spray bottles that don't suck | The Garage Journal

ransil

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• Nov 8,

• #1

Looking for a good spray bottle , searched, only show a few old threads 5 plus years old with broken links.

Have tried reusing stuff that is empty, zep from lowes and walmart other stuff from the stores, they seem to all suck when you need them.

looked on amazon for the pump type they have mixed reviews.

I will probably put anything in them, window cleaner, bug chemicals, tire shine, simple green or orange or purple, dish soap. To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

Torque&Recoil

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• Nov 8,

• #2

I have several types. I have had no problems with the Zep bottles, except the handle shape is awkward, the fill hole is too small (have to use a funnel), they are kind of tall, and my wife dropped one and it snapped near the threads. Other than that, they spray great. I also have several of the lower cost ones (forget the brand, but I vaguely recall that they were assembled in Michigan - maybe Sprayco?) and they are more comfortable and actually work fine for glass cleaner and orange degreaser. I think I got those from Lowes 5 or 6 years ago. One failed immediately, but the rest keep going. Curious to see what others are using.

shoot summ

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• Nov 8,

• #3

I have the same issue with the HD and Lowes spray bottles, they suck.

I started buying Chemical guys bottles, mostly car care products in them, some get used almost daily and not a single issue in over 2 years.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ABYVT64/?tag=atomicindus08-20

n8n

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Curtis Bay, MD

• Nov 8,

• #4

All the ones that I've bought empty at hardware stores suck; they work well for a while but quickly just quit. I have taken to just using old Windex bottles, they are much better. Wish you could just buy them empty so you didn't have to dump out the Windex when you need one for something else.

bdbecker

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• Nov 8,

• #5

We use a lot of spray bottles in the shop. Simple Green, Windex, WD40, anti-spatter, rust preventer, etc. These are by far the must durable bottles I've found, and they're easy to fill.

https://www.mcmaster.com/t31

chipdog4

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LS6 Tommy

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• Nov 8,

• #7

We use a lot of spray bottles in the shop. Simple Green, Windex, WD40, anti-spatter, rust preventer, etc. These are by far the must durable bottles I've found, and they're easy to fill.

https://www.mcmaster.com/t31

We use the CRC spray bottles at work for several chemicals including CRC Contact Cleaner.
They hold up fairly well.

https://www.amazon.com/CRC--Applicator-Trigger-Bottle/dp/B000FW621Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=crc+&qid=&sr=8-1

Been there, done that. Those are identical to Do It Best Hardware spray bottles. You can get three for the same price as McMaster with no waiting or paying for shipping and they cost the same as one CRC bottle.



Tommy Last edited: Nov 9,

SGKent

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• Nov 8,

• #8

we get ours from a Janitorial supply who sells a better made bottle. They have held up much better than the big box store ones.

PCMusicGuy

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• Nov 8,

• #9

Has anyone ever tried one of the Flairosol bottles for thin liquid, non corrosive purposes? I will order one to play with, but figured I'd ask here.

BillK

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• Nov 8,

• #10

We use a lot of spray bottles in the shop. Simple Green, Windex, WD40, anti-spatter, rust preventer, etc. These are by far the must durable bottles I've found, and they're easy to fill.

https://www.mcmaster.com/t31

Wow, $9 for three of them I just added them to my McMaster order for today. OP R

ransil

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pa

• Nov 9,

• #11

I have the same issue with the HD and Lowes spray bottles, they suck.

I started buying Chemical guys bottles, mostly car care products in them, some get used almost daily and not a single issue in over 2 years.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ABYVT64/?tag=atomicindus08-20

the reviews are all over the place on these. OP R

ransil

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• Nov 9,

• #12

how about this style One-Hand Pressure Sprayer

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000BX4VXI/?tag=atomicindus08-20

I have many of the larger 1 gallon plus garden pump sprayer they all seem to suck, I have switched to 12v electric tanks for outside spraying, haul it around in the UTV.

ford33

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Chicago, IL. USA

• Nov 9,

• #13

Just this year I started to use a small 55 ounce single handed pump sprayer from Home Depot. It's still working after six months. I wish the bottle opening were larger so I refill with using a funnel.

