Best Rotary Spray nozzles for 2024 'n WHY | 4 Top Brands Compared
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- Опубликовано: 22 май 2024
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There are several brands of multi-trajectory rotary nozzles on the market. They all kinda look the same so is there really a difference?? Yes and HOW.
In this video I’ll show you what the differences are and why I only use one model AND where to get them:
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Chapters:
0:00 Start
1:53 Rotary nozzle competition
5:12 Post-competition commentary
5:50 Pro Tips - history insights
8:26 Important decision
9:39 Pro Tips - optimum operating pressure
10:09 Where to purchase these products
10:23 Pro Tips - Where to avoid using rotary nozzles
Music and photo credits:
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Хобби
I have a flat, irregularly shaped, small yard (3000 sq ft.) that has rainbird 1800, fixed spray nozzels. I have a lot of dry spots because of the shape of my yard and because several of the sprinkler heads were placed just a little too far from each other for head to head coverage. Several were placed more that 15 ft apart. So I was going to replace the nozzles with either MP rotators or R-Vans because they spay further for better head to head coverage. So you don't think the rotators would be good for relacing the fixed sray heads for my application? I am in the Denver CO area.
You have a ripe situation to consider using rotary sprays. As long as you can get some decent head to head coverage with the rotarys, just be sure you're not shy about your run time or you'll be jumping from the frying pan into the fire. A MIN. of 20 mins. per session per station based on 3x/wk in 70 80 deg. weather. Watch my Programming the Controller vid to see the run times rules of thumb. I'll have more detail on this subject in future videos in the Design series and an MP Rotators vid with more detail about using them. Good luck!
You are not on your
@@davidlehnert6008 ?
@@SprinklerPros I have a lawn that is 17 x 28, what do you recommend? Are rotary not recommended? Thanks.
I have heard very good things about using rotaries in the situation of improving on a poor design. I hope it worked for you if you made the switch.
EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR! THANK YOU!!!
Shweet! Glad it was there for you. Is there any other topic you're in need of help with that you don't see on my channel?
Beyond the intro-bling,… great vid!
thank you so much for taking the time...
Glad it was helpful!
I have had MP 1000 Hunters in half my lawn without fail for 8 years. Then I bought RB rotors for the other half but upon seeing your videos I returned them and got more MP 1000’s. My needs were for low flow and the RB precipitation rate is 50% higher than Hunter so mismatch flow in brands. The second reason is the tolerance to weed wacker hits, my gardener edges with a weed wacker and always “cones” above the sprinkler, the exposed RB nozzle design would not stand up to this treatment. Thanks for saving me from a lot of headaches. San Diego.
Wow .... you described exactly my issues with MP rotators! and here I am thinking it is me, and here you are a pro and can't adjust them well. I feel better now!
I'm glad you feel better now.
Great video! I completely agree with you on the MP Rotator. It really IS the best nozzle in the market. However, I would respectfully disagree with you on using the nozzles in shadier of cooler areas. We install MP systems as much as we can here in Los Angeles. We absolutely love them. It’s just one of those things where the contractor, and the however, need to learn about water management and how to calculate irrigation runtimes. We’ve never really had any problems with the nozzles not putting out enough water or the nozzles not being good enough for full sun applications. I would add this though, avoid using MP3000 or MP3500s for lawns. We don’t go any higher than MP2000s for lawn. More heads and more cost but it’s provides a better coverage to ensure everything works good.
Thanks for your comments and your respectful disagreement. My statements regarding the coverage issues in full sun are from the experience I have had including the example I gave in the video of that perfect rectangle and how even the Hunter rep had no answer for me. This issue has been consistent in hot, sunny areas with perfectly placed heads and proper watering times so this is the reason for my statements--experience. I'm glad for you that you haven't had this experience. If you have some insights you'd like to share with me that might enlighten me, then feel free to call and I'd love to discuss it with you. I'm always up for learning and improving.
Tom! I’m now on my third vídeo great info and very well done! Thank you
MJ, Thank you. See ya 'round.
Hey nice vid good detail and info 👌👌
Glad you like it. I have a list a mile long of vids to make which will eventually incl. landscape and lighting. For now I have a few more BEST OF vids to make around my work schedule. G'day.
As a landscaper in California, I try to install rotor spray heads anywhere I can. They are more efficient than regular pop-ups and you don’t have to use that many heads comparatively. I’m trying out the MP-Rotators in my lawn this year and I’m already noticing dry spots and it’s been a very pleasant spring/early summer so far.
Nick, just for clarification, rotor sprays are like Hunter PGP's whereas MP Rotators are called rotary sprays. I know it can be confusing. Yes, the rotary sprays SEEM to be more WATER conservative, but you're learning by experience that they aren't necessarily efficient with coverage on lawns. It shows up in warmer climates. Folks in cooler climates don't always see this because their lawns don't get so hot and dry.
@@SprinklerPros I live a couple miles off the coast and the Rainbird r-vans work pretty well. 8 heads 2 zones I have a rectangular lawn 43'x17' but I wonder if something like PGJs are better suited for my lawn?
This was a very detailed video. I like the fact how these hunter mp 's are so good. and the fact that they will fit on any brand of sprinkler exept toro in my opinion. for example i can use them in rainbird bodies. I look for more to come. another video i would like to see is sizing rotor nozzles for low pressure sysrtems.
