# Sprayer nozzle selection: capacity, pressure, droplet quality and faults URL: https://leafwrit.com/ie/sprayer-nozzle-selection/ Reviewed: 2026-10-29 **Choose a sprayer nozzle for the application volume, spray quality and working conditions. Check the exact tip in its manufacturer’s chart.** Nozzles determine spray quality (droplet size), the volume applied, the evenness of the spray pattern and the susceptibility to drift. The sprayer has one task: apply the product evenly, at the correct rate, with the correct spray quality, in the correct volume of water and at the right time. That holds whether it is a new trailed sprayer costing €75,000 or a second-hand unit costing €3,000. Of all its parts, the nozzles and the pressure gauge are the key components. Losing product through drift, spillages or incorrect cleaning must be avoided. ## What the product label gives you for choosing a tip The product container label gives the required water volume per hectare, usually between 100 and 200 litres/ha, and, if stated, the spray quality (droplet size), defined as fine, medium, coarse and so on. This helps you pick a nozzle size from the manufacturer's charts. Before you compare tips, write down the crop or situation, the target, the water volume and spray quality from the label, the nozzle spacing and the speed you really drive in the field. That keeps every comparison on the same job, instead of changing the volume just to fit a tip that is in stock. When you replace a tip, give the supplier the full marking from the fitted nozzle and the nozzle body details, and bring the old part or a clear photo. “Blue nozzles” or “sprayer tips” is not enough to identify it. For a boom sprayer, also give the boom width, outlet spacing and section layout, and ask the supplier to check the whole setup against the chart. ## Spray nozzles for sprayers: what to name when you buy for a spray rig When you ask for a spray nozzle for agriculture, or spray nozzles for a sprayer, name the rig (trailed boom, tractor-mounted unit or knapsack with a lance), the pattern (flat fan, cone, boomless), the material (brass, plastic, stainless), and the ISO size and colour. ## Colour, capacity and spray quality Agricultural nozzles come in standard ISO sizes, usually with standard colours. A blue ISO 03 nozzle has a standard output of 1.2 litres per minute at 3 bar. Nozzles of the same ISO size give the same output, so a nozzle set or a low-drift version can be swapped without changing outputs, forward speeds or pressures. Keep the full marking when you note a nozzle down. Write the manufacturer and nozzle family, the capacity marking, the spray angle, the material, the pressure range with the units of the chart, and the droplet class. Do not shorten a model code until the capacity, angle or material suffix disappears. If the marking has worn off, ask the supplier to identify the tip rather than guessing from its colour. ## Boomless spray nozzle: pattern and working width The XP BoomJet is a boomless flat spray nozzle. Its orifice geometry produces a wide spray pattern while keeping distribution even across the entire width. Ask the supplier for the chart of the exact model and how mounting position, pressure, speed and working width fit together in it. Then check the coverage on the intended job, and do not borrow spacing or width from a different setup. ## Reading a spray chart Spray charts give forward speed, pressure and nozzle size for the application rate you need, and simple phone apps let you check the settings in the field. A pressure-based automatic control keeps output constant when forward speed changes, so it can affect spray drift and spray quality. Read the units on the chart first, then compare pressure, flow, speed, spacing and volume together. If several settings look possible, ask the supplier for the operating limits, and give the speed you actually drive in the field rather than the speed on the display. ## Anti-drift spray nozzles: air induction Air induction nozzles are the most common, effective and simplest type of drift reduction technology on the market. By drawing in air to mix with the fluid in the nozzle, they increase droplet size and greatly reduce drift, so spraying can go ahead in conditions that would cause extreme drift with standard nozzles. Different brands of air-induction nozzle have different droplet spectrum sizes. The very large droplets