Usually Jet because my water pressure is too low for anything else to reach the destination. Sometimes shower if I'm just gently dropping water on something. Mist if I'm trying to water the air for some reason.
I got that Dramm Heavy-Duty Brass Adjustable Nozzle, so I get that full-analog control and I feel like a fireman.
Also, this thing survives the winter, and the next five of them. That's why I bought it. Everything else would be cool until the next spring when it was a leaky failure. I had to replace llke 4 of the ones in the OP, fricken Walmart specials, shitty plastic, garbage seals. Not the Dramm. This thing's fit for Canada. It doesn't care if it froze all winter, it's ready for spring, leak free.
I get all these settings, and every gradient in-between, unlike the peasantry. Can you imagine? How droll. Merely 7 choices. Genteel shudder
Only $17 on Amazon, so load that one up for a Father's Day gift. Mother's Day gift, too, you know she loves that garden. Did your friend just transition? Dramm garden hose nozzle, welcome to the elite, I put a little bow on it. Hell, I think I'd give it for Christmas to the right person. Dramm 12380, investment grade equipment, real Buy It For Life shit.
When you need to get something wetter than you could on mist, but don't want any pressure behind it. Like wetting a ball of dirt and roots before replanting something. Mist wouldn't get all the way through and any pressure might wash away the dirt.
I had one of the neighbors kids throw an egg at my car window once. I was spraying it down when I heard the little shit chuckling behind me so I pointed the hose in his direction to shoo him away. Mind you I didn’t actually douse him with water.
Guess who gets upset at me? Mrs. Karen who clearly isn’t going to address the now decomposing egg on my window but pointing a harmless jet of water at their child is a step too far.
I don't have a fancy garden hose like this, though I think mist is my favorite. my handheld shower head is similar, but with just shower/center, and out of those my favorite is laminar flow-like (unscrew the shower head and rawdog the end of the hose) (just in general, not very practical for showering per se but it feels very nice and is just better in all situations except maybe like, washing your hair)