The Gilmour Hose End Sprayer works great for spraying any and everything. I've been using it for years and years. Last year the plastic tube that picks up the solutuion in the bottle broke so I wrote to the Gilmour company to replace it and they sent me a WHOLE NEW sprayer! I had forgotten they are guaranteed for life.

You can buy extra bottles to keep different solutions in. Also I always rinse it well after use and spray WD40 in the nozzel to keep the metal parts 'healthy'.

Here is a link that might be useful: This is the one I'm talking about ...

I have never been happy with the measurement of hose end sprayers. Now that I don't spray for fungicide nor insects, I don't use the sprayer for anything except Round Up. I will switch that to weed and grass killer this year.

I do want to begin using Wilt Pruf again to prevent RRD, and will use my Husdon 3 gallon sprayer for that. That is about all that Lowe's sells, so I will use it even though the hose gets brittle, and I have to replace it every couple of years.

I guess I am not much help. The sprayer is too heavy for me, and there is no product that I can use to roll it around without tipping. I hate to use it, but think there is value in the Wilt Pruf. Now that I write this, maybe Neptune's Harvest can be added to it.

Sammy

Sammy, do you mean that you think that the mixing and measuring done by the hose end sprayers isn't accurate?

I've been using mine to use a mixture of Liqui-Cop and Pyrethrin on an occasional basis. They require the same dilution, so I've been able to mix the two in the same container, double (or halve? -- sorry I need a pad and pencil to figure that out) the dilution rate I select on the spray top, and .... off I go. Pre-mixing is probably safer, but then the weight factor kicks in....

Hmmmph....

I probably have not tried Insecticides for 10 years, but when I used maybe Funginex, it took an entire bottle when I put it in the hose end sprayer. (I am not young, so I was not a kid experimenting, but followed the directions.)

When I switched to a regular sprayer, I filled the tank about 3 times, and each time I put in a small amount. I would say that I used 4 times the amount in the hose end sprayer.

It really gives me the chills to think about that, but at that time I thought it was necessary.

Now I will not touch any insecticide or fungicide. But I cannot go back and change what I once did.

Sammy

After 3 years of spending hours every 2 weeks of applying fungicide (yes, I do spray for BS) to 300 roses spread out over 2 acres and using a 2-gallon pump-action sprayer, I bought myself an early birthday present from Rosemania last summer.

I purchased the 'Spot-Shot Battery-Powered Sprayer' which is equipped with a 50-ft. hose, High Pressure (85psi), 7-gallon capacity, and is mounted on a 2-wheel cart. It also comes with 2 metal nozzles for different spray patterns. I like the 50-feet of hose because I can park the sprayer and just haul the hose throughout the gardens and spray away. The 2-wheel cart also moves through the grass pretty easily also...saves my back and arms from carrying heavy loads.

What used to take 4-6 hours of sweaty work now is easily accomplished in 1.5 hours. It was well worth the money just for the time savings alone. Our local Rose Society president has had one for several years and hasn't had any problems with his sprayer, so I'm hoping mine will last me for several years also.

Here is a link that might be useful: SpotShot Battery Powered Sprayer

I second what RoseLee said.

I've used the Gilmour for the past 6 years and it's by far my favorite sprayer-- it's fast, efficient and the spray stream is strong enough to get through foliage into the middle of the bush.

To check it for accuracy, fill the bottle to 15oz., set the dial on 10. Direct the spray into a bucket. When the liquid in the bottle is down to 10 oz., there should be 1 gallon of water in the bucket-- provided you haven't spilled any water.

To avoid leaky connections between hose and sprayer, I have a short hose that I use only for connecting to the sprayer. This tends to prevent wear and tear on the hose end.

My only gripe with the Gilmour is that it's too easy to lose the diffuser tip.

I'm glad to hear another vote for the Gilmour since I have one on its way......

Idixierose, are you talking about one of those really short (maybe 6") bits of hose....? Do you keep it attached to the sprayer, and then attach that hose to the primary hose?

Susan

Susan, I think you'll find the Gilmour is a very dependable tool for foliar feeding. I've been using it for spraying liquid seaweed ever since they told me at Antique Rose Emporium that they spray with nothing else. Among other things they say liquid seaweed helps with heat stress. It's also been named as a specific remedy for spider mites. I'm wondering if it might also help with thrips control because since going organic they have not been a problem. But whatever it's doing -- the roses that ARE has planted out at their nursery always look great.

I also use the Gilmour for applying fish emulsion to the roots of roses instead of mixing it and pouring it with a bucket. Since fish emulsion is thick I dilute it with about half water. Also if you have good water pressure the spray will reach quite high into trees if you want to spray web worms with BT. Sammy, I don't know if you tried it or not, but it seems like the Gilmour would work well for spraying Wilt Pruf, too.

The Gilmour hose end sprayer can be calibrated to spray from 1/2 t. per gal. to 10 T per gal. and I've always felt that it's fairly accurate by watching how fast the solution is used up. Idixierose, thank you for giving us an easy way of testing it.

Here's a few tips that come to mind:

I found that attaching the nozzle to the hose and then screwing on the jar that holds the solution is easiest.

Be aware there is a fine mesh filter on the bottom of the pick up tube that can get clogged if there is a lot sediment in the solution, as might be the case with fish emulsion. To clear it I just put my finger over the nozzle and back flush. You can remove the solution container to do that or if the ratio of the mix isn't critical I just leave it on since only a little water will go back into the container.

After use I remove the bottle and run plain water through the nozzle. Then I back flush with the finger over the nozzle trick. You'll get a thin stream of water coming out the top of the nozzle so aim that part away from you, or on a hot day you might enjoy a little sprinkle of water :-)

It may not be needed, but after removing the nozzle from the hose I spray WD 40 into all the openings.

Terryjean, when I was still spraying fungicides I found the battery operated sprayer to be a great back saver with not having to lug a sprayer around, plus it was a real time saver also. You'll enjoy having it.

Idixierose, I may be missing something, but I never bothered using the diffuser tip. If I still have it around maybe I could mail it to you.

Susan, I hope these few tips help, and happy gardening everybody with whatever kind of sprayer and spray you intend to use!

I really appreciate everyone's input on this subject, and I am glad I ordered the Gilmour. My biggest problem is my tendency to wear myself out (or get bored) before I get to the clean-up part of the job, so if I can just do a better job of stopping work before I have hit the wall and with enough energy to still take care of my tools I will be much better off (and someone I don't recognize .... :-)))))) )

Susan

I've never had much luck with hose end sprayers. I generally use a hand-pump tank sprayer. I regard those as disposable items at best. I've tried all the brands on the market. They last a year or two or at best three, then start failing to hold pressure properly. Fortunately, I don't spray much. If I did, I would still be stuck. There are excellent and expensive powered sprayers you can wheel around your garden, but most of my garden is on a slope so those are out, usually just in the winter when I prune. Which I haven't started yet, shame on me.

Idixierose, just wanted to thank you for all the helpful tips on using the Gilmour hose end sprayer, which is a very useful garden device I wouldn't want to be without.

De nada, Roselee. I guess the length of my post reflects my enthusiasm for it, huh.