often produce a spray quality outside the parameters suggested on product labels. In many cases this has only a small effect on product performance, and the lack of drift may compensate for it. The best approach is to fit the most common nozzle size in both standard and air-induction versions and switch between them when conditions allow. Ask the supplier which exact model and setting they propose, and check its droplet class against what the product label asks for. If you carry more than one nozzle set, label them, keep the spare tips apart from the fitted ones, and note each change, so a later check shows which nozzles were used. ## STRIPE nozzle list STRIPE (Surface Water Tool for Reducing the Impact of Pesticides in the Environment) is a DAFM initiative that rewards best practice with spray drift reducing technology. It lets farmers reduce the size of the mandatory untreated buffer zones beside water courses, which makes more effective use of agricultural land while protecting aquatic life from pesticide contamination. DAFM approves the nozzles on its list for this use. DAFM’s STRIPE Nozzle List of January 2025 lists each nozzle by manufacturer, model and STRIPE category: 90%, 75% or 50% drift reducing. The 2025 STRIPE guideline then sets the smallest buffer for each category. A product with a 5 m label buffer can go down to 3 m with a 50%, 75% or 90% nozzle. A product with a 10 m label buffer can go down to 6 m with a 50% nozzle and to 3 m with a 75% or 90% nozzle. Products containing fenpropidin, fluazinam or spiroxamine cannot have the label buffer reduced. Keep the nozzle model and size next to the STRIPE document you used. Identify the fitted tip before you work out any buffer reduction, and write down every substitution. Do not carry an earlier classification over to a replacement only because it looks similar in shape or colour. ## Signs of nozzle wear Wear shows as an increased flow rate (more than 10% above rated capacity) or uneven spray patterns. When the spray is uneven, first describe what you see: which position, whether the pattern is distorted, whether it comes and goes, and what changed before it started. Then check the filters, the pressure gauge and the speed reading together with the nozzle itself. Write down which parts you checked or replaced. ## Pressure problem or nozzle problem If a new nozzle gives an incorrect output, it often indicates an inaccurate gauge or transducer. An accurate, easy-to-read pressure gauge is essential for accurate spraying. Accurate forward speed indication is also essential and should be checked; many simple GPS guidance monitors give an accurate speed output. Many modern sprayers have a flow transducer that lets the application rate per hectare be calculated and controlled, but it depends on the accuracy of the forward speed and flow transducers, which should be checked. When you ask a technician for help, give the gauge reading, the nozzle identity and how you measured. Do not keep changing the pressure until the figure on the display looks familiar. Settle the measurement problem first, and set the working pressure only afterwards. ## Filters Sprayers have suction, pressure, possibly in-line, and nozzle filters fitted to prevent suspended material blocking nozzles. Some air-induction nozzles are prone to blockage and need correctly sized filters at the nozzle. Some filter types, often in nozzle bodies, have a much greater filter area than others and are less easily blocked. Give the parts supplier the nozzle family and the filters you already have, ask for the matching strainer, and save its part reference. If blockages keep returning, note whether it is one outlet or a whole section. ## Automatic control and speed changes The correct forward speed must still be chosen for the nozzle size and application rate when an automatic rate controller is fitted. Ask which functions of your machine change the pressure, switch nozzle sets or control boom sections, and test them on turns, headlands and short bouts as well as straight runs. Tell the next driver which nozzle set is fitted and what settings it needs. ## Cleaning, leftovers and newer technology Accurate calibration avoids the need for excessive disposal, as the sprayer should be emptied in the field. Any left-over can be sprayed on the target field at a very low rate, provided the maximum allowable product rate per hectare is