Kevin. Just in case you didn't know, Hunter makes a special MP Rotator that fits Toro. I'm not 100% sure what you mean by sizing rotor nozzles for low pressure systems AND do you mean rotor nozzles or rotary nozzles (i.e. MP's)?
What a small world! I went to College in Walla Walla for Mechanical Engineering. One of my classes took us on a field trip to Nielson Irrigation to check out their testing facility. It's cool seeing them and the onions brought up! Side note - did you ever make a video on the PGJ as mentioned in the video? Thanks again for your efforts on imparting your knowledge to the rest of us! I have used it well at our first home.
Moses, We passed thru Walla Walla on our way to visit my mom in Sandpoint, ID over 10 yrs ago. I'm glad these have helped. The PGJ video is still hot on my list. I was just talking about it today.
Hot weather environments require much deeper dumps of water near edges such as sidewalks so rotors like the PGJ are better suited to areas near cement.
Very helpful. Thanks
Glad it was helpful!
I stumbled upon your video and boy am I glad I did. I’m in the process of adding onto an existing system. I deal with low GPM 7.5 but relatively high Psi 80. So the Hunter MP rotors looked like an excellent choice for my turf lawn. Guess I’ll stick to the Hunter PGJ and go with more zones. Thanks..
The MP rotors sure look good though.
Michael, I'm glad this helped.
Just wanted to say you make some of the very best videos on RUclips and I've seen thousands
Thank you so much.
I experienced this problem and made the same mistake ,thanks for confirming but I do think if one times it correctly you my end up with a positive result.
Agrees with my sense also.
Shweeet!
Very useful video
Thank you for sharing
Welcome 😊
@@SprinklerPros Had a newbie question,
Does the distance of a sprinkler depend only on the nozzle in place or also on the type of sprinkler-head being used?
Rayman, the popup you put it on should have no bearing on the distance it sprays UNLESS there is a pressure regulator built in. Does that answer your question?
I'm a fan of both MP Rotators(I also live 10 minutes away from Nelson's which originally designed and manufactured the MP's before selling the design to Hunter back in '06 or '07). I even still have some of the original MP heads labeled "Walla Walla Sprinkler Co." in my lawn shed that I no longer use. I also like the R-Van's. Both have their pro's and Con's. I like the bigger drops, thicker streams, and higher GPM and precipitation rate of the R-Van's, especially love the tool less adjustability of them. The MP's seem to last longer without something going wrong with them, they also have nozzles that spray up to 35 ft.(in perfect conditions), they seem to be more durable due to having metal adjustment ring around the head, also double pop to clear any sand or debris, and seem to not need readjusted over time like the R-Van's seem to need. I can find R-van's cheaper than MP Rotators currently but I already have enough of each to replace 5 zones I run them in. Currently have the R-Van's installed for a couple of years because find I prefer them over the MP Rotators personally.
Thanks for your pro/con thoughts. I passed thru Walla Walla 14 yrs ago (hard to believe it was that long ago) on my way to visit my mom in Sandpoint, ID. She now lives in Northern CA.
Sad to say I really expected more, I use both Rvan and MP rotator, only place that I can find certain MP rotator is from Ewing Irrigation (local/regional company), I find the red/tan color nozzle for the Rvan are spectacular, all the heads overlap by several feet (retrofitted old spray style nozzles, also capped several sprinklers all together, still get amazing results). I’ve got nothing bad to say about either MP or Rvan, granted I’ve only been able to find side strip nozzles in the MP rotator and don’t feel like paying $11 per nozzle, needing 10 nozzles or so to experiment with the Rvan. Also, my HD has dropped several different spray styles from both RainBird and Hunter, no idea why, but it’s harder than before to find these style nozzles locally
I love the video. I have a 2000 square foot yard with lots of smaller shapes. Largest distance is 12 foot. Currently using 8-14 Rvans on RB 1800 30 psi heads. I have had issues with about 1/3 of my almost 40 nozzles. Either lack of spinning or missing sections of the streams entirely. I notice that they done retract all the way after a few years and they sit on a layer of grass and dirt between bonnet and nozzle.
My debate is to switch to regular fixed and variable sprays, or try the MP 800 and 815 line. More flow and has charts for 30 psi. I would put in 45 psi stems where needed to get max range.
I tried to be clever I suppose and save water, but 2 different companies told me they don’t bother installing rotator nozzles due to too many call backs. I see why. I installed this system myself and oversized my lines so it should handle the 2.5 times flow that regular sprays put out. Most zones are full sun, I am happy with the water rate on the ones that do work, and have complete arcs and spin. But I have to pull up and flush 6 or so every time and some still are incomplete. I have tried regular stems without prs which will run at 65 psi and no difference.
Just wondering if the 0.8 line of MP rotators are well tested, popular and reliable at the 30 psi published numbers and if I should switch a few zones to them, or stick with fixed and van sprays. All my distances range between 6 and 12 feet. Cool season grass on clay with top soil added, south east Michigan. Thanks
Wow Sean! That is some detail and good knowledge. Here is my reply with my experience. The 1800 popups tend to stick. I went thru an entire case of them a few yrs ago when RB had a sale on case qty's. The entire case of them stuck and they were installed on different jobs. That's why I stick with the Hunter Pro-Sprays. The MP Rotators are rated for 40 PSI. There should be as little soil and grass between the at-rest bonnet and nozzle. The soil can be drawn down into the popup and score the shaft and seal, causing sticking shafts.
