August 4th, 2020 by Chris Chapman

You don’t need to be an avid gardener to find a garden sprayer useful. Garden sprayers do exactly as the name suggests; they let you spray large areas in the garden with water plus weeding, feeding, pesticide or cleaning products. Even if all you want to do is give your patio a clean or feed the lawn, a garden sprayer is a really handy tool to have.

Pump sprayer, electric sprayer or pressure washer?

Once you have established that a sprayer would be useful, you need to decide which type would be most suited to your needs. There are three main types: pump sprayer, electric sprayer and pressure washer. All will do the job of spraying water but have different modes of operation and advantages.

Here is our guide to choosing the right garden sprayer for you!

Pump Sprayer

How it works:

A pump sprayer is a simple manual tool. A handle is pumped up and down by hand to create pressure in the unit. This pressure forces the liquid from the tank into the lance and you release it by pressing the trigger. Look for models (such as this one from Pro-Kleen) with efficient pump mechanisms that don’t allow air to leak back out (thereby maintaining the pressure and preventing you having pump the lost air back in), and safety release valves that will release excess pressure if you accidentally over-pump.

Benefits:

Pump sprayers are simple and cheap; you can get a really good one for less than £20. Their main benefit is that they’re low maintenance – all you need to use and small so easy to store. There’s no setting up required so it’s ready to go at a moment’s notice. Just fill it, pump it, and spray away!

Most suitable for:

A pump sprayer is great for occasional use, or if you don’t have a very large area you want to treat. If you have a regular-sized-patio, a pump sprayer will be fine – you probably don’t need the extra cost for a more expensive model. They’re also ideal if you don’t have a lot of space for storage.

Pro-Kleen Manual Garden Pump Sprayer 10L

Price: £29.99

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Electric Sprayer

How it works:

Electric sprayers work in much the same way as pump sprayers. However, where a pump sprayer is pumped manually, an electric sprayer is pumped using battery power. Some are mains operated and some use a rechargeable battery. The battery powered models, such as Pro-Kleen’s Electric Sprayer, are especially convenient as you’re not restricted by a cable or access to power outside.

Pros:

As these sprayers have a power supply, it does all the pumping for you. If you’re not comfortable pumping a sprayer, then an electric sprayer will help you treat your garden more easily. Another benefit is that your sprayer will always create the perfect amount of pressure – there’s no need to worry about applying too much or too little. We’d advise a picking a model with a strong battery – Pro-Kleen’s sprayer has a battery that lasts for 6-8 hours, which is more than enough time to spray even the largest garden.

Most suitable for:

Electric sprayers are perfect for larger gardens or for people who aren’t comfortable manually pumping a sprayer.

Pro-Kleen Knapsack Battery Operated Garden Sprayer

Price: £89.99

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Pressure Washer

How it works:

A pressure washer is power tool that applies very high pressure to water to clean a range of outdoor surfaces, in many cases without needing detergent. They can’t be used for watering or feeding plants – unless you want to completely destroy your garden – but if you want high-powered, intense patio cleaning, they’re by far the best choice.

Pros:

You will never get the same amount of pressure from a pump spray or electric spray as you would from a pressure washer. A pressure washer will power through dirt on driveways, patios, and even cars and outdoor furniture. Most models also have a range of attachments that let you take care of different cleaning tasks. For example, this pressure washer kit comes with a patio cleaning attachment and two different brushes, as well as a range of nozzles.

Most suitable for:

Pressure washers are great for people with drives, patios, or decking that need a good level of cleaning as well as car enthusiasts who take pride in keeping their vehicles clean. Thanks to the range of attachments you can choose from, you can tackle almost any cleaning job.

Pro-Kleen Pressure Washer

Price: £89.99

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Sprayers summed up

In very simple terms, if you want a low-cost option for garden spraying for occasional use, choose a pump sprayer. For larger gardens, more regular spraying jobs, or if you want something that requires less physical work, choose an electric sprayer. Both of these sprayers can be used for cleaning hard surfaces or watering and feeding plants. And, for high-powered cleaning, choose a pressure washer. All great products; each suited to different needs.