One of the best top purchases for building a great garden is a hose nozzle. One of my favorites is the Little Big Shot adjustable nozzle that is as simple as it is reliable. I’ve had one for years and think it should be more popular than it is.
Little Big Shot Basics
The $8 Little Big Shot nozzle is a very simple device: it’s a brass piece that screws on to your hose, a bolt piece that screws on to the brass piece, three ball bearings, and a rubber flow restrictor. The particular parts don’t matter, what matters is that the design is incredible simple so nothing can go wrong. There is nothing to break and nothing to get clogged. This thing lasts forever.
How it works is simple: you turn the outer pieces in and it restricts the rubber flow valve inside. As you restrict the flow you get more pressure. Eventually you can tighten the rubber piece until the flow is stopped, which is a key feature of any nozzle.
Hose Nozzle Features
- 40% increased force with 40% less water when compared to a “standard nozzle”
- Sprays in a spread pattern or can squirt with force
- Fully stops the water when tightened down (up to 60 PSI)
- Major components are 100% brass
- Fits any standard garden hose
- Made in the USA, assembled by disabled veterans
Little Big Shot Pros and Cons
Pros
- All brass hardware means no plastic to crack
- Super simple design is really tough
- Can create serious water pressure from limited flow
- Very good range
Cons
- Eventually the inner restrictor might wear out, making the nozzle useless (hasn’t happened to me yet!)
- No setting for lots of water flow (usually known as a “soak setting”)
- The thin stream can easily damage plants and drill into dirt if you aren’t careful
FAQs
What is a hose nozzle?
A hose nozzle, more commonly known as a garden hose nozzle, is an attachment that screws onto the end of a garden hose in order to shape the water flow. This generally restricts the flow in order to create more distance, but it can also control the flow in order to spread the water out, usually with the goal of creating a more gentle, rain-like flow.
Nozzles can attach to a hose with a standard size screw-on end or with a quick release system.