The 800 series are just as good as the other MP's. They use a bit more GPM so they can do their job effectively but not enough to be concerned with having them mixed with other rotary nozzles.
Does that help? Thanks for watching.
@@SprinklerPros thank you so much. I didn’t even consider that the 1800 bodies themselves could be part of the issue over time. I will consider swapping out entire bodies with the 800 and 815 hunters as time and budget allows. That’s a good tip that the precip rates are so close anyway that mixing hunter sr in with my rvan is fine. Thanks again for the videos and your reply.
Great video series! I have a question, one of my flower beds in front of my patio is on a small hill. Currently I have fan shape spray heads. This bed gets so saturated that it is flooding the area below it. My sprinkler guy recommended the MP rotator heads instead, but I am skeptical. Do you think that will help with my water issues?
E S, less water time is the simplest solution but if that line has heads elsewhere that NEED the current run time, then yes, the MP's may be a solution. They are available in many patterns/configurations. Let me know how it goes.
Thanks for the video. Would standard fixed pop ups, rotating spray nozzles (like this video), or rotor sprays work best if it’s really windy, even at night? Also what is best for a hill? Thanks.
It gets very windy during the Spring and early Summer here on the Coast and nothing works great during windy conditions. It's best to use low volume sprays like MP Rotators on hills as shown in this video.
I’m working on replacing my lawn with drought tolerant landscaping as a part of socal’s turf replacement program, and am required to replace the sprinkler system with either rotating heads, micro spray, or drip. The irrigation timer wouldn’t be on more than once a week, and would be running around 4am, do you think the MP’s will work?
PTA, If the heads are placed properly and you have the correct nozzles that will reach each other AND it runs long enough then, yes, it has a chance at sustaining your lawn, but as noted on the video, unless your lawn is on a slope, the rotary nozzles are not my furst choice for the reasons I mention in the video. You would be better off being sure your head placement is correct and keeping your standard popup nozzles. Head placement is the key. My next video will cover the basics of proper head placement design.
Would you recommend the MP rotators for a relatively flat 3/4 lot (that does not have many curves or irregular shapes) in northern Illinois?
If you can make standard popups work, that would always be better. If your distance between heads is more than 14ft then PGJ's or PGP's would be good. As quality as the MPs are, I always use them on lawns as a last resort for the reasons mentioned esp. if on a dirty water system. Does that help?
I passed thru your state last week on my way to IN. I am now in GA.
I have the k rain my sprinkler Depot does not sell hunter nozzles love your videos
Interesting.
@@SprinklerPros yes lol
I have two parkways that are only about 4 ft. wide. Will the MP side strips work for that? They have a radius of 5", but I'm not sure if you can adjust that downward.
Thanks
Yes, the MP SST and CST (corner strips) nozzles are designed for parkways. I wouldn't be concerned with the 5ft throw according to the book. Most nozzles from any brand rarely throw as far as stated due to onsite conditions. The nozzle can be adjusted down up to 25% if it truly is throwing too far for your liking.
I want to cap off one Irritrol HS series head body(nozzle is MP2000 rotator), where can I buy that cap. I measure the body diameter around 1-5/8". Another is I could not find any screwdriver can adjust that small screw in the head middle. Is there any special tool to use, where can I buy it? Thanks in advance.
Paul, I don't know where to get those caps if they exist. You may need to dig it up and cap the riser. If you just don't want water spraying from the nozzle then install a standard nozzle like a RainBird 1800 nozzle with a screen/filter under it and turn the screw until no water sprays out. The MP Rotator nozzle screw can be adjusted using the orange MP Rotator adjustment tool that I have on my Resources pages linked in the Description section of my recent videos. Go to the Sprinklers page and see it there. That nozzle will not turn off. It only adjusts down 25%. I hope that answers your questions. Thanks for watching.
I may have missed it, but to what do you attribute the failure of the mp rotators in that problematic application? What was it about these nozzles that caused the dry spots? Could it be that the climate in question requires a special design for use of mp rotators?
Also, I'm trying out a white clover lawn in southern CA, which will eventually require less frequent but deeper irrigation. And I'll be attempting to conserve water in any way that I can. Do you see these mp rotators problematic for my application as well?
Thanks
Kelly, the thin multi-trajectory sprays are not as efficient in evenly covering every inch of area. As mentioned in the video, they were originally designed for agriculture, namely onions, which don't need every inch of ground evenly watered. One thing I found is that the MP nozzles above the 2000 series are worse at coverage. The further they spray the worse they are at coverage. This issue is mainly in hotter, drier climates. It may not be an issue at all in cooler climates where the soil holds the moisture longer. I've not heard of clover lawns so I don't know and it also depends what your climate is like where you live. You might check around with other properties in your climate that have clover lawns and see what type of irrigation they are using.
Thanks for this! My Rachio 3 Smart Controller app is trying to get me to "upgrade" by sell me the K-Rain rotary nozzles "for better sprinkling coverage and more efficient watering" than my standard spray nozzles. And at $22.50 per 3-pack, they aren't cheap! Turns out my existing Rainbird standard spray nozzles are better? Huh!
Naaman, I don't do K-Rain anything. Yep. If you can use standard nozzles rather than rotary nozzles on your lawn, you're better off.
This may seem odd, but i have a 1,200 square foot putting green that i need to be able to cool down during the summer. Im looking for a head that puts out less water per minute as i want to run it for 20 min or so on hot afternoons to cool the turf but not water deep. I have two zones covering the 1,200 square feet. Im finding that the heads ive tried are simply putting down too much water.
