I have only had a side sprayer for my entire 41 years. I hate having to pull the side sprayer up, bring it down, hold the button, spray, let go of the button, pull it up, thread it back down into the hold, and seat it correctly. As a result, I don't use it very often--usually only to spray down the sides of the sink to clean it after I finish the dishes at night.

I really, really, really want a pull-down. I have to say that some of the two-handled faucets with the separate side spray I've seen in finished kitchens here are beautiful. They do go well with older homes for that period look. But for me, functionally, I can't wait to get rid of the side spray!

That's what I was afraid of! But...if you don't mind my asking, is your side sprayer newish or on the antique side? My MIL's is ancient and not user friendly. I was hoping newer models might behave better.

Until I did a kit in my last house I always had a side sprayer and used it. (We did replace the faucet so it was only a couple of yrs old. When I did the kit I put a pull out Kohler in at the time for only one reason, I didn't want to have to clean around an extra piece. Surprise, the faucet stay on spray without holding but even more impressive was it is a direct connection to the water line so the spray is considerably stronger. When we moved and did a kit there was no question, loved the 2 surprises and still didn't want to clean around anything extra.

I just ordered a faucet with a side spray for my kitchen. I must have looked/obsessed over a thousand faucets (I swear!!).

I have always had a side spray ~ have always used it ~ and have always liked it ......... so never having the pulldown spray ~ if I've never had it, I won't miss it.

I bought one from Fusion Hardware called Bordeaux .... so cute ... will look perfect with my copper farmhouse sink :)

New convert here. We have had a side-spray in every house for the last 35 years. First switched to a pull-out about 6 months ago. (Kohler Forte) Didn't care for that one - it splashed water everywhere. DH found a high-arc, pull-down faucet and I'm in love again. I use the pull down spray way more than I ever used the side-spray on our old faucet. I've probably used it more in the last 3 months than I did in the last 25 years in this house. LOL. I don't have to hold down the button on my - I just push the button for stream or spray and it stays in that position until I change it. No more side-spray for this kitchen fairy.

Thanks so much for all your responses! Is anyone bothered by the grindy noise when you pull out the faucet? My DH nixed a Grohe because the hose is SS and makes a noise that sets his teeth on edge. I think the nylon hoses would be okay, but it's so hard to tell in showrooms since the faucets are not really hooked up. Thoughts?

Hi again. My side spray is about 10 years old. I don't know if newer ones are better.

I agree that the grindy noise isn't great, but I'll put up with it to not have the annoying side sprayer!

I'm planning the Hansgrohe Talis or High Arc2 (they are basically the same). Says it has a nylon hose. I just love how it looks! Modern, but not odd. Clean lines.

Here is a link that might be useful: Hansgrohe Interaktiv

Breezygirl, that's a nice faucet! It's on my list now. Thanks!

Haven't noticed any noise when pulling out. Will have to go and listen now! lol.
mine is the price pfister ashfield which is possibly not modern enough. I have it in rustic bronze but the chrome may be ok .......
fyi

Here is a link that might be useful: ashfield faucet

I recently went from side spray (much used and loved) to a kohler pulldown. LOVE THE PULLDOWN very convenient and practical. Loved it for washing my small dog in the sink (no cable getting tangled up in the tail! HOWEVER for design reasons I am going back to the side spray with my kitchen reno. I have a small kitchen and wanted my sink faucet and water filter faucet to match - not possible with the pull down faucets. I am moving to Dornbracht and I've used their side spray before at friends and it worked great - so I'm a little sad to say goodbye to the obvious convenience of the pull down. Then again, before I got it I was very happy with having a side-spray. So I figure I'll be ok.

I've wondered if the pull-out spray is easy to use. It seems like it would collide with the front of the sink and be harder to retract. Is it? And is the pull-down sprayer hard to retract?

I haven't bought my faucet yet. I'm using a $10 stop valve for now, and it's on a flexible bendable pipe that holds its shape (Kitec iPex).

For my ideal faucet spray, I think I's like the spray wand to be a little "tip" at the end of the hose. I don't like large spray wands, even when I have pulled the hose farther out of the tube. I've tested out faucets in other people's kitchens and I've been to every showroom and hardware store within 50 miles.

