If 2 hoses are leaking at the same area, one would think that the bib threads may have a burr or? so that the hose isn't threading on far enough. An extra washer or may be a pliers to help tighten?

Have you tried it on a
different faucet or tighter as mentioned?

Personally, I'd either replace the fitting or replace that length of hose altogether. Maybe I'm just lazy...

Thanks for the replies here. I took longer_gw's suggestion and lugged the hose reel to the front yard and tried it there. The leak was present there too! In all my days, I've never had a hose leak at that spot, let alone two, one right after the other. Very strange. I bought a brand new length of hose reel and installed it, and voila! The leak is gone.

I did have some trouble with the other end that attaches to the hose reel itself. It's non-threaded and attached via a hose clamp. Water was spraying out the sides of the hose no matter how tightly I had the hose clamp. I wrapped the male piece of plastic that the hose is squeezed on to with teflon tape, and at least for the moment, it seems to be pretty leak-free.

Thanks for the input here. A happy new year to all.

Had the hoses been on during a freeze? Did you ever look close inside the hoses’
connections? I usually add connections
when needed (using regular stainless hose clamps) for various reasons and never
had the problem. If you have time, cut and
remove the ext brass away to exam the internal brass and hose. Usually a diagonal Hacksaw cut on the Ext
Brass and Needle Nose Pliers will get the job done. Then you can add a new end
to have a 2nd hose.