If you have a large lawn or area that has a green cover, you cannot get away with not watering it adequately. In order for the landscape to maintained and looked after, you need to have an appropriate sprinkler system in place. For the sprinkler to be effective, the sprinkler head is one of the most important components.
The following is a brief guide to sprinkler heads and the various types there are on offer in the market. After going through the various parameters you should be careful of before buying, the best sprinklers have been reviewed for your perusal. Let’s begin with the basics:
3 Best Sprinkler Heads
The following are some of the best sprinkler heads in the market:
#1 Best Spray Heads
The following is one of the best spray heads available in the market. As explained above, spray heads are the more traditional sprinklers that spray water in a fixed pattern:
Orbit Vogayer II Professional
- Adjustable spray, going from a radius of 20 feet to 40feet.
- Four-inch pop-up height.
- Compatible with most major brands of rotors.
- Standard 3/4th-inch female inlet thread.
#2 Best Rotors
The following are some of the best rotor heads in the market:
#1 Rain Bird
- Adjustable spray with a radius of 25-50 feet.
- Arc rotation, 40-360°; reversing full-circle rotation.
- Four-inch pop-up, part circle rotor
- 0 GPM nozzle, pre-installed.
#2 Hunter
- Full-circle adjustment, ranging from 50-360°.
- Internal gear drive comes with improved dirty-water tolerance.
- Each four pack comes with an adjustment tool.
- Four Hunter PGP heads with nozzle installed.
#3 Best Rotary Nozzle
The following is one of the best rotary nozzles:
- Arc adjustment, 45-270°.
- Adjustable nozzle with a radius of 17’-24’
- Pack of 10
=> Also, Check Best Smart Sprinkler Controller For Automatic Irrigation
Buying Guide for Sprinkler Heads
Who Makes the Best Sprinkler Heads?
When speaking of sprinkler heads for your garden or front lawn, several reputed names come to mind. Depending on the type of sprinkler head you require, there are more brands than you can name offering their services.
To begin with, Rainbird is a sought-after name for a variety of different types of sprinkler heads — spray heads, pop-ups, rotary nozzles, etc.
Another name that comes to mind is Hunter, also a reliable brand for a variety of different sprinkler heads. But before we get into which brands you should think about purchasing from, the following are the types of sprinkler heads you may want to consider.
Types of Sprinkler Heads
These are the common types of sprinkler heads you will come across in the market. It is important to know what types there are out there to determine which one you require. While technically all of them have the same job, they may differ in terms of technique, efficiency and make:
- Spray Heads: Spray heads are usually fixed into the ground and spray water in a fan-shaped pattern. It works quite similar to a shower nozzle. The pattern of the spray can differ depending on the nozzle that is attached to the spray head. Depending on the area — long or narrow — that needs to be irrigated, the radius of the spray may differ. The spray heads are then placed apart accordingly. Sprays like these require between 20 and 30 PSI of water pressure to function well.
- Rotor: Rotors are the types of sprinklers that rotate streams of water in circles or back and forth over the area that needs to be irrigated. You can recognize this type of sprinkler from the distinct, rhythmic sound it makes. Within rotors too, there are now various types, such as gear-driven rotors, multi-stream rotors, etc. These rotors can be placed apart 8 feet going up to 65 feet.
- Rotary Nozzle: A rotary nozzle is another type of rotor, but these have become so popular in recent years that they form a category of their own. These are miniature rotors, which are classified as both spray heads and rotors. This interchangeable nature is due to the fact that it is a very small rotor which is practically the same size as a standard nozzle on a spray head. These rotator nozzles tend to be of more use than the more traditional spray heads as the water reaches the ground directly instead of evaporating as mist.
Things to Consider Before Buying
Other than the type you may need for your garden or landscape requirements, there are a few other things you will need to be mindful of:
Cost
Irrespective of the type of sprinkler you end up buying, the cost may even out, more or less. For example, as a device, rotors cost more money but it involves fewer pipes and other logistics to get rotors started. Meanwhile, spray heads may be less expensive, but they end up requiring more pipes, valves and trenches to install.
In the end, your cost may turn out to be the same, given that you are working within the same parameters of an area. It is up to you to decide which is a more efficient system for you.
Body
Until recently, the wisdom had been that metal is a more durable material for a sprinkler. But the majority preference is fast moving to plastic. The biggest reason being that injection moulded plastic is far cheaper to manufacture with than metal (mostly brass, sometimes even zinc).
A few companies, however, also do hybrids. Where the body is plastic with brass nozzles. Manufacturers claim that this provides a better water pattern but the jury is still out on this.
Final Thoughts
Getting the right kind of sprinkler head is important for irrigating the concerned landscape. Without an efficient sprinkler head, there is a good chance you will end up wasting precious water and also pay through your nose for land that remains parched.
Currently, there are several different types of sprinkler heads in the market you can pick from. What has been described above is a brief introduction and guide into the world of sprinkler heads. So make a choice and have your garden look lush and green!