Choosing the Best Hose Nozzle: Material, Spray Type, and Style

Best Hose Nozzle and Sprinkler for your hose

I remember times when hose nozzle was a premium thing, so you just placed your thumb over the hose end and making a stream. I also remember when I was a kid, mom asked me to water strawberries and I took a hose, turned on the water and with a flow from the hose, which came out like a jet and killed all strawberries. I opened their roots and broke all the leaves. Needless to say that my mother from time did not allow me to water plants without a hose nozzle.

I also remember times when hose nozzles mostly were made from plastic, and they broke, started to leak, stopped spraying like twice a year. That’s the reason why in these days I’m choosing hose nozzle carefully. And remember – with good hose nozzle you can easily clean best fire pits!

It’s obvious that a good hose nozzle will be made from high-quality materials, will last very long time in any conditions and is easy to use. Right now I own two hose nozzles, one is a cheap one but made for higher pressure, and I use it for cleaning car’s tires and other stuff which is hard to wash. And another nozzle is for 10$ at a local shop, made from metal and it’s not bad. Two years it’s staying outside in the dirt and snow and water, and it’s still working ok. Ok, it leaks a little bit and because of sand changing sprinkling type is not that easy, but it still works excellent. And hey, it’s 10$.

After buying a hose and hose splitter you will need also hose nozzle or nozzles, so you can wash your car, (I do not suggest to do it in your lawn or garden, because all the bad stuff, oil, fuel and road dirt gets in your ground and it’s bad for it) water your plants without doing any damage to them and save water and money. Some people are watering their lawn and plants without hose nozzle, just using a simple hose and I can say that don’t do it because it’s dangerous for plant roots and overwatering is highly possible.

The bottom line of hose nozzles are that manufacturers are making them last no more than 2 years. They just know that you will need them anyway and they are not putting much effort and good materials in them. So, there is no perfect nozzle, all of them has their own cons and pros, but you will never find a very durable, comfortable and multi-functional nozzle.

Anyway, I have made a list and some information for you so choosing a hose nozzle will be easier for you.


How to choose best hose nozzle

1. Material from which hose nozzle is made

Most important thing in my opinion. Nozzles sprayer and the handle mostly comes in two materials – metal or plastic. Expensive nozzles are made from metal or very durable plastic, but cheaper mostly are made from plastic.

The 10$ nozzle I got from a local shop is mixed material, the sprayer is plastic with a metal turning ring, and a handle is of metal. I like it, it feels great, is durable and does not give you that cheap feeling.

BUT, I suggest you yo avoid nozzles which are made entirely from plastic because they break very easily and degraded by the sun.

Metal nozzles are the best choice because tend to last very long. I even know one lady who is using the same metal nozzle for 8! years. So, before choosing the right material do like this – handle can be from plastic, but I suggest to go for metal. Sprayer needs to be made from metal, that’s most important. Hose connection point can also be from plastic, but I highly recommend to choose metal.

In one sentence – avoid entirely plastic nozzles.

Best Hose Nozzle
Best Hose Nozzle

2. Hose nozzle spray type

Some gardeners are OK with just simple types, rain and jet, but I suggest you choose as many types as possible because each of them has a different purpose. But you can also just write down what you want to water and then check what kind of spray it needs. If you need to water large areas, then you need to choose a nozzle that offers a wide spraying. Of course for that, you may need a high volume of water, but tap water should be enough. If you mostly water pots or deep garden beds then choose nozzle with a longer handle. For pots, I’m using sprayer type called mist. It’s very safe and good for your plants and it water excellent plus it’s also washing the plant.

For another reason, there is no point to buy a nozzle with less spraying types, so I would suggest buying a nozzle with as much spray types as possible.

3. Hose nozzle styles


1. Pistol grip nozzle

Like the heading says, this nozzle looks like a pistol. These nozzles have a handle like a pistol and a lever or trigger which turns on the water. There two types of triggers – one which you control by squeezing a handle with our fingers or on the back where you press it with your palm.

Of course at the from there is nozzle from where the water comes out. Some of the nozzles have attachments which you can add, but they are pretty hard to find.

You can turn off the water and also control the flow rate by releasing the trigger.

This type of nozzles usually is made of aluminum or plastic. They have a lot of moving parts so be careful when choosing this kind of nozzle. I suggest you avoid buying plastic ones. They are breaking after the first drop.

2. Dial nozzle

This is my favorite type of nozzle. My 10$ nozzle has eight spraying types. Usually, nozzles have from 2 to 8 spraying types. To change a pattern, you need to turn the ring, and that’s it! Easy, fast and efficient. Dial hose nozzles are perfect for all type’s of watering, with a mist pattern you can water plants in pots, with a jet or soak you can wash your car or pavement, with a shower you can do bigger garden watering,

Usually pattern types are – jet,fan,flat,cone,shower,mist,center spray and soak.

These nozzles, as I said in the beginning, mostly are made from plastic/metal. But if in any case, you bought a plastic nozzle, remember to put in shade when not using it and don’t leave it outside over the winter.

3. Watering Wand nozzle

You can buy this type of nozzle if you need to water some exact places, like hanging pots or deep garden beds. Usually, you can extend handle and get even longer handle. They are great if you have a big garden, but do not have a walking path. So you can reach all plants without using jet stream which is not healthy for your plants. Mostly watering wands comes with dial ending so you can choose different patterns and a trigger, so you don’t need to turn of the faucet or hose splitter.

4.Fan hose Nozzle

If you need to water only small gardens or outdoor plants, then this nozzle is perfect for you. It sprays water in a fan-shaped pattern.

Most of them don’t have water control (some more expensive have a shut-off valve). I like them because you can do your job quickly and in higher quality.

5. Fireman nozzle

I call them – car washing nozzles because you can find them in all car part shops or automotive care section. This nozzle generates a very high-pressure water and a huge amount of it, so it’s good for washing cars. You can change from a light mist to a large stream just by twisting the nozzle. Remember, that large spray can be too strong for plants, so with a Fireman nozzle you should be careful.

Mostly they are made of metal, and some of them even have a rubber coating. Usually, they are unbreakable because they are meant to used in rough circumstances. So don’t worry if you drive over by it with a car.

6. Twist Hose Nozzle .

This type of nozzle has a simple straight barrel which you can twist to control the water amount. You can also change a spray pattern by turning the end of it. If you turn to the right, it will spray a mist, but if you twist to the left, it can spray hard stream. On that side, you can also turn off the water completely. Mostly these nozzles last forever, but they are not that comfortable as a dial. This is that second nozzle I own, and I like it.


4. Quick Connect

If you have more than one nozzle or you are using a hose for different things I suggest to buy a nozzle with quick connect because screwing the nozzle off each time will be tedious and time taking. And it’s not okay for connection rings also. The quick connect system allows you to simple snap nozzle on it. Quick connectors are made from metal or plastic. Plastic connectors tend to crack and leak water over time, so choose metal quick connection system.

5. Nozzle flow rate

Usually, all nozzles have flow rates from 2.5 to 5.2 gallons per minute. But it highly depends on the pattern and water pressure. Some of the manufacturers are saying that their nozzle have flow rate 6 gallons per minute, but this is bullshit. Flow rate it’s a thing you should not care about. Only if you have some particular washing or watering plants where you need a high pressure or a lot of water.

6. Shutoff Valve

Shutoff Valve is the thing that mostly breaks. A shutoff valve is a thing which turns off water either by rotating the barrel, releasing the trigger or moving a valve. You should look for a valve which is made from durable materials such as metal or high-quality plastic. It should also be solidly attached and should not move when at off position.


 

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