the ones I bought almost 25 years ago are still in use. Just needed one more. Awesome product. Update Summer 2021: a lot of Chinese companies copied the design on this valve. But they are bad copies, they have a much smaller opening inside and only give you like half the flow. I had one of my made in the USA Dramm valves I have had for like 20 years in it get a mysterious hole in the brass body. No idea how. Contacted Dramm, they promptly sent a new one and more free repair parts for my other valves. WOW! Show me a company in 2021 that has service like Dramm. They are the best. I keep buying more of their valves, water breakers, water wands and other products. Update October 2018: Still 5 stars for these, I would give them more than 5 if I could believe me! Still the best and well worth the price in my mind. You get what you pay for. I called Dramm last month because I had a couple of these where the hose washers had gotten old and loose and fallen out. You can replace those hose washers with other brands, but in my case when they fell out it had allowed the little white plastic washers which are a custom Dramm part that locks the ball valve in place to also fall out and get lost in the tall grass. I wanted to see if I could buy just a few of those washers without buying the entire kit which replaces all the internals and the handle and so on. I was glad they sell a kit with all that, but I didn't need it all. So I called and the representative I spoke with was so nice, she said she would just send me out what I needed at no charge. I got them the other day and was able to fix up those old valves. Wow. I hoped to be able to buy the parts, but getting sent them free of charge is just above and beyond. Now I feel I am in there debt and will have to buy more of their stuff ASAP. Smart company. I am sure they know that is how I will feel! I will continue to buy US made Dramm valves. They have the best product and the best service too. Just tremendous. And it is good to know that if I ever need to buy a kit to replace all the internals I can do that too. Probably the solid brass valve body will outlast me and my wife and our son will inherit them all and be able to rebuild them. I made sure to show him what I was doing and tell him how good Dramm was to me so he would know this is not a disposable product, more of a family heirloom type of thing, the way many things used to be built but very few are now. They even sent detailed instructions to go with the parts. Just a great company all around.

I love this but I can't use it. All of my hoses are heavy duty real rubber and they have replacement fittings at all hose ends where I have used the re-usable screw on type fitting like this one sold through Amazon: Gilmour Zinc Female Hose Coupling 01FZ. The lever rotation of this Dramm 12353 Brass shut-off is halted by the "collar" of those Gilmour fittings. I see one person reports he/she has ground/cut his Dramm lever to size but I'd rather not do that. I'm really sad. I want this! But, it's of no use to me. Instead, I have ordered a Dramm 22732 Heavy Duty plastic shutoff which uses the same type of lever but appears (according to the picture) to have a much larger diameter body which should put the lever up higher so I think the lever will clear those fittings. (Don't confuse the Dram 22732 heavy duty plastic with the Dramm 12365 standard duty plastic fitting--entirely different. One is big, full-flow, and made of a fiber filled plastic while the other is a small one.) I haven't used this 12353 brass fitting because I must return it, but, it feels so good in my hand and it just beams high quality! The housing is heavy duty machined brass. When I flick the lever with my finger, I must admit the lever feels and sounds like it is not brass. But, it looks like brass. Since I'm returning it, I can't do a scratch test so all I can say is that the lever might be a brass plated metal instead of all brass. The lever certainly appears to be cast and not machined. The "ball" appears to be chromed stainless steel or polished stainless steel. In other words, the water flow bore of the ball looks to be drilled stainless steel while the outside of the ball has a mirror finish. I've never seen stainless steel polished to that sheen. It really looks like a chrome plated ball to me. There are some plastic parts inside, however, and you may not expect that. I didn't. As soon as I looked at the valve I saw the plastic and phoned Dramm. A representative assured me that they will replace those pieces forever if they fail. All I'd have to do is call or email to get the parts. They told me the valve has a lifetime warranty. So, that excited me. That warranty made me shelve any fears I had about chipping chrome or degrading plastic. So, I went to my hose and engaged just a couple of threads only to discover that the lever will not travel past 1/2 flow. My hose fittings interfere. Dagnabbit! Oh, well. Maybe some day I'll get Dramm's hose fitting press so I can use their ferrules and fittings for my hose ends. Then, with those low profile ferrule arrangements, there will be no interference with the 12353 brass shut-off. By the way, if your hose has factory applied crimped/pressed fittings, you will probably have no problems with this 12353 brass shut-off valve. If you have barbed hose fittings held on with a standard worm-screw clamp (radiator hose clamp), you might have interference problems. Update 07/13/2014: The Dramm 22732 heavy duty plastic shut-off valve did arrive and, yes, its larger diameter main body puts the lever up higher and the lever clears the Gilmore fittings. The valve operates smoothly and does not leak when turned on and does not leak when turned off. Longevity? I don't know, but, since Amazon allows editing, you can bet I'll be back to post if something is disappointing. I'll be disappointed if it lasts less than 5 years. I'm not going to push it beyond expected limits by leaving it connected to the hose during freezing weather but, it will certainly be on the hose and in the sunlight for the remaining 8 months or so of the year (Louisville,KY). I do expect it to withstand sunlight's radiant heat, UV, and I expect it to withstand ozone and pollutants.

