I think some of you are confusing Zero G with other brands of hose. I shop both Lowes and Home Depot and the Zero G hoses sold at both have metal ends. I have never seen Zero G hoses with plastic ends anywhere. Ours is out in the sun all the time here in Florida and shows no signs of deterioration. We use it all the time hooked up to the pressure water at the campsites. The bursting strength on the zero G is 650 PSI. If a campground produces more than that water pressure, there is a serious problem. Ours gets run over by the cars often when stretched across the driveways at home. No issues there either. Chuck