Jeff, this MP Rotator nozzle puts out the least amount of water per minute of any other TYPE of nozzle. Running it for about 20 mins. is the typical run time for them. Does this help?
If i have normal u type Rain bird nozzles , do i need to change the whole set up to use rotary style ? or will just the changing the nozzles work ?
Just changing the nozzles is enough. Remember to check inside the shaft for debris when you remove the current nozzles.
I have the MP3000 rotators about two yrs old, when house was built. I have a few that seem not to rotate very slow or not at all. I made sure filter clean and the body from dirt and still no change. Any ideas or did they just go bad.
Christopher, if they rotate too slow or not at all they typically need to be replaced. I am guessing they used to work fine? Sometimes they don't work well if the water pressure isn't high enough. PSI can change. You can check the water pressure at the furthest head from the sprinkler valve and be sure it's at least 40 PSI. You can get the guage and adapter for it at the bottom of the Sprinklers page of my Resources site sprinklerpros.net/resources/sprinklers/.
@@SprinklerPros Thank you sir.. Last question if the bodies are not the PRS40 but are the rain bird 1800 would that have some effect on the MP rotators as well?
8:03 Since the Hunter MP head puts down the water at 1/3 of the rate, did the run time get extended to make sure the grass got the same amount of water?
Mr. Tech, that would be a great assumption. That was a number of years ago so I don't remember, but I'm sure that was probably the case. Good thought.
5:47 yes and no… the rotating part of the r van is less stiff than the most rotator plus it is built cheaper…I can also see the streams on the r van is not as smooth as the motor rotator
I live in a area with a lot of wind. I am looking for rotors that put out larger drops and less aerosolized drops that blow away.
As mentioned in the video, Hunter MP Rotators which are considered rotary nozzles and they have some of the largest water droplets in the industry. If you want way bigger then you'd need to bump up to rotor sprays like Hunter PGJ's or PGP's.
Lowes has these!!
One major question for rain birds what size particles are actually getting into the sprinkler head with the extremely fine filters attached when buying the heads?
Case, that would be a question for the manufacturer.
What do you recommend for breezy spots? My rainbird 32sa and he van mist way too much and it blows away wasting water. My R Van don’t spray well in close so around the sprinkler is often dry.
It depends on the distance you need to reach. Side note first: sprays need to reach each other for proper coverage. They are designed for distance so they are not designed to spray under themselves. If they are misting, besides the wind, it could be that the water pressure is too high. Standard popups are rated for 30 PSI, Hunter MP's are rated for 40 PSI, Hunter PGJ (equivalent to the RB SA's) prefer 40, and the Hunter PGP's prefer 50 PSI. The other concern is the time of day to water. Out here we prefer watering as early in the morning after 4am as possible before the wind kicks up. We do all the sprays first then the drip afterward since they aren't an issue in the wind. I am more concerned about the things I mentioned than what spray type or brand/model you use. I hope this helps.
@@SprinklerPros I’m confused. “Sprays need to reach each other”, for all types of heads and nozzles, the water from one needs to go all the way to the base of another so 100% overlap? Or they just need to overlap at the edges of each of its range? And is this for all types of sprinkler types? My R Ban rotary nozzles barely water in the first 4 feet. Only my rotors and HE Van mist, the R Van don’t mist at all. “They are designed for distance and not designed to spray under each other” which ones? And what does that mean not designed to spray under each other? I want to cover 90° from 0 to 15 or 0 to 20 feet with some breeze.
Yes, with every type of sprinkler, the sprays need to reach each other's sprays/heads with a bit of overlap. Just so you know, that's not opinion--that's the facts of proper design noted in our industry. If your RVANS are barerly watering 4 ft then you either don't have enough water PRESSURE (not to be confused with flow) or there are too many heads on each line. Every spray head is designed for distance--not for spraying under themselves. There are a few that attempt to both like the RainBird 1800 U series nozzles but those should only be used as a last resort to attempt to help dry areas that aren't getting watered because the heads are too far apart. Even RVANS, MP Rotators, or any other rotary nozzle aren't designed to spray around the base of the head. As long as you don't have too many heads on the line AND you have enough water pressure, rotary nozzles or rotor sprays like Hunter PGJ's should be sufficient for what you are after.
@@wstt4 No sprinkler can sprinkle itself, thus head to head coverage is needed to eliminate dry spot at base of sprinkler.
I have a lawn that is 17 x 28, what do you recommend? Are rotary not recommended? Thanks.
Edgar,
As mentioned in the video, rotary nozzles are not my first pick. Hunter PGJ's with the factory installed 2.0 nozzle might be just right for the corners, but if you put 180's down the two long sides at the halfway point like you should, the 180's will reach each other across from each other but will overspray to the corners. Unfortunately you'll have the same issue even if you use MP 2000 series. The shape of the yard is the issue. If the lawn was longer (17x34) then it wouldn't be an issue. Standard popups using 17ft Hunters or 18ft RainBirds will work too (see my nozzle video) but the same placement issue will exist. Let me know what you decide.
I have a wood deck that keeps getting soaked each time the association sprinkler system gets turned on. The sprinkler service comes out, but to no avail, my deck still getting sprayed. With the cost of our water bills, how costly would it be to replace the sprinkler head?