not exceeded. Internal washing systems then clean the residues, which in very dilute form can again be sprayed out in the field. Cleaning is essential to avoid contaminating the environment or damaging the next crop. How much cleaning is needed beyond rinsing depends on the products used and the next crop. Take particular care when moving from herbicides in cereals to a broad-leaved crop such as beans, beet or rape, where a number of washings are required, often including a complete fill and a specific cleaning product. Recent sprayer purchases with TAMS support brought position-based automatic control of boom sections on short ground and headlands. These need careful set-up. The savings depend on the section size, from a single 0.5 m nozzle up to 6 m sections, and on the type of sprayer, and they may be a lot smaller than sales literature claims. Multiple nozzle holders switch nozzle sizes, or the number of nozzles working at one point, on the move. They keep the application rate constant when forward speed varies, and also while the sprayer turns to follow a headland contour. A single nozzle system using pulse width modulation is also being evaluated. These systems would make variable rate technology easy to apply in the field, once there is a driver for it. ## Replace worn nozzles as a complete set Replace nozzles as a complete set at the first sign of wear, not one tip at a time. On delivery, compare the markings with your order before fitting, and keep the date of the change. If you borrow or hire a sprayer, ask the owner which nozzles are fitted. ## Spray nozzle brands: TeeJet, Hypro, Lurmark, Hardi, Delavan, Arag, Berthoud, Solo, Stihl, Fimco and others When you search by brand, you need the maker, the family and the size together. Tee Jet spray nozzles and TeeJet sprayer nozzles, the TeeJet BoomJet and TeeJet boomless nozzle, the TeeJet AITTJ60 and other TeeJet model codes, the TeeJet nozzle extension, boom extender nozzles, John Deere ExactApply, Hypro Guardian Air and Guardian Air Twin, Lurmark spray nozzles, Hardi spray tips, Delavan spray nozzles, the Arag nozzle and Arag spray nozzles, Berthoud nozzles and Berthoud sprayer nozzles, Allman sprayer nozzles, Cooper Pegler nozzles and Cooper Pegler sprayer nozzles, Matabi sprayer nozzles, Jarmet sprayer nozzles, Geoline spray nozzles, Toro sprayer nozzles, John Deere sprayer nozzles, Valley Industries spray nozzles and boomless nozzle, Hamilton boomless spray nozzle, Boominator nozzles, Boom Buster nozzle and the ASJ spray jet are all named by their maker, so keep that name in the note. For knapsack and backpack machines the names are Solo nozzle, Solo nozzles, Solo backpack sprayer nozzles, tips and nozzle tips, Stihl backpack sprayer nozzle and Stihl SG 31 sprayer nozzle, and Fimco boom sprayer nozzles, Fimco boomless sprayer nozzles and Fimco replacement nozzles for ATV sprayers. Model codes such as XT024 spray tips or CP3 sprayer nozzles are maker codes in the same way: the code, the size and the maker's chart identify the part, not the colour. The part number on the nozzle or in the manual identifies the replacement; the colour alone does not. Ask the supplier to match the capacity, angle and thread of the old nozzle, and read the maker's chart for pressure and speed. ## Nozzle shapes and spray angles: fan, cone, 110 degree, 360 degree, red and yellow A fan nozzle for a pump sprayer, a fan spray nozzle or a fan tip nozzle gives a flat band; a wide spray nozzle for a pump sprayer gives a broader band from one tip. A conical spray nozzle, a cone for a weed sprayer or a weed sprayer cone gives a round pattern. Ask for 110 degree spray nozzles when the boom height and spacing in the maker's chart call for a 110 degree angle, and for a 360 degree spray tip only where the equipment is built for it, such as a boomless head. Red spray nozzles and yellow spray nozzles are colour codes for capacity. Read the ISO size printed on the nozzle and match it to the spray chart instead of relying on the colour. A guardian air nozzle, an air induction nozzle or a hydroponic spray nozzle each follows its own chart. ## Best nozzle for herbicide, Roundup and spot spraying The best spray nozzle for herbicide is the one the product label allows for the crop and the weed stage. Read the label first, then pick the tip and pressure that give the spray quality and water volume on it; the spray chart