Whether you’re a hobby gardener or wine grower, if you love working in nature then you’re passionate about the health of your plants. Sprayers and mistblowers are indispensable tools when it comes to protecting and caring for plants. They enable you to apply fertilisers and fortifiers quickly and easily. This tender loving care leaves trees, vines or vegetable crops, and even small flowerbeds in your own garden in great health.
STIHL offers the right tool for a huge variety of applications. We’ll show you the differences between sprayers and mistblowers, and which tool can best meet your needs.
Mist-blowing or spraying?
The plants and land you want to treat determined whether a sprayer or mistblower is the best tool for you.
A good rule of thumb is that sprayers are suitable for treating small, low-growing plants around the home and garden, whilst mistblowers are used on tall plants and in agriculture.
The differences in detail:
STIHL sprayers | STIHL mistblowers |
For pot plants, window boxes, surface crops, plant beds, small shrubs, and small trees | For tall-growing plants, vines, tall shrubs, and tall trees |
Use in enclosed spaces and outdoors | Outdoor use only |
Precise, selective treatment of individual plants | Treatment of large areas containing several plants |
Spray jet that is easy to control | Long, powerful air stream which lifts leaves |
Distribution of liquids | Distribution of liquids, seeds, powder and pellets |
Suitable for plant protection, controlling parasites (e.g. ants) and fighting disease (such as dengue fever and malaria), and combating weeds | Suitable for plant protection, for controlling parasites (e.g. ants) and fighting disease (such as dengue fever and malaria) |
Targeting individual plants: STIHL sprayers
Manual sprayers are ideal for applying pesticides and fertiliser to plants around the home and garden. The spray jet and pressure can be controlled very precisely, meaning that agents can be applied exactly where they are needed, whilst protecting the plants as well.
As a result, this tightly-controlled application is particularly suited to sensitive plants in early stages of growth, and is also the best way of caring for surface crops such as lettuce, seedlings and cuttings, as well as ornamental plants in window boxes.
Thanks to the relatively large droplets, no “mist clouds” are formed when using sprayers. The droplets therefore land safely on the plant to be treated, and not in other gardens.
Our sprayers come in different grades: as a simple handheld sprayer for use in the home and garden, through to backpack units for professional applications in greenhouses and on medium-sized crops. You can also expand the application range of individual tools with the right accessories such as extension tubes and nozzles. An overview of STIHL sprayers can be found here.

The best way to care for plants: sprayers can be used on specific plants in the garden and in agriculture.
A sizeable mist-blowing range for large areas: STIHL mistblowers
If larger crop areas and tall plants need to be treated, the sizeable mist-blowing range of our mistblowers will give you results you need. With their long, powerful air stream, they reach even distant targets and enable several plants to be sprayed in a single step. The plants’ leaves are set in motion by the air stream, which allows leaves at the centre of the tree and the undersides of leaves to be coated.
This enables your plants to be coated, for example on all sides with pesticides against parasites and fungi, ensuring the best possible protection. As a result, it’s easier for you to maintain orchards, vines and berry bushes, as well as tall-growing vegetables such as tomatoes.
Tip: Medium-sized to tall trees can also be easily treated using a pressure pump, as the volume distributed when spraying upwards is increased significantly.
Mistblowers such as the STIHL SR 450 can also be used for distributing plants seeds, powder or pellets quickly, whilst ensuring that the required areas are covered. It is also a convenient tool for dusting large fields.
An overview of our versatile STIHL mistblowers can be found on our website.

Mistblowers make it easy to apply protective agents and fortifiers in viticulture, and fruit and vegetable cultivation.
Lightweight and easy to carry
The one thing STIHL sprayers and mistblowers have in common is their ergonomic design, which – alongside full capacity – always makes them comfortable to carry and to work with. Lightweight, compact and yet productive tools with a high capacity are vital when treating large areas.
Why use many handles when just a few will suffice? The sprayers and mistblowers are quick and easy to operate: quick conversion systems, user-friendly pumps and one-handed multi-function handles makes work a pleasure.
Do you need some personal advice on which sprayer or mistblower from the STIHL range is best for you? Then simply visit your local dealer.
When working with any STIHL tool, always wear the specified protective clothing. All our recommendations on this can be found in the operating instructions relevant for your tool. Country-specific safety regulations, such as those published by professional associations or statutory health and safety authorities, can also provide you with useful information.
Do you need a quick overview of the best tips for handling pesticides? Then take a look at our practical checklist for handling pesticides properly.
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