Sorry Norma, unless you live in my work area I would have no way of knowing that. I'd need to see the situation. Good luck.
Where is the video where you describe the issue you had with the MP rotators? The future video you mentioned in this video.
Jonathan, excellent question. Yes at 8:41 I mention a future video. I have been busy creating other content for this channel and haven't gotten back to making that video. I just wrote it down on my immediate videos list though I only have time to create a video every couple of weeks. I hope you're subscribed so you'll get notified when that video goes live. Thanks for bringing that up.
What lawn sprinkler head do you recommend for Phoenix AZ
Rebecca, head types are situation specific rather than location specific. It's all about whether you have a dirty water system, distance between heads, etc. My videos go over the different types and touch on the reasons for using those types. I hope this helps. I'll be passing thru your state in a few days on my way back home to CA. I switched planes in your city a yr ago on our trip to IN.
Am I able to just buy rainbird body and get the mp rotator heads to put on them?
Grant, yes. you can buy the RB 1800 popups and buy the MP nozzles separately, but I can tell you by decades of experience that the Hunter popups are way better. See my video called The Best Popups for 2023.
Wala wala onions sound delicious
😋
The problem with mp rotator is that sometimes they get stuck. Even after i replace them they get stuck again. I replaced the stuck ones with rvan and works great! So i have mix nozzles
I've seen 2 MAIN reasons for MP's to get stuck. They are on well/pond/creek water and aren't getting filtration before or after the valves or the water pressure is too high. The proper OPERATING water pressure is 40 PSI. If it's around twice that or more, then they will act erratic or spin frantically. If the RVANs don't get stuck over time then it may be debris clogging the nozzles and/or scrreens of the MP's. The RVAN's have larger ports so debris can pass through easier.
Is there a filter on the system? Usually helps to keep nozzles from clogging.
Hello, Do you think using rotary nozzle is always a better choice than regular ones ?
No. I mention in the video the scenarios to consider before choosing rotary nozzles.
What is the difference between the SRM and PGJ? Is one better than the other?
Craig, good question. The SRM's performance specs are identical to the PGJ. The difference is in the materials and design. The SRM is an economy version of the professional grade PGJ. The biggest noticeable difference is that there is no rubber protective cap on top of the SRM and the warranty is only a year on the SRM compared to the 2 year on the PGJ. I have never seen an SRM offered in our area.
How do I go to your website. Because I cannot go below as you commented to do. Please respond.
sprinklerpros.net/
Can you do a video of a hunter I20 vs rain bird 5000
I will do that. I trust you are Subscribed so you'll get notified when it is uploaded. I will do it asap but can't promise when that will be. I still work full time in my sprinkler biz so it's usually a couple wks between videos. Thanks for asking. Great idea.
how to adjust R-VAN -SST from rain bird
thanks
David, This should help: www.google.com/search?q=how+to+adjust+R-VAN&rlz=1C1ZKTG_enUS918US918&oq=how+to+adjust+R-VAN++&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQABiABDIICAIQABgWGB4yCggDEAAYhgMYigUyCggEEAAYhgMYigUyCggFEAAYhgMYigXSAQkyMDU1M2owajeoAgCwAgA&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:a00e0b3f,vid:aIW30dSM0-I,st:0
Does anyone have any real life experience, good or bad, converting a traditional pop up system to all rotators? I understand I may have to add a few heads to ensure coverage. I live on the Eastern Texas border so late summer heat is an issue.
Cap'n, I have done many of these conversions especially during the last big drought a few years ago. What questions do you have regarding it?
I switched all my California rectangular lawn spray nozzles with rotators. Started with the Rainbird then switched to the Hunter MPs to get slower infiltration. Did the tuna can challenge to check coverage and time per inch of water. The Hunter MPs just require a longer cycle time. I adjusted the sprinkler timer and check coverage depth every other month. Two years later and I'm still happy.
rain bird 1800!
Yes is exactly the information I needed. I spent a few thousand dollars upgrading my sprinkler system. The landscaper put in all mp rotors. And my lawn got worse. Now I know why.
EMPTY rotors?? What do you mean?
Oh gotcha. Yep. It's unfortanate, but I have seen it many times. Sorry that happened. Can you get him to come back and change the nozzles out on a warranty basis?
@@SprinklerPros mp not empty
@@SprinklerPros No, it has been a while. I actually sent him your video and he did not respond. It sucks because he took out perfectly good lawn sprinklers and put those in.
When they put in the irrigation lines on my property, a few were set in @ 4' from my property line. I need to have rotary sprinkler heads that will reach @ 12' in the front of the head but only 4' in the back. Does any company make a rotary sprinkler that adjust distance as it rotates? Say 180 degrees at 4' and then extending out 12' for the other 180 degrees? Thanks
Ron, yes and no. There isn't a professional grade head that will do that but there is a (what APPEARS TO BE a gimmicky hose end head that supposedly does that. It supposedly reads the area (using a laser or some such gadget) then once it learns the area you want it to water then it will do crazy patterns. I don't know the name of it. Just Google or RUclips search using various keywords. Let me know in a new comment thread how it works for you if you try it. Good luck.
Irrigreen?
man, I just wasted money "upgrading" my MP rotator to the R-VANs. I should have just changed out my system to the rotor sprays.
Sincere and curious question: why you thought the RVans were an upgrade. Was it a video or someone you know that told you?
