What's up with lawn sprinklers

[Lee Schierer]

I inadvertently broke our old oscillating lawn sprinkler while relocating the hose. Apparently all lawn sprinklers are not created equally. We've had this one so long I forgot when we got it, but it has worked reliably until I broke it. I went to the Orange Borg, bought their best metal base Melnor lawn sprinkler. Brought it home hooked it up and it ran for about a dozen oscillations until our water pressure dropped ( well 40-60 psig), then it stalled in one place, flooding that area. Even when the water pressure increased it remained stalled, just clicking away. Took it back got another of the same model (360M), same problem.

Reading sprinkler reviews online is amazing half the people either love a model or hate it.

Has anyone recently purchased an oscillating type lawn sprinkler for about $25-30 that works on water pressure down to 40 psig (or lower) that doesn't fall part in the first few weeks of use?

[Larry Edgerton]

There used to be a company out in Iowa that made the best, they are the ones that made the tractor sprinklers [I have two!] but they made the mistake of getting involved with WalMart, and now they are no more. If my tractors ever wear out I will be looking myself.

Its not just sprinklers, its everything. As long as the public's first priority is price, this will be how things go. Most often what you hear is how little some one paid for something, not how good it is made. I don't even think a company could survive on quality right now, unless it is a small niche market like Lie Nielson. Good names are being drug in the dirt. Took a look at a Troy Built tiller to get back into gardening. Not even close to the one I had 25 years ago. But it is cheap!

Sad really.......

Larry

[John Coloccia]

Another one of those seemingly simple devices that no one can seem to get right anymore, like pencils and toasters.

Checkout a local nursery or garden center and ask them where you can buy decent equipment. They probably have a good source.

[glenn bradley]

Another one of those seemingly simple devices that no one can seem to get right anymore, like pencils and toasters.

. . . and drill presses; I am tired of waiting for a properly priced and well designed woodworking drill press . . .

[Jeff Monson]

The good old tractor sprinkler is very hard to beat.

[David G Baker]

I buy used brass sprinklers at garage sales. Some need a little tune up but most perform well. I haven't tried any of the new plastic sprinklers and my well water pressure is high so I haven't had a problem unless the laundry is being washed and I have 3 sprinklers running at the same time.

[Gary Hodgin]

I've bought several sprinklers over the years. All of them held up well until I used them. I'll probably be back at BORG buying a couple more this year since I used them last year. I usually get about 2 to 3 sprinkles out of them.

[Bill Huber]

Lee, take a look at these, I had one at one time and it just worked and did a great job. I left it in the shed when I move last time. They are not cheap but the the one I had lasted for years.

http://www.bestnest.com/bestnest/RTP...w=DRA-10-15003

[victoria stiles]

This type of sprinkler has a single bar punched with a series of holes. It has a mechanism to oscillate the bar back and forth, creating a fan-shaped arc of water. The oscillating mechanism can be adjusted from a full side to side movement to any level on both sides. That way you can water only one side of an area and make the sprinkler stop at the zenith of the arc. It is difficult to maintain sprinklers.

[Jim Rimmer]

The good old tractor sprinkler is very hard to beat.

Unless you live in one of the new subdivisions where they have shrunk the lots in order to cram in more houses and there is no room to run it. Not to mention the trench next to my sidewalk that goes down the middle of the yard dug by the previous owners yard crew in what they call "edging". The tractor would never make it over. But, I agree with you - where you can use them they are great. I'm keeping mine until I move out of suburbia.

[Matt Meiser]

There used to be a company out in Iowa that made the best, they are the ones that made the tractor sprinklers [I have two!] but they made the mistake of getting involved with WalMart, and now they are no more. If my tractors ever wear out I will be looking myself.

That is Nelson (Peoria, Illinois actually). I bought 4 nice hose nozzles from them over the last 2 years so we'd a good one in each spot we have a hose. Not cheap ones but metal ones with a selectable spray pattern. 100% failure rate on the four in 12-24 months. They were stored off the hoses, in the garage over the winter so it shouldn't have been caused by freezing and the failures are different. I went to their web site to try to find out about warranty and searching their site for the word warrantee or guarantee gives no results. I had to email customer service who told me all their stuff has 1 year warranty and that you have to have the original receipt and send them the defective item. Right--who saves a receipt for a $12 item and pays $6 to send it in for replacement? To their somewhat credit they did send me 3 replacements from a photo i sent, but the replacements feel even more cheaply made. What's really sickening is that the are a Robert Bosch company! Bosch also owns the brand carried at Lowes and they also now have a Peoria, IL address.

I bought 3 new store brand ones at our local Do-It-Best hardware. They have an over the counter replacement guarantee. Ironically, when I got them off the packaging they say Nelson right on them but they feel more substantial than the ones they are replacing. And I know they will take care of me.

[Larry Edgerton]

That is Nelson (Peoria, Illinois actually). I bought 4 nice hose nozzles from them over the last 2 years so we'd a good one in each spot we have a hose. Not cheap ones but metal ones with a selectable spray pattern. 100% failure rate on the four in 12-24 months. They were stored off the hoses, in the garage over the winter so it shouldn't have been caused by freezing and the failures are different. I went to their web site to try to find out about warranty and searching their site for the word warrantee or guarantee gives no results. I had to email customer service who told me all their stuff has 1 year warranty and that you have to have the original receipt and send them the defective item. Right--who saves a receipt for a $12 item and pays $6 to send it in for replacement? To their somewhat credit they did send me 3 replacements from a photo i sent, but the replacements feel even more cheaply made. What's really sickening is that the are a Robert Bosch company! Bosch also owns the brand carried at Lowes and they also now have a Peoria, IL address.

I bought 3 new store brand ones at our local Do-It-Best hardware. They have an over the counter replacement guarantee. Ironically, when I got them off the packaging they say Nelson right on them but they feel more substantial than the ones they are replacing. And I know they will take care of me.

All that is left of the original Nelson company is a name. Like so many other good names it is just a basterdized shell ofitself, like Troy Built, Cub Cadet, Porter Cable, and the list just goes on and on.

[Joe Angrisani]

All that is left of the original Nelson company is a name. Like so many other good names it is just a basterdized shell ofitself, like Troy Built, Cub Cadet, Porter Cable, and the list just goes on and on.

Like so many other good names, we the consumer have made them just a basterdized shell of itself....

[Art Mulder]

Has anyone recently purchased an oscillating type lawn sprinkler for about $2530 that works on water pressure down to 40 psig (or lower) that doesn't fall part in the first few weeks of use?

Think you've got a typo in that price, Lee...

Anyways, you might want to take a look at the Garden Tools side of Lee Valley. They've got a good selection of sprinklers there, and they don't tend to sell junk.

[Bob Riefer]

Not directly related, but I recently added about a dozen metal quick hose connections to our garden hose scheme. What a difference this has made in my life. What's funny, is that I'm not even kidding.