Home Depot - Harris 55 ounce home auto garden sprayer model minisprayer. Normally $10 but I see it in stores now for $6.95.

K'ledgeBldr

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• Nov 9,

• #14

These will last almost forever-

https://www.amazon.com/dp/BFH906/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Some manufacturers make different models for water-based products and chemical/petroleum based products.

MFolks

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Springfield Mo.

• Nov 9,

• #15

Sam's club and I'd imagine Costco sells(or did) an assortment in a plastic bag of spray bottles.

shoot summ

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• Nov 9,

• #16

the reviews are all over the place on these.

Honestly I didn't look at the reviews before I bought them, my results have been great though.

I'm finding Amazon reviews to be marginally useful, a lot of 1 stars for packaging and delivery issues, and no assessment of the product.

My recent example is a better "cone of shame" for our dog that just had surgery. There is an inflatable collar that gets mediocre reviews. I got it anyway, and it is a game changer, had I gone by the reviews I would have passed on this, and dealt with that damn cone for 3 weeks. Instead I got it, we are happy, and the dog is as happy as he can be with a pillow around his neck...

Old Man Roger

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• Nov 9,

• #17

I think I've been refilling my Simple green bottle for close to a decade..lol

• Nov 9,

• #18

Short story about a spray bottle i had filled with weed killer. Full bottle sitting on a chipboard top bench...it gets to over 45C some days in the back of the shed and when i noticed my bench top had swollen and was flaking apart it was too late. The liquid had expanded and pumped the contents out the nozzle after many expansions and contractions of air inside! WTf???? Heat pumping out liquid and cooling over nights sucked in more air to repeat the cycle. The bottle was empty when i found it.
That bottle really sucked ! Last edited: Nov 9,

Old Man Roger

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• Nov 9,

• #19

If they don't suck they don't spray. Just sayin..lol

jubilee

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Colorado

• Nov 10,

• #20

I use an acid solution in spray bottle to clean aluminum before welding. Only spray head I’ve found that will hold up I get from Fuller Brush To avoid these ads, REGISTER NOW!

sqznby

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• Nov 10,

• #21

We use a lot of spray bottles in the shop. Simple Green, Windex, WD40, anti-spatter, rust preventer, etc. These are by far the must durable bottles I've found, and they're easy to fill.

https://www.mcmaster.com/t31

Have you used acetone in them by chance?

I'm looking for one specifically for acetone.

Notgrownup

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Snow Hill NC

• Nov 10,

• #22

We sometimes sell expensive trigger sprayers to our housekeeping department in nursing homes and they all say that they all deteriorate when used daily...they end up buying the cheap ones and swapping them when they need to.

Jeepster04

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• Nov 10,

• #23

I use all meguiars bottles that are labeled for the product thats in them. They do sell unlabeled bottles. I've had some since .

Ive yet to find a good chemical resistant sprayer though. After a year or so they all either stop spraying or start leaking.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/BIQZ7K/?tag=atomicindus08-20

K'ledgeBldr

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• Nov 10,

• #24

If they don't suck they don't spray. Just sayin..lol

Shouldn't that be- "if they suck, they don't spray"?

rburke65

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isb cornbinder

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• Nov 10,

• #26

To fully understand "suck" a person should know and understand the function of a pump. If and when a pump is working properly, the pump will move product it is in contact with. This leaves a lowered pressure area behind the pump. It is the atmospheric pressure on the surface of the product that pushes more product to the pump.

LS6 Tommy

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• Nov 10,

• #27

To fully understand "suck" a person should know and understand the function of a pump. If and when a pump is working properly, the pump will move product it is in contact with. This leaves a lowered pressure area behind the pump. It is the atmospheric pressure on the surface of the product that pushes more product to the pump.

