Customer Reviews

Chapin 20000 1-Gallon Lawn and Garden Sprayer

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(15)

 

 

For the price I expected poor quality. I was wrong. This is as durable as the other ~1gal+ sprayers that exist. The tip adjusts the spray pattern. If you want a larger sprayer by all means get a larger one if you want a small one this is it.

Great little sprayer for the money. Pressurizes quickly and well.. spray strength is perfect and consistent. Spray pattern is easily adjustable to "fan" or "stream" or anything in between. One gallon of liquid sprays out in about 15- 20 minutes with constant use, on the "fan" setting. I had to re-pump it about every 5 minutes with constant use.. not too bad. I tried out the "stream" setting and it works well too. Wish it had a strap for carrying, but for the price, I'll carry one gallon around in my hand.

This is a good price for a no-frills garden sprayer. I'm not expecting a miracle at this price point and because of its all plastic construction, durability may be an issue. For $10, I can live with ordering a replacement if it breaks down after a 8 months to a year, but hopefully it won't. [Product has now failed. Please see update at end of review.]

I was looking for a labor-saving way to hydrate the more delicate plants and flowers in my garden and maybe administer some plant food through foliar feeding. I had been using a spray bottle and all that squeezing was very tough on the hands, so I finally decided to do the right thing and get a sprayer. Assembly is very easy. Attach the hose to the wand, attach other end to bottle. Fill with water or your desired mix of fertilizer or bug killer, insert and screw on the pump/handle and you're ready to rock 'n' roll. Flow rate is very satisfactory and you can adjust the spray pattern from a single stream to a fine mist by twisting the nozzle cap. Fully pumped, the stream reaches approx 25 ft out.

Design Flaws
I don't like that the carrying handle and the pump action are one and the same. There's a little notch that the handle locks into when you rotate it clockwise. This secures the handle in place so that you can carry the sprayer. To pump again, you have to twist it 1/4 turn counter-clockwise so you unlock the handle. Once fully pressurized, dissipation rate is good, but I didn't like the extra step of having to lock and unlock the handle each time. I have to set the sprayer down, unlock, pump, lock again, pick up, then spray. Another minor issue is the squeaking sound of the pump, which I don't really mind, but just pointing it out in case you do.

A secondary problem is the length of the hose (about 3 ft.) With the sprayer being held in a relaxed position in one hand (hanging straight down like a shopping bag), I can only bring my other hand to about mid-chest height in front of me. I can't raise my wand hand above my head to mist tall trees and objects. On mist mode, you can comfortably spray anything from ground height to about 8 ft without having to raise the bottle higher.

Thirdly, there's no caddy or snap-in clasp to keep the wand secure when the sprayer is not in use. I am expecting a random mishap to snap the wand because of this-- either someone walking by and the wand snagging on some clothing, or it being stepped on. The wand looks especially fragile and susceptible to cracking. It is this product's weakest link. Some sort of loop for attaching a shoulder strap to wear the sprayer would also be a welcome addition.

Overall, the Chapin 20000 is easy to use, but not without some design annoyances. For what I paid, I am satisfied with this product so far.

UPDATE: DIY Strap Add-on Modification
I was able to fashion myself a strap for the sprayer out of 2 key rings and a camera bag strap. Stamped onto the vertical support vane on either side of the neck is a circular identation (visible in product blowup). You can punch it out with a screwdriver and insert the key rings, then attach a shoulder strap. I now have a wearable sprayer that leaves my other hand free for other gardening tasks. It's a bit clumsy and looks funny, but it works.

UPDATE 8/28/10
I am downgrading this product to 2 stars because after 4 days, the spray release mechanism has now unexpectedly snapped off. I had concerns about the durability of this product because of its all-plastic construction and did not expect it to last for very long, but less than a week is unacceptable, with less than 4 gallons of use out of this sprayer. The handle is reattachable via snap pegs, but it won't stay on due to the force of the spring in the release value. The clamp had become worn. When pushed down, the lever pops back out. Buyer beware! Not recommended.

This sprayer exploded in my face as i was pumping the handle to pressurize it. It was only about 75% pressurized when (it appears)a seal around the shaft failed spraying approx. 12-16 ounces of roundup weed/vegetation killer mixture straight up soaking my shirt, neck, face and hair. Fortunately i was able to turn my head away in time to avoid being hit in the eyes but i could taste it afterwards and my nose stung.

The sprayer was one year old and used without incident about 8 times prior. I emailed Chapin about my incident and product safety concerns and so far have received no response.

The sprayer will no longer pressurize and i must buy a new one...not a Chapin.

If you buy this sprayer be careful not to have any body parts above it when you pump the handle....Roundup doesnt taste very good.

First of all I didn't get what is shown - no shoulder strap - just the bare-bones sprayer. That was OK. I assembled and tested it as instructions directed. Then after just 5 minutes of use the forks that lift the plunger stripped and would not open the plunger to spray. No unusual force was used, just spraying a thin fungicide on plants. Also,a minor point: the instruction folder is in such tiny type size you practically need a magnifying glass to read it. However, as usual, Amazon's return policy is the BEST!

The Chapin lawn & garden sprayer is easy to use, the control features are well placed and allowed me to spray the entire front, side and backyards of my townhouse with speed and accuracy in under 25 minutes. It's way better than the sprayer the people I brought the house from left me. Plus it's inexpensive to boot. If it had a shoulder strap it would be absolutely perfect.

I never used one before, my better half said many of the ones in stores lately have been crap, considering the price I thought this wouldn't work or break easily. IT WORKS, IT WORKS WELL, IT HAS BEEN USED OFTEN & IT STILL WORKS WELL! Morale of the story, sometimes you actually get what you pay for!!

This is the 1st time I have used a Garden Sprayer. Wanted to post a review so others can learn from my mistakes.
1. Fill to fill line ONLY (if not when you pump it will spray out all over you)
2. Attach all attachments completely
3. Twist handle to pump
4. AND THIS IS IMPORTANT - do not open anything once you have built up pressure
5. Continue to pump the trigger sprayer until you bleed the line and sprayer begins to spray.
I thought mine was broken because it would not spray as I did not bleed the line 1st. I opened the container and it like exploded all over me.
Now that I know how to use it, it works great. Nice even spray.

I was pretty happy with this sprayer when I bought it last in September. I didn't have any trouble with the canister exploding or anything like that, but it could be due to the fact that It would leak air when I pumped it too much. I probably got 4 or 5 gallons out of it before it started to give me problem. The problem I had was with the trigger and when I would squeeze it nothing would come out. This progressively got worse until nothing would come out, no matter how many times i pumped it. After breaking down the whole nozzle part, it seems that the valve is the part causing all the problems.
Bottom Line:
If you need a temporary sprayer thats good for 4 or 5 gallon, this would work well. But if you need one that last more than a few months, then stay away from this sprayer.

Although this sprayer is inexpensive, it is not "cheap". I am very happy with the quality and ease of use!!