What is a hose end sprayer?
Like the name suggests a hose end sprayer is a spray unit that connects to the end of your garden hose. They allow you to apply liquid products, usually fertiliser to your plants and garden at the correct dosage.
In this post I am going to cover 2 different sprayers. The Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun and the Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE.
Both units were purchased by myself and are my honest review.
Read on or watch the video near the bottom to learn more about these hose end sprayer units.
Unboxing
Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun
The Holman QuikMix spray gun comes from Holman Industries, a company founded in 1966 in Western Australia.
They have a wide variety of watering products and hose attachments to help you with your watering needs.
Here in New Zealand they appear to be sold exclusively at Bunnings. This unit set me back around $27 (prices may change so use this as a guide only.)
When purchasing this sprayer this is what you get:
- The mixing tank
- The spray unit itself
- Cardboard packaging
This is ready to go after you remove the cardboard packaging.
Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE
The solo hose end sprayer comes from Solo NZ Ltd which is a subsidiary of SOLO Klenmotoren GmbH Sindelfingen, Stuttgart, Germany. Founded in Germany in 1948, they make high grade garden sprayers, mistblowers, blowers and concrete saws.
This hose sprayer is available directly from Solo NZ themselves or from online gardening shop Gubba. It will cost you around $30 plus shipping.
When purchasing this sprayer this what you get:
- The mixing tank
- The Spray unit
- Hose connector
- Bottle adaptor
- 2 sizes of suction tube
- Instruction pamphlet
- Cardboard packaging
So a few more things with the Solo model, I do like it comes with a hose connector.
Build Quality
Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun
Both of the units are made of plastic as expected. When looking at the build quality I also think about other products from these brands I have come in contact with over the years.
With Holman I’ve used various hose fittings and timers from them over the years. They get the job done and are at a good price point compared to some other products out there.
The Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun feels sturdy in the hand with it’s pistol type grip. It was easy for me to hold for long periods of time. There was one area of concern though which I will talk about later.
Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE
When it comes to Solo, I have a backpack sprayer I have used and abused over the years, it still works and I know that I can get spare parts for it if I need to.
When it comes to the Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE it is another solid feeling product to hold. The handle can take a little bit to get used to, but once the hose is connected to it becomes easier to hold.
Features
Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun
- 1 liter mixing tank
- 1 Handed flow control
- 8 dilution levels available
- Fill markings in milliliters
- Check boxes to mark if it is fertiliser, weed killer or other
- Easy to grip pistol type handle
- Extra metal filter in the body of the spray unit
Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE
- 1 liter mixing tank
- Pull trigger to control water and flow
- Around 14 different dilution levels
- 4 different spray patterns to choose from
- Fill markings in millileters and also gallons
- Comes with a hose fitting
- Has an adaptor to use liquid fertiliser bottles directly
Using the Sprayers
Both the sprayers are used in the same way. You fill the container up with your liquid product of choice, for me it was a seaweed / fish fertiliser. You select the dilution level you want by using the dial. Turning on the water applies water and the dose of product you selected.
Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun
The Holman unit has a very small opening at the top of the bottle, this can make it difficult to get the product in and you might need to use a funnel to avoid any spillage.
You can easily hold the unit and turn it on with your thumb. There is a kPa rating on the side of the bottle. My pressure must have been less as it seemed to take longer to empty than what they suggested. Although this unit did spray further than the Solo for me.
Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE
Similar to the Holman, you add the product to the Solo Hose-End Sprayer 405HE container. This has a very large opening, and you also have the ability to connect the top of the unit to any standard sized bottle.
Pick the spray pattern you want and dilution level and spray your garden or pumpkin.
While this unit didn’t spray as far as the Holman, it felt like it was sucking up and pushing out more liquid fertiliser in my use.
Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun VS Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE Video
Pros and Cons
Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun
Pros
- Easy to hold with the pistol grip
- Solid clicks for the dilution selection
- Extra filter may be handy for some
- Great distance for the sprayer
- Easy to operate thumb control
Cons
- Very small opening for the top of the bottle
- Unable to use product bottles
- 1 set spray pattern
- Thumb control might be hard for some people
- Have to refer to numbers on side of bottle to match number on selector
Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE
Pros
- More choices when it comes to dilution levels
- Has off setting to not use the product
- Large wide opening helps with transferring to it
- Different spray patterns to choose from
- Ability to attach to a wide variety of existing bottles
Cons
- Handle could be awkward for some people
- Distance isn’t as far as other sprayer
If I had to pick the biggest problem I see for each unit they would be the small narrow opening for the Holman QuikMix 1L Spray Gun’s bottle. This appears to become a weak point, and can break over time from the review online.
For the Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE I would have to say where you hold it isn’t as comfortable. Once the hose is connected it gives you an easier way to hold it.
Remember you may be holding these units for a while if fully filled. Finding out how comfortable these are to hold for extended periods of time could be important for some users.
Price and Value
At the time of writing this the units are both around the same sort of price. Which is a lot cheaper than I thought they would be when I realised these were for sale in New Zealand.
If price is a concern for you, make sure to take into consideration any shipping you may need to pay.
For best value I’m going to give this to the Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE, there’s 2 main reasons for this. One is the ability to use existing bottles of products. I think this is a great idea and makes it easy to use product directly from their own container.
The other area I think is good for the Solo unit is the super wide opening on the bottle. Allowing you to easily fill it.
Final Recommendation
While it’s too early to tell which sprayer will last the longest. In weighting up all the features and what I think gives you better value for money, I’m going to say the Solo Hose End Sprayer 405HE is the better pick for anyone wanting to apply liquid fertiliser or products to their gardens.
If you’ve used these products or want to suggest something else, please leave a comment below.
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