@@SprinklerPros Because the R-vans shoots out more water. And my lawn was dying with the MP Rotators due to some spots getting no water.
Been a week and it looks like the dead spots are coming back so maybe the RVans are working better for me.
The RVans definitely put out more water per minute so you don't need to run them as long as the MP's.
I have to replace my mp3500 every 3 months. They always stop spinning. Looking for a different solution now.
Joshavan, if your MP's are doing that, without knowing your system, my first inclination would be to check the water pressure on the furthest head from the valve and be sure that it doesn't greatly exceed 50 PSI. The prefered PSI, as you may know, is 40 PSI. If it's hanging around 70ish or more, I would say it's definitely probably most likely too high PSI. Let me know what you find.
@@SprinklerPros yea I have the PRS40 so all are at 40psi
Joshavan, that is truly out of the ordinary. I"m sure you're checking the screens for for 'dirt'. I will see if I can get the Hunter rep in on this.
@@SprinklerPros Hard to say what the problem is, at this point I am ready to go back to rotors. Its been truly frustrating, I had planned to put them in a different zone to see if they keep working in a different location but I put the brakes on that for now.
I had the same issue with the MP. Switch to R-VAN and it's been set it and forget it .
Król jest tylko jeden MP Rotator firmy Hunter ,
W rzeczy samej!
I am a licensed Irrigator from Texas with over 7 golf courses , 2 Championship Sports Fields and 100s of other projects and Hunter MP rotators are crap. Sorry Craig Berlin but these rotators may of been 1st but the RainBird R-Van blows the MP out of the water. The flow throttle on the Bird is the biggest plus but so is the flush out abilty. You may not receive "paid compensation" but you probably get free products. Sorry folks to say this but the Hunters are junk and inferior to the R van.
Currently, the Toro PRN is only available in male-threads. That said, it is by far the most efficient rotating nozzle available. Why? Rainbird and Hunter MP have an independently tested 50% and 54.4% DU, as tested by CIT. Toro PRN is tested at 70% by CIT. You CANNOT have high efficiency with a low DU nozzle; it's the upper threshold in any efficiency equation. Toro PRN uses a higher but still acceptable application rate, less ports for more water driving through the ports and a lower, 25 degree trajectory vs. most rotating nozzles at 30 degrees. Toro uses a planetary gear drive so only clean water is recommended.
Jay, thank you for chiming in with all those tech specs. I see your point about efficiency. Just so you know, I base my perspectives on things taking several/many real world things into consideration and efficiency isn't always in the equation though I understand the importance overall. These nozzles clogging has been an issue in our area even though they're on city water so most folks gave up on them. When Toro offered free nozzles in our area during the last major drought the overall performance/coverage greatly decreased on people's yards because people didn't make sure the distance between heads was correct. No fault of the nozzles, but people assumed they could do a quick swap. I got called out onto many of these yards because of this issue. These nozzles are best when they are on a system that has proper head-to-head coverage AND proper PSI FOR THESE NOZZLES. Feel free to reply with any other thoughts. I am open and objective.
I HATE the tiny volume adjustment screw.
Me too especially with the sprinkler. running Hard to line up.the slot with the tiny screw driver head
I gotta surprised with K rain MP nozzles In the field
Yep I've seen a few ot them. Not very common out here.
Being a Irrigation Technician myself, I tend to stay away Hunter products if possible. I like useing Rain Bird's R-Vans. More water, less run time, Easy to flush the nozzle, no tools needed to adjust and can co-exist with Gear Rotor.
So I can’t replace one of my old toro rotators with one of these hunters? All the other ones on the zone are toro gear rotators… at least I’m pretty sure they are.
If I understand you correctly, you have Toro popups with Toro rotator nozzles. If that's the case, yes Hunter has a version of their MP Rotators with Toro threads. If your local landscape/irrigation supplier doesn't stock them, you may need to ask them to order them. They are in bags of 10. The official nomenclature ends with an HT i.e. MP1000HT 90-210
@@SprinklerPros the pop- up itself is cracked so I was thinking about replacing it with a hunter pop up… thinking about replacing them all actually. The ones I have currently I think are toro 1000 series (not sure about that) old mechanical rotors. What are some things I should consider when changing to a completely new pop up? I don’t want to replace them all then have something break or something because the pressures are off.
@@fistofodin1use rainbird 5000 rotors. I’ve been doing this for a long time and they’re the best and easiest to adjust.
Are they available in India? Where?
Suresh, I don't know where they are available. Sorry.
R Van's 1724 are way more reliable than MP rotators I have been installing and maintaining irrigation systems for the last 12 years MP rotators fail constantly and get clogged up.
RVANs are so much better than the MPRs and I'm a hunter fan.
Ok. Thanks for your thoughts. What are your insights?
@@SprinklerPros we used to spec MPRs for slopes. The MPRs are very prone to just stop rotating, they also get clogged a lot and are a pain to clean out when you have a large system. The RVANs rarely crap out and they are so easy to flush out and clean when they are clogged. You don't have to take the nozzle off, genius.
@@RoseGold823 My experience is the same as yours Kyle. I have used the MPRs for two projects and in both cases, several mprs stopped rotating. I replaced both with RVANs and although they rotated a bit faster, they at least keep rotating.
@@GaryJay1 yeah. I get the feeling this is slanted to Hunter. The R vans destroy the MP. You can go back to most any job that some Landscape Architect specked MPs on after 6mos and find several that stopped spinning or spin slower etc. The R van having the throttle to adj flow is absolutely the best thing going on these nozzles.
