One thing most lawn, garden, and turf sprayers have in common is a spray wand. A spray wand or trigger spray gun is the method of application for hand pump sprayers, backpack sprayers, and spot sprayers, but it can also be a feature on boom sprayers, ATV/UTV sprayers, and many others. If you have ever used a sprayer gun you have likely had some frustration with it breaking, leaking, not shutting off, etc.
I have been there and so I decided that I would use and compare a bunch of the common spray wands offered by the major backpack and spot sprayer manufacturers. I chose spray wands from Teejet, Chapin, Fimco, Solo, & Master.
Spray Wand Specs
| Item | Manufacturer | Material | Length | Nozzle |
| Standard Lever Spray Wand Item #: 5163100 | Fimco | Poly handle and steel lance | 29 inches | Adjustable |
| 22670PP-15 TriggerJet | TeeJet | Polypropylene body/polyester extension | 24 inches | Adjustable |
| 6-4626: Shut-off Assembly | Chapin | Poly | 24 inches | Adjustable |
| 4900170N 28-Inch Universal Sprayer Wand | Solo | Poly | 28 inches | Adjustable |
Overall Best Spray Wand: Teejet “Trigger Jet” Spray Wand
Features:
- Locking handle
- Can accept other TeeJet Tips with correct adapters
- Sturdy, chemical-resistant poly material
How I Tested Each Sprayer Wand
In order to test each one I simply used them to spray in a couple of different scenarios. I attached some quick couplers to each wand so I could quickly change them out as I sprayed.
I used each wand with a backpack sprayer to broadcast spray my lawn. Then I used each wand with a 12-volt spot sprayer to spray thistles in a pasture. These wands all came with an adjustable “cone to solid stream” type nozzle and that is what I used during the trial.
In my experience, there are several attributes that make a good spray wand. These are the different aspects that I compared while using each one:
- Durability
- Flexibility
- Spray pattern/Spray distance
- Chemical resistance
- Drip-free
- Comfort
After spraying, I decided to do a drop test. The drop test is pretty straightforward, I dropped each wand from about waist high onto a gravel driveway to see if any were damaged. The main trigger body and wand would likely hold up fine, but I wanted to make sure that the smaller components like the spray tip and the handle locking clips would break.
I ended up doing this drop test multiple times. None of the wands were damaged. This was not surprising, but I wanted to do this to see if any of these were made really cheaply.
Teejet “Trigger Jet” Spray Wand, Model 22670 with 15-inch Extension
TeeJet is a major name in the agriculture spraying world. They make several different types of sprayer tips and other sprayer components. I have used Teejet spray tips in the past and they work great, so it was not a surprise to see that their “Trigger Jet” spray wand works extremely well and is very well built.
Compared to the other wands I tested, it was easily the most quality constructed spray trigger. The trigger itself is made of dense polypropylene and the extension wand is a sturdy but flexible poly as well.
You can lock the trigger on so you do not have to continually squeeze it. This results in less hand fatigue. The other trigger wands had this feature as well but they were a little weaker in quality.
The spray nozzle that comes with the TeeJet “TriggerJet” wand is an adjustable tip. You can spray in a wide cone pattern to cover a larger area up close or a solid stream that gives you more distance. The spray pattern produced by the nozzle is very consistent, and it does not drip as you spray.
Overall it is a great spray wand that is made to last. The only downside is that you will pay for the quality. It was the most expensive wand on this list by far but in my opinion if you spray often or have a large property it is worth every penny. You can find the current cost here.
- Pros: Sturdy construction, chemical resistant, can easily swap to other TeeJet tips
- Cons: More expensive than the other spray wands
Solo Universal Sprayer Wand
Solo makes several different types of backpack sprayers and hand pump sprayers. You can also purchase their spray wand without buying a complete sprayer.
The Solo brand universal spray wand and shutoff valve are made from all poly material. It comes with an adjustable spray nozzle and a strainer that fits under the nozzle. These are nice but one of the best features of this spray wand is the inlet hose barb. It comes with a single hose barb that fits both 1/4 and 3/8 inch inside diameter hose. This is handy when you are ordering a replacement spray wand for your sprayer, you can be certain that it will fit the hose on just about any backpack or hand sprayer.
The spray wand and the nozzle both work fine. You can tell that the material is not as strongly constructed as the TeeJet spray wand. However, that is to be expected considering it is about half the cost of the Teejet Wand. If you are looking for a budget wand with versatility, you can see the full details on it here.
- Pros: Includes everything you need to get connected to a sprayer out of the package
- Cons: Not as durable as other wands
Fimco Standard Spray Wand
Fimco is a giant when it comes to the sprayer world. They manufacture many different sprayer types, from small spot sprayers to large UTV boom sprayers. They have a few different varieties of spray wands, but this basic wand seemed to be the most comparable to the others that I wanted to test.
The Fimco standard spray wand did surprise me with how durable it was for the cost. Although this wand was much less money than the TeeJet wand, it came with a steel extension that is very durable. All the other wands had poly extensions. It is yet to be seen if it will hold up over time to herbicides without rusting.
Although it is stronger, it is not flexible, sometimes being a little flexible actually helps a wand last longer because it doesn’t get bent when dropped or faced with the normal abuse from heavy use.
One aspect of this wand that did not perform well was the spray nozzle. The nozzle itself was slightly cracked around the threaded end. It still stayed on the wand and it did not result in any leaks but it does lead me to question how durable the tip will be over time.
Another thing about the nozzle was the spray pattern it produced. No matter what setting the adjustable nozzle was at, the pattern was not as uniform or consistent as the TeeJet nozzle.
It is worth noting that the nozzle that came with the standard Fimco spray wand had a larger capacity, meaning more flow over a given amount of time. So if you have an application that demands a larger flow it may be ideal. However, you can always purchase larger spray nozzle sizes from TeeJet as well and adapt them to your wand.
Finally, the angle or offset position of the nozzle was different than the other spray wands I tested. The angle of the nozzle is only slightly offset from the wand, while the TeeJet and Solo wands have a much greater offset angle.
This did not seem like a big issue at first but after spraying for a couple of hours, I found that I preferred the angle of the Teejet or Solo spray wand over the Fimco. It made it more difficult to spray up close using the cone setting on the adjustable nozzle. The greater angle offset allowed me to keep my arm and wrist in a more natural position.
- Pros: Wand extension was very strong, price is very affordable
- Cons: The Sprayer nozzle is of lower quality than the others, trigger assembly is held on by only a small pin.
Chapin Poly Shutoff Assembly
The Chapin spray wand was the least impressive of the four that I tested. The spray wand was not the cheapest, and it did not come complete. I had to buy a spray nozzle separate from the wand and trigger.
The wand functioned ok and it did not have any leaks over the time I used it. However, the wand extension was very flimsy and the trigger was uncomfortable to use. The trigger and the locking clip is all plastic. It functioned fine but it does seem much less durable than the others. Time will tell if this will hold up, but all together this was my least favorite spray wand.
- Pros: Lightweight
- Cons: Durability
Final Thoughts
The spray wand is an important part of your sprayer. The different brands may seem similar but when you spray a lot they become quite noticeable. Although it costs more money, I think that it is definitely worth it to invest in a spray wand that functions the way you want, is comfortable to use, and holds up to the normal abuse it may take.