then gives the pressure and speed. The same applies to the best nozzle for spraying weeds, the best nozzle for herbicide application, the best spray nozzle for Roundup and the best nozzle for spot spraying: a weed killer spray nozzle for spot work is chosen for the small area it treats, and the record still names the product, the area and the nozzle fitted. ## Backpack and knapsack sprayer nozzles, tips, wands, booms and drift guards A spray nozzle for a backpack sprayer, back pack sprayer nozzles, backpack sprayer fan nozzle, backpack sprayer double nozzle and a knapsack sprayer deflector nozzle are changed at the lance. Spray lances and nozzles, a spray wand tip and a sprayer wand nozzle are sold as parts: name the lance thread and the sprayer maker. Solo 2 nozzle and Solo 4 nozzle spray booms, a spray boom for a backpack sprayer, a backpack sprayer boom, a DIY boom sprayer with DIY sprayer nozzle, and a fence line spray nozzle or fence row sprayer fit one lance to cover a wider strip. An ATV boomless sprayer nozzle, boomless broadcast spray nozzle, boomless spray nozzle for ATV and boomless atv sprayer use one head instead of a boom. A drift guard for a sprayer, a backpack sprayer drift guard, a Solo sprayer drift guard or a DIY sprayer drift guard is a shield around the spray. It keeps the spray in the row, but a shield is not a low-drift nozzle, so it does not replace the wind check or the nozzle choice in the sections above and below. ## Clean and replace a spray nozzle Use a spray nozzle cleaner or a soft brush to clear a blocked tip, and do not push a pin or wire through the orifice. Replace worn tips as a set, as described above, and keep the old tips apart from new ones. ## How to calibrate a boom sprayer Boom spray calibration, or spray rig calibration on any other machine, comes down to the same sum as for a knapsack, using one nozzle and the nozzle spacing. The boom spray calibration formula, which is also the calibrate sprayer formula and the sprayer application rate formula, is: litres per hectare = output of one nozzle in litres per minute x 600, divided by (speed in km/h x nozzle spacing in metres). A boom spray calibration calculator, or a calibrate sprayer calculator on a phone, does this sum for you; the formula lets you check its answer. 1. Fill the tank with clean water and run the sprayer at the working pressure you will use. 2. Catch the output of several nozzles for one minute each and take the average in litres per minute. Replace any nozzle whose output is clearly off the rest. 3. Measure the real forward speed over a marked distance in the same gear and engine speed you will spray in. 4. Measure the nozzle spacing along the boom. For example, 1.2 litres per minute, 6 km/h and 0.5 metre spacing give 1.2 x 600 / (6 x 0.5) = 240 litres per hectare. Compare the result with the water volume on the label. If it is off, change the pressure a little, the speed or the nozzle size, and calibrate again. Write the date, nozzle, pressure, speed and result in the sprayer's file. Calibration is separate from the statutory [sprayer test](/ie/sprayer-testing-ireland/), and the [tank guide](/ie/spray-tank-mix-calculator/) turns the result into hectares per load. ## Calibrating a backpack or knapsack sprayer, and a sprayer calibrator Calibrating a backpack sprayer, calibrating a knapsack sprayer and a boomless sprayer calibration calculator come down to three measurements and one sum. 1. Spray clean water for one minute into a measuring jug and read the output in litres per minute. 2. Walk a marked 20 metres at your spraying pace and time it. Speed in km/h is 72 divided by the seconds. 3. Measure the width sprayed in metres. Application rate in litres per hectare is the output in litres per minute times 600, divided by the speed in km/h times the width in metres. Example (invented numbers): 0.8 litres per minute, 3 km/h and 1.5 metres give 0.8 x 600 / (3 x 1.5) = 107 litres per hectare. Compare the result with the water volume on the label and change the nozzle or the walking speed, then calibrate again. A spot on sprayer calibrator and other sprayer calibrators do the same sum on a screen; write the nozzle, pressure, speed and result in the sprayer's file. ## Next step Check the nozzles against the [sprayer-testing requirements](/ie/sprayer-testing-ireland/) and the [STRIPE buffer-zone rules](/ie/stripe-buffer-zone-records/).