I disagree, Have been using MPs from Arizona - Florida to Hawaii. You cannot beat the low infiltration rates of these heads. Furthermore, with the 3500s you can replace most rotors. you just need to design for head to head plus. Most irrigation retrofits are dealing with low pressure issues due to poor design, these will allow you to combat that. I try not to be a fan-boy but between MP Rotators and SPYK microjets - they are all I use. DO NOT Use PGjs or PGPs - unless you have a park or golf course with ample pressure.
I disagree as well. I had these heads installed in a Bermuda summer lawn and overseeded in the winter with Rye in Arizona for 8 years. Even with the some of the hardest water in the nation that Phoenix has, I never had a single failure of 30 heads installed front and back yard. And I did not have dry spots. The key for me was to let each zone run for 15 minutes, then an hour delay to allow the water to propagate through the soil. And then I would let the zones water for the remainder of their time, based on the time of year.
Yes, these require very long run times compared to all the traditional heads out there. But why would I care? The controller is doing all the work. And sprinkler head overlap is a key design requirement of any system, not just rotators.
I have also installed these in a Kentucky Bluegrass lawn, front and back yard in Colorado. No failures in 3 years.
There is a Coke ad that shows how Coke’s taste is far superior to Pepsi. However, soda drinks are bad for you, drink water!
MP rotator just needs to push out more water.
HA, They are intentionally designed this way for several reasons. What issues are you addressing by your comment? This is a sincere question.
@@SprinklerPros dead grass. Replaced it with rainbird R-Van and grass is greening back up.
Are you serious? Extend your water times. Lower precip rate is almost always better. Less flow = less wear on pipes, less flow = quieter, less flow = greater time for absorption, less flow = more heads per zone if desired, etc.
Hunter biased video? The so called test video is conducted by hunter so obviously it's going to be biased to their own product.
Maybe, maybe not. If the results are so biased it would be easy to disprove the results even for the general viewer. Also, did you miss the part where he recommended against them for 90% of scenarios?
22 feet is an awkward distance, I guess you're probably using the MP3000 because the MP2000 is 21 feet at 40-55psi! if a MP rotator's radiues is reduced by the top screw that will produces a great nonuniformity. Therefore, when using MP, it is necessary to use pressure adjustment and reduce the radiues without screws as much as possible. Even throwing 21 feet with the MP2000 is far better than the MP3000.
Yes. You can see in that photo the trajectory of the 3000 series nozzle sprays. Good catch. And I agree with you that the coverage-ability is much better with nozzles smaller than the 3000's. The trajectory is so high to get the distance that they miss the lower areas.
No one makes high pressure lines so this test is void.
Yep. If you're speaking of the high pressure tests, it just shows the overall strength of the products.
Mp's are the best. We only use rain bird heads but we don't use the r vans. Only mp. To many problems with hunter heads. Unless it's i25s or the stainless i20.
Hmmm. What problems have you had with the Hunter Pro-Sprays? I've had zero issues, but I have had lots of issues with the RainBird 1800's.
@@SprinklerPros same as the 1800s. To me the sprays are the same but rotors the hunters are crap. Unless like I said your doing stainless I 20 or i25. But any thing residential hunters trash. Idk if it's the soil here . We're outside of Atlanta. But all I do all day is change out hunters. But spray heads to me hunter and rb are the same. And definitely the mp's. We use the shit out of them. The r vans are trash. We mostly use r.b. stuff. But here lately I like hunter valves more than the PGA. But I think timers, rotors and sprays rb is better. But it just about what you like . Some like hunter some like rb. But I like your videos. Thanks for making them
OK, when it comes to MP Rotors, LISTEN to this guy! I'm in North Central Texas and last year built a new house. The irrigation guy installed all MP rotors on my 2 acre lot. FAIL! First of all, they seem to ALL stop rotating at some time or another, so it's fun going out and getting sprayed while you twist them to get them going again.
Second of all, they spray water in tiny streams up into the air where, in a hot (95° to 105°F) dry climate most of the water evaporates (even at night) before it hits the ground. The water drops are so small and light that what water actually does get to the grass it seems to land on the grass leaves and not penetrate to the ground, hence, it evaporates with huge dry spots left. You need water WEIGHT (large drops) that will hit the grass and penetrate to the ground where it will soak in. It's the GROUND that needs to be watered, NOT the grass...
I'm a Hunter guy - all my homes have had Hunter controllers, rotors, and other nozzles, and this house is no exception. It's going to be a hassle replacing the 50 or 60 MP rotors, but I'll have to have it done at great expense.
I'm in DFW and looking at better options. He has me sold on Hunter but, with a large st augustine lawn I need it to have even coverage - what spray nozzles do you plan on switching to?
Wow! What a drag. I was just on a property today in near 100 degrees working on an MP job that wasn't installed well. I tweaked most, replaced 2, and need to install one in the center. It's a small lawn compared to your estate. Here's a thought: Do you KNOW your water pressure at the furthest head from the valve? Two things that too high water pressure can create is smaller water droplets and can cause rotor and rotary nozzles to stop rotating. One specific job I resolved years ago was one with a BUNCH of RainBird MaxiPaws (the old ch-ch-ch rotating sprinklers) that wouldn't turn at all. I checked the pressure and it was WAY over 100 PSI. I installed a brass pressure regulator before the sprinkler valves and wha la! They all worked perfectly. Your MP PSI should be a min. of 40 and no more than 50 at the furthest head. The gauge and Hunter tool for that are on the Resources page. Let me know what you learn.