There is no such thing as "sucking", only creating a pressure differential.

We used to say that at LTI.

Tommy Last edited: Nov 11,

bdbecker

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• Nov 11,

• #28

Have you used acetone in them by chance?

I'm looking for one specifically for acetone.

No I have not. The sprayer is made of polypropylene and the bottle is HDPE if that helps at all.

WhoWhatNow

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My Old Tools

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• Nov 14,

• #30

These work great for solvents of all kinds....

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BillK

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• Nov 14,

• #31

We use a lot of spray bottles in the shop. Simple Green, Windex, WD40, anti-spatter, rust preventer, etc. These are by far the must durable bottles I've found, and they're easy to fill.

https://www.mcmaster.com/t31

I got three of them this week. Love the bigger opening for easy filling Time will tell how they hold up but I am betting they will be great.

MushCreek

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• Nov 15,

• #32

The one thing that seems to kill them is bleach. My wife uses a bleach mixture, and it's killed every bottle we've tried. I think it eats the seals, as they look fine, they just stop spraying after a while.

HenryAZ

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• Nov 15,

• #33

The last time I ran out and needed more spray bottles, I happened on the SoLID bottles at Amazon. I don't know how they will hold up long term, but they are the best working sprayers I've ever used. The "spritz" setting really does a nice job of spritzing, rather than splattering.

SoLID spray bottles at Amazon. The possible downside (but not for me) is that they are 16oz, rather than the more common 24oz.

For acetone, I only use metal containers. Acetone seems to eat just about any plastic, eventually. I like the metal adjustable sprayers from Dutton-Lainson. Most of the time with acetone, though, I use it directly from a pint metal can, on a rag, or pouring into a smaller container (I use 1oz shot glass for soaking screws and other small parts). I buy it by the quart or gallon from the local hardware store and fill smaller containers from that. Last edited: Nov 15,

bdbecker

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• Nov 15,

• #34

I got three of them this week. Love the bigger opening for easy filling Time will tell how they hold up but I am betting they will be great.

I don't know if you noticed it on the McMaster page, but the spray heads can be purchased separately if you have any issues - $5 for 3 of them (plus shipping of course). I don't think you'll have any issues though. Damage from dropping them kills more bottles in our shop than anything else.

https://www.mcmaster.com/t41

cannuck

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• May 9,

• #35

We use the CRC spray bottles at work for several chemicals including CRC Contact Cleaner.
They hold up fairly well.

https://www.amazon.com/CRC--Applicator-Trigger-Bottle/dp/B000FW621Y/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=crc+&qid=&sr=8-1

Have had some CRC bottles last decades. I keep one spritzer of cutting oil at each drill, mill, saw, lathe

Dagny

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LowOiL

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• May 10,

• #37

I just reuse other cleaner bottles I use up in the shop.... I just take some tape and write on it what the new chemical is... as previously mentioned by other members here, both Bleach and Acetone tend to kill sprayers... The plastic and washers just die and put grit in the sprayer. You can find some bleach tolerant sprayers at times, but they still die over time.

I keep Acetone in fingernail polish containers my wife throws out (or I have a big secret I am not divulging). Just refill them from the shop gallon jug with a funnel.

I keep various oils in some old oil pumps or in just plastic hobby tubes I get from Dollar general with a pop on/off top. Same with 10W40

Crazyjake

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• May 10,

• #38

Maybe I've just been lucky but I have a few from Ace and several cheapos from Walmart that have lasted for several years. Some in the house with Simple Green or Spray Nine, or sanitizer in my brewing room, and several in the garage for acetone, Simple Green, degreaser, isopropyl alcohol, soapy water/glycol, Spray Nine.

A few are the good Simple Green spray bottles. Not the green bottles from Walmart but the clear, taller spray bottles from the hardware stores.

• May 10,

• #39

I seem to remember posting this recently (another thread?) but Simple Green bottles have held up to everything I've put into them so far. Many of the so-called "chemical" bottles I've tried didn't last.