I think that, according to all who have one, a pull-down or pull-out spray is easy to use. It seems to me that people pull it out (or "down") most often to rinse off the side walls of the sink. I've observed people pulling the spray out a few inches for this. On web sites, manufacturers' videos seem to show me most often people pulling the spray out a long way in order to fill a vase on the counter next to the sink. (This doesn't make sense to me: I could just put the empty vase into my deep sink... besides, I only fill a vase once in a blue moon, but I rinse the sink out constantly.... oh well, who cares about "real" needs when we can fantasize about vases.)

Pulling downwards is easier than any other movement because your arm's natural strength is highest when you only move it from up to down. Pulling it downwards is one straight movement, with a straight arm using the big flat muscle under your shoulder blade. (Like in swimming or in cross country skiing). It's technically harder to pull something outwards sideways as it requires several other muscles. It's harder for two reasons. One is that more muscles = more coordination. The other is that the muscles coordinated are the smaller ones. I have a vacuum cleaner with a hidden self-returning coiled spring loaded electrical wire (hope that is clear). The effort is weird sometimes pulling it out. A pull-OUT spray makes you pull sideways. Pulling it out the longest possible length reminds me of pulling out the vacuum cleaner electrical cord. Mind you, I would almost never have a reason to pull the hose out the longest possible amount. Pulling sideways has one other disadvantage: it puts more stress on the junction points where the faucet body meets the countertop hole or sink hole, and where the swiveling part of the body sits in the fixed part of the body. In a small faucet body this is insignificant, but the bigger the body the more the rocking. I think this explains why larger faucets are mostly configured to have a rounded tube at the top, so you pull downwards (straight down) more than outwards (towards you). Pulling downwards puts a physical stress on the faucet base that is mostly downwards, and that is not going to weaken the faucet body swivel joint or the bolted connection to the counter or sink. Pulling more towards the side forces the metal body to receive this side to side force more often, and it could lead to something loosening up. The Arwa Surf faucet seems to me to be a good compromise in terms of shape, if you don't want a long rounded top on a high faucet. Use "Arwa Surf " as key words for your web search if you want to see it the shape.

All faucets are installed a few inches away from the sink wall, and they reach forward about 8 or 9 inches. I'll guess the query about it seeming "like it would collide with the front of the sink" is more about the spray shooting too far forward, and not about any collision when one pulls the spray out of the tube. A spray that shoots straight down or slightly forward is going to end up hitting the sink bottom. All faucets do this; they project the stream down onto the sink bottom, some a bit more forward than others.

hth

Fiddle,
I have a Hamat pull-out and I'm very happy with it. Very easy to use, no splashing, and retracts without problems. I like it much better than any of the side-sprays I've had in the past.

davidro1.....you're right....I don't think I'd need to pull out the sprayer very far either. Even if I wanted to place the pasta pot on the countertop rather than in the sink, I still wouldn't have to pull out the sprayer very far to reach it.

Excellent description of the ergonomics of the motions required with both types of faucets. That's the kind of thing you don't often think about.....although I actually do because I have a physically demanding job, and I have to use my body wisely. So I really appreciate the time you took to describe that for me.

The sink and faucet will no doubt be the most used thing in my kitchen, so I want to make sure it's just perfect! It's a hard decision! Oh, and that Arwa Surf is great looking, but I won't even bother to show it to my husband. He'd faint at the price tag! :-)

warmfridge....I like that Hamat faucet. I'll get online and see if they have other styles as well. Thanks!

fiddleddd - which faucet did you decide to get? I am in the same exact boat as you right now. I am torn between the single hole vintage looking number with side sprayer and a the grohe goose-neck pull down. Sink is an apron front. Not a huge fan of the look of the goose neck, but I am going from a KWC pull out (which is great) and I am finding it hard to make the leap to the side sprayer. I have tested both of these out at various showrooms, and I have to say, that side sprayer is really a pain to get back in the hole....even the Rohl with its hefty price tag was a pain. My kwc has a weight on the stainless hose, which pulls it right back into position. Anyway, just wondering what, if anything you decided.

Sorry - meant to address response to the OP, caiquemom!