@@mcgroarm I had to expand the system two weeks ago and installed PGP rotors.
I strongly hesitate to listen to anything declaring one product, "the best on the market." In my understanding, all of these nozzles have different strengths that make them better for certain applications than others. The MP Rotator has a precipitation rate if 0.4 GPM which is incredibly low which probably why this guy had better results on shady lawns in cooler environments. The comparable RVAN nozzles have double the precipitation rate of 0.8 GPM which seems to be more popular with the contractors I have encountered in Utah where I live where it gets very warm and sunny in the summer. The truth is that direct sunlight is going to cause problems for any irrigation system supplying water from above the ground. I recently had some conversations with an architectural engineer in my company who told me that nothing on the market has ever been found to be very successful in places like Las Vegas. The approach gaining traction in Las Vegas currently is using below the surface drip irrigation lines across an entire lawn. This does not suffer from evapotranspiration from the sun and is the best, most direct way of getting water to where the grass needs it.
Kevin, ONE of the reasons I prefer the MP Rotators over the other brands IS because of the lower precipitation rates. It goes on slower so doesn't run off as fast if on a slope. I understand the principle of the subterranean irrigation systems but I dislike them for a few reasons. The biggest reason is if/when the tubing cracks or is cut or otherwise is compromised, it sucks mud into the tubing and is distributed throughout. There is a HUGE neighborhood here on the Central Coast that decided (or was forced) to install subterranean on their front lawns and parkways during our drought a few years ago and now those systems are beginning to fail. Some systems have been completely replaced. Some of the people that are fed up with the problems have reverted to popup systems. Those are less susceptible to these issues and they can be blown out easier and more successfully if dirt gets in the lines. I'm not saying those things are wrong, just stating my experience and the conclusions I've arrived at. Oh and my Best Of series is based on......my 30+ years of experience being around most of the products out there. Again, it's just me.
0:16 model more like BRAND… how can we use one model when the arc and or radius is not correct
hmm. Not sure what you mean. I would like to answer this but just need a bit of clarification.
He means the MP rotator line (brand) and Hunter as a brand is the winner for you. Not just one “model” of the MP rotator is your pick.
@@seanrice7511 multiple models can be used of the mo rotator not just one only…
You'd have to run these nozzles for at least an hour
Devin, what situation are you suggesting that they'd need to run for at least an hour? Just in case you didn't know, Hunter recommends a minimum of 20 mins.
@@SprinklerPros per day. Worst way of watering. 20 minutes even with adjacent coverage isn't gonna give your lawn an 1" of water. In fact that water will just evaporate and you'll end up with dry spots. You're better off with longer run times and water once or twice a week.
@@SprinklerPros Only way to find out the true run time is to place small containers throughout the lawn and run the entire system for as long as it takes to get at least an 1" of water in all containers.
Yep. That's a water audit. I plan to create a video on that. By your channel it looks like you live in BAK and that you focus on irrigation museum pieces per se. I had thought of doing that many yrs ago and even kept alot of the obsolete components and timers to do that but when I moved up the coast I decided to send it all to the landfill with alot of other stuff. I knew some Brewers in BAK when I was growing up in the 60's and 70's.
Why do you have Nozzles for 2024 when the videos shows that it was uploaded 2 years ago. SMH!
Michael, the truth hasn't changed since I created that video and the title needs to remain relevant for the current year for folks to understand that it is up to date. If newer/better products discussed here come on the market and trump what I have shared here, then I will create a new video. The same goes for all the other videos in the BEST OF series.
This is just hunters product video so this doesn't show anything because hunter would of course say that their nozzle is the best one 😂
Funny thought, but I only used excerpts from their product videos to create this video. The great thing about their videos is how they SHOW the difference in quality including over long periods of use. Hope these videos are helpful to you.
@@SprinklerPros yes they are because your video taught me things about the mp rotators and other rotary nozzles but I still don't think that hunters commercial shows the real quality of the rotary nozzles from the competetors.
So MPs ain't good for lawns got it. Save yall time.
Yes, as a first choice in most cases based on the situations outlined in the video. What's your experience with them DJ?
Я не очень политический человек, но я думаю, что то, что сейчас происходит в мире, очень серьезно, и нам всем нужно более критично относиться к новостям, которые мы читаем, и видео, которые мы смотрим. Мы должны проверять источники на предмет фальши, искать истинные мотивы, стоящие за новостями, и не поддаваться пропаганде. Ситуация сейчас гораздо опаснее, чем кажется на первый взгляд, и мы должны быть объективны в своих оценках различных источников.
Я согласен.
Its obvious who paid the video! R-VANs are just way better though!
Alex, just so you understand, I receive no compensation from any manufacturer. The views expressed on all my videos are solely my own based on 30something years of experience installing, troubleshooting, and repairing all different brands and models of products. It's okay if you disagree with my views. The freedom to agree to disagree is what makes America awesome.
Hunter extreme bias. If you’re pushing 100 PSI to a zone with a single head, you should be fired.
I could see it in a winterization situation if the compressor output is unregulated or pressure has been building up before the zone opens
Please Mr. I would be much grateful it you can help me out on a project I’m undertaking. Please help me out to contact you personally…….