The Green Grass of Home
Regularly watering your lawn can be quite relaxing and cathartic, and of course, vital for green and healthy grass. However, it may stop being a joyful routine when you’ve got a large lawn with a lot of grass to cover. Additionally, our schedules may change and then become tighter.
So, though a few minutes of meditative watering may be useful every once and a while, you may not always have the time or energy to water your lawn manually. Therefore, you might just consider getting the best lawn sprinkler. Consequently, your grass will thank you by staying green and healthy.
However, unless you’ve got colossal properties in an unusually dry or drought-prone area, there’s no need to get complicated, in-ground, irrigation and sprinkler systems. These will take some time to install; will need professionals, and can be very expensive.
So, I’ve gone and researched are the best portable lawn sprinkler. With these kinds of sprinklers, all you’ll need to do is connect it to a standard garden hose, place in the middle of your lawn and then turn on the water – simulated rain for your dry grass.
Buyer’s Guide to Lawn Sprinklers
Gardeners also call portable lawn sprinklers, “hose-end sprinklers” since you would typically use these in conjunction with your standard garden hose. You would, for example, just attach the end of your hose to the device, turn on the water, then the sprinkler will begin watering.
Additionally, hose-end sprinklers are generally less wasteful of water in comparison to automatic irrigation sprinklers.
However, due to the different varieties of portable lawn sprinklers, designs, and manufacturers, you’ll find thousands of differing products on the market.
For an informed decision, we’ll need to consider the different types of hose-end sprinklers and their strengths and weaknesses. Doing so, we’ll find the sprinklers that perfectly fits your lawns needs.
Moreover, as the summer months come, you’ll want the right sprinkler to protect your lawn from drought.
Things to Consider
1. Types of Hose-end Sprinklers
a. Stationary
Stationary sprinklers are the simplest of the bunch and function in a similar way when you would put your finger over the end of your garden hose to create streams of water. With stationary sprinklers, water travels through holes along the sprinkler head in irregular patterns.
b. Oscillating
If thinking of sprinklers reminds you of young children playing and getting wet in the yard, then they’re most likely oscillating sprinklers. Probably the most common in backyards and private lawns, oscillating sprinklers utilize tubes or rectangular boxes with holes on top to spray water in a rectangular pattern.
c. Impact
If you hear a sprinkler making a “Shwack-shwack-shwack” sound, then you hear the pulsing streams of impact sprinklers. These sprinklers pressure-sprays water in a mighty stream from a single nozzle. These low-angled jets of water then make the sprinkler rotate, distributing water in a circular pattern.
d. Revolving
Revolving or rotary sprinklers also use water pressure to distribute water in a circular pattern. However, they do this by pushing the water out of several arms or hoses on the sprinkler head. This design quickly and evenly covers large areas.
e. Traveling
Traveling Sprinklers use small wheeled-sprinkler heads that resemble tractors, often with rotating sprinkler hoses on top. These wheeled-sprinklers follow a path set by the hose, like a train on tracks, as its hoses spray water in a circular pattern.
Typically, an auto-shut off valve is present which is then toggled by a separate shut-off station at the end of the hose path.
Spray Distance and Area Coverage
Be sure to also inspect a lawn sprinkler’s specifications regarding its spray distance and potential lawn coverage.
Firstly, the spray distance refers to the range of the sprays of water that the sprinklers distributes. In sprinklers with circular patterns, a 50-foot diameter spray means a 25-foot spray distance.
Meanwhile, sprinklers (like the oscillating models) that distribute water in rectangular patterns, often specify their range in width and length.
Then, a sprinkler’s coverage informs you of the total area within which the sprinkler can water. Obviously, this coverage will differ among sprinklers, with traveling sprinklers often covering the most while stationary sprinklers are covering the least.
The Top 5 Best Lawn Sprinkler
So now that we know what factors to consider and features to look for let’s get into the top five best lawn sprinkler!
#1. Nelson 1865 Raintrain
Details:
With the Nelson 1865 Raintrain, there’s no need to go around watering your entire garden because this ingenious sprinkler will do it for you! The cast-iron, chip-resistant body of this traveling sprinkler resembles a train or tractor which will follow the path of your garden hose!
Hence, with a long enough hose, you can guide the sprinkler through gardens and lawns in any shape and length!
Lastly, the Rain Train features an automatic shutoff ramp which turns off the sprinkler head when they meet! Obviously, this is one of my favorites!
#2 Gilmour 196SPB Pattern Master
Details:
If you have a large property with a curved or circular lawn, then the far-reaching sprinkler from Gilmour will be your best bet. The modern-looking Pattern Master sprays up to 43 feet and also adjustable for covering a partial or fullcircle. Ultimately, the coverage of this impact sprinkler goes up to 5,800 sq ft!
#3 Orbit 56667N Zinc Tripod
Details:
Another impact sprinkler that fits large lawns very well is the Orbit 56667N, which also features partial and full-circle coverage. However, the orbit differs in that it stands on a variable height tripod which gives you a top spray distance of 40 feet!
#4 Gardena 1975 Aquazoom
Details:
The Aquazoom is the lone oscillating sprinkler on our list, but it represents its category very well. With a maximum coverage of over 3700 square feet and a minimum of 301 square feet, the Gardena sprinkler is markedly versatile.
This fact is particularly the case for rectangular lawns as well as tight spots since you can adjust the width and length of its spray’s fan-like water pattern.
Ultimately, if your lawn’s width is within 13 to 55 feet and its length within 23 to 69 feet, this excellent sprinkler can cover it in one fell swoop.
#5 Rain Bird 25PJDAC
Details:
Finally, we have a classic brass impact sprinkler: the Rain Bird. Don’t let its old-school design fool you. The brass, bronze, and stainless steel build ensure a remarkably durable product that will last you a long time.
Moreover, it doesn’t skimp out on spray distance as it can distribute water from 20 feet up to 41 feet away!
Note though that the Rain Bird requires a sprinkler base. However, if you already have installed sprinkler towers or tripods, then you’re ready to go!
Sources
- How to Choose and Use Lawn Sprinklers 2017. Thisoldhouse.com
- Types of Sprinkler Systems 2017. Conserveh20.org
- The Nitty-Gritty on Lawn Sprinklers ack Tichenor. Sept 18, 2008. Manatee County Extension, IFAS Extension, University of Florida. Manatee.ifas.ufl.edu
- Home Lawn Watering Guide. Jun 2014. Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri. Extension.missouri.edu