This valve works great. Easy on and off even with wet hands. If you are frustrated with plastic valves that are difficult to turn on and off and break in one season's use, this is the product for you. Some of the criticisms are not well thought out. The "aluminum" ball is designed to work against the nylon surfaces inside the valve body. This is an improvement over the older metal on metal design, not cheaper construction. Brass against brass moving parts wear fairly quickly under constant use. Note that the ball is easily replaced, as testified to by the people who complained about it "falling out." The steel nut that "discolors" is likely an improved strengthening of a critical part, not a cheap substitute. It should be stainless steel, but discoloring and even rusting does not affect its function. If it drives you crazy, replace it with a stainless one from your local hardware store. While people certainly CAN use this valve as a shut-off at the male (delivery) end of a hose, it's size and weight suggest that it is intended to be used between the faucet and the female (entry) end of the hose, most likely with a multiple splitter of some type to allow shutting off some lines while using others. The complaints of the levers getting in the way or catching on things when using the product in ways for which it was not designed are not flaws in the product, but limitations in using it in ways other than primarily intended. Those wanting a shut off at the male (delivery) end of a hose might find the aluminum version of this valve somewhat lighter. Users should note that the on/off lever can be re-positioned 180 degrees, if needed, to avoid hitting against a device to which the valve is connected. Remove the holding screw, change the position of the lever, and replace the screw. There may be problems with using the valve, as intended, in some individual situations, but the manufacturer cannot be expected to anticipate every individual application. One of my faucets was placed much too close to the ground and it caused problems with using the valve as I had hoped. I managed a "workaround," but the problem was the faucet, not the valve. The complaint that the female end has "too few threads" makes no sense. As long as there are sufficient threads to hold the connecting pieces together, the number of threads on the female end of any "garden hose" connector cannot be "too short" in a way that would make the connection leak. The seal is provided by the washer not by the tightening of the threads against each other (as with tapered threads on iron pipe). The only thing that could cause a leak by a female end would be it being so LONG that a standard size male connector could not reach and seat against the washer. A MALE end (perhaps what another reviewer meant?) so short that it can not seat fully against the washer in the female end of a particular hose or other garden device COULD cause leaking. Either problem can usually be resolved by using an additional washer (or washers). Above all, people should follow instructions and know that, with this and any other garden hose connector, you should not over tighten the fitting. Tempting as it is to put a crescent wrench on the hexagon shaped body and get it "really good and tight," don't. You will likely displace the washer into the throat of the male connector and cause the valve to leak. Hand tightening, with the connectors and your hands dry, is always recommended with all these type products. If using a wrench, only tighten the connector until it stops leaking. If the valve does not leak when the faucet is open and the valve is closed, but leaks AT THE FEMALE CONNECTOR when the valve is then opened, the problem is almost always a poorly seated washer. If you have leaks and cannot see a flaw in the casting or a damaged or displaced washer, try placing a second washer in the female connector, and, again, HAND tighten. If the additional washer is not a snug fit, you may need to pry out the washer that comes with the product and place the additional washer under the original one to get the best seal. In short, spending a little time trying to figure out why a seemingly good product is not working properly might reveal that there is nothing wrong with the product, only with the way you are using it (mia culpa). I allow that any product has some defective samples, but judging by the number of positive reviews, I do not believe this is a common problem with this valve.

Solid brass, high quality! My gate valve spigot is leaking, adding this allowed me not to have to crawl under the house and replace spigot. The ball valve work flawlessly and has a true 1/2" hole allowing for great flow and pressure.

I'm reviewing the Dramm 12353 Heavy-Duty Brass Shut-Off Valve and related connectors. Despite the cons, I like this combination of fittings so well that I'm ordering a second set for another hose in a different area of my property. Pros: Heavy duty Quality connections Cons: Shut valve is somewhat heavy compared to plastic alternatives Higher price than plastic alternatives The DGH7 Brass Quick Connect fitting contains a special rubber seal DGHW7 which is pricey online but not locally here. I ordered these 3 items: Dramm 12353 Heavy-Duty Brass Shut-Off Valve Dixon DGH7 Brass Quick-Connect Fitting, Garden Hose Complete Set, 200 psi Pressure Dixon DGH7P Brass Quick-Connect Fitting, Garden Hose Male Plug, 200 psi Pressure https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000HHQAQY/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00835N902/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00835N8VW/ref=od_aui_detailpages00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Details: Some reviewers warn that if you disconnect the male connector from the female quick connect while the hose is still under pressure and without using the shut off valve, you might blow the rubber seal out of the female quick connect. If you lose that rubber seal you can't replace it with a regular hose washer. The special seal DGHW7 can be pricey to buy online. I saw the rubber seal selling for $5.50 each plus $6.51 shipping! Locally, I paid 41 cents each at a local hose and rubber shop so I bought 10 seals! They piggybacked my order on another Dixon order so I paid no shipping costs. The Good News: It's been 18 months and I have not had to replace the special seal. I keep the shut off valve and female quick connect permanently attached to my garden hose outside in South Florida year around. When not in use, I keep a big ziploc bag over the connector tied off with a velcro strap to keep dirt and crud from getting in the connector. Sometimes I spray a little WD40 into the quick connect to make it work a little easier but its probably not necessary.