Battery Powered Garden Sprayer *Updated
Notice – Be sure to read the 7/4/22 update at the end of the post!
I have a new toy! It’s a battery-powered garden sprayer! Isn’t it funny what gets us excited in our old age))) Using a 2-gallon pump sprayer may not seem like a lot of work, but it has been for me! So I couldn’t wait to try out this battery-powered sprayer.
We have several Knockout rose bushes in our yard and I’ve been struggling with clearing up mildew all spring. The rains we received earlier this year must have contributed to the mildew growth because it has never been this bad before.
So, a few weeks ago we had the roses cut back hard and added new pine straw mulch. We also had 15 new Knockout rose bushes added to the side of the house. All total, that makes about 35 rose bushes.
Pump Sprayers
We have had more pump sprayers over the years than I can count. They are inexpensive, but they don’t last long. Sometimes they just quit spraying and you just can figure out what’s wrong. When this happens, we just run to town and buy another one.
A couple of weeks ago my husband came home with a new gallon of Roundup weed killer. I have used it to spot kill weeds in the flower beds. But, this container had a battery-powered wand. It was so cool and really made spot touching the weeds easy.
Well, I figured if Roundup could have a battery-powered spray wand, there surely must be one that you could purchase, so I started looking.
Battery-Powered Garden Sprayer
My first trip took me to Walmart because that’s where the Roundup came from. No battery-powered sprays to be had though. I almost just bought another gallon of Roundup to pour out and use the container! But I didn’t. I went back home and did what we all do, searched on the internet.
Lowes had a battery-powered sprayer in a couple of different sizes. So we went to New Albany and picked one up.
Typically I read reviews before purchasing anything, but this time I didn’t. We chose the two-gallon sprayer for $49. They had a one-gallon that I first thought about getting because two gallons of liquid is kinda heavy. But for $10 more we went with the two-gallon. And I can always just put a gallon of liquid in it to tote around.
It was pretty simple to assemble, my husband did it in just a few minutes. The rechargeable battery came partially charged and I was able to use it to spray my roses for the first time. Afterward, we just put it back on the charger to get a full charge.
Reviews
The reviews were mixed on this product. Most of them were either all for the battery-powered sprayer or not. So, you will just have to back your own judgment. I promise if this product doesn’t hold up to my expectations, I will come back and update this post. I never want to promote anything that turns out not to meet expectations.
Pros
- The handle is easy on the hands
- The tubing is 41 inches in length
- Easy push-button start
- The push-button shows red if the battery needs charging, green otherwise
- The top fits on easily with just a quarter turn
- Markings for liquid are easy to read
- Rechargeable battery is easy to remove
- The charging tray is small and has a USB plug or electric outlet plug. Not sure how I would use this unless charging from a golf cart or something…lol
- Saves time not having to stop and pump every few minutes
- Consistent spray the entire time
- Sprays up to 2 hours on a charge (depending on what type of spray you set, a stream spray is less taxing on the battery than a fine mist)
Cons
- The mixed reviews, of course, time will tell
- Price possibly if it turns out to be a dud. I think it will be worth the price if it lasts a season!
- You can’t use bleach or acid-type products in the sprayer.
Summary
So far, I like the sprayer a lot. And as I say, time will tell as to how it holds up. We shall see))) Next week I’ll be spraying again and I don’t actually dread it!
By the way, here’s what I use to spray my roses for mildew and black spot. It works really great. I think one reason I had so much trouble with my roses earlier this year was that I tried a different product. It was Neem Oil and it just did not work.
Since I’ve gone back to using BioAdvanced Disease Control for Roses, my roses have looked so much better. I think I’m about to have the mildew and black spot whipped! Keep your fingers crossed))
July 4, 2022 Update
The first time I used the sprayer it worked great! The following week I started spraying my roses again. About halfway through spraying, I heard a pop and saw that the plastic container had collapsed. Almost all of my liquid had been used up, so I thought perhaps I had allowed the container to get too close to being empty and that caused the collapse. So, I refilled it with two gallons and started spraying again. But it collapsed again within just a couple of minutes. I think if it had a pressure release valve that might have helped.
To finish spraying and avoid the collapse, which made the container not sit upright, I would unscrew the lid and move around through the roses to finish spraying. I was undecided on whether to keep the sprayer and work with this shortcoming but ultimately decided no. Not for $50, there had to be a better solution.
I researched and found another 2-gallon battery-powered sprayer. It cost more at $89 but had more features.
- Hose 50″ in length
- Pressure release valve
- Shoulder strap (I probably would never use, but the hubby might)
- Bleach or other disinfectants can be used
- The wand is stainless steel
- Can be mounted on an ATV
- The wand will reach about 20′
- Rustproof
- One year warranty
- No batteries to remove, and the cap is rechargeable
I used the pump this morning, and it puts out more liquid than the previous sprayer which actually speeded up my work. After I finished, all I had to do was touch the button to turn it off and release the pressure.
Granted this garden sprayer is more expensive and designed for a professional landscaper, so it should work fine for my roses)))
As I’ve always said, I never want to promote anything that turns out to be a dud. Not saying the previous sprayer was a dud, but it should have functioned better. It sprayed great, but the container collapsing would have eventually led to a crack in the plastic I imagine. So, for $40 more…..I have a Cadillac garden sprayer!
