Sprinkler system?

[DRH1175]

I am going to install my own sprinkler system. Poly or PVC pipe? and who makes the best heads for homeowner use? Orbit, Rainbird, or should I spend the money for hunter heads.

[PK3]

I installed mine 5 years ago using quality poly pipe for the supply lines in each zone and PVC to build the manifolds. Also used Orbit heads with no problems. I do know people who have switched over to Orbit from Hunter and are also impressed. My .02

[ottertailguy]

Do it right and use 1" poly and hunter heads. Poly is easier to put in and will flex more if any water was left in over the winter. I did mine myself 7 years ago and haven't replaced a head. Also make sure you use different nozzles for full circles, half circles and quarter circles. I used 3,2 and 1.5 respectively and has worked well.

[merkman]

I put mine in myself 8+ years ago.

I used 1" Poly and Orbit heads and valves with a rain bird timer.

I made my own PVC manifolds.

I plumbed it with a 1" water supply coming out of each side of my house, this way I keep the pressurized water going out of the house to a minimum. It cost more since I needed 2 back flow preventers, but it is well worth it for me. Most people do not design the system like this.

My house was new at the time so I used a trencher. If I had the choice I would rent the ditch witch and pull the 1" poly rather than trench it.

My neighbor has hunter heads and valves.

I noticed that the orbit puts more water out faster than the hunter heads. (Good?? bad??) Because of this I think the hunters can have more heads per zone.

I think the hunter probably is allot better quality but I have not had any problems with the orbits either.

My neighbor hasn't had any big problems either.

This year 2 of his valves stuck open but he just took them apart and cleaned them out. The valves I have do not come apart so I would be replacing mine if that happened, but it hasn't happened to me yet.

I would get a remote control timer if you can.

Those are worth the money when testing adjusting your system.

Design it so it is easy to blow out in the fall and you won’t have any problems with it at all. I have an air chuck plumbed into the supply line right where it branches off the water line inside the basement. This blows all water out of the lines and I keep the valve to the air chuck open all winter incase someone decides to turn on the water when they shouldn’t.

My advice is;

If you want to brag about it get the hunter.

If you want to save some money use the orbit or rainbird.

From my experience there is really no difference in usefulness or maintenance.

I hear toro is pretty good too?

[solbes]

Hunter Hunter Hunter!!! I had a company come out and run the poly pipe into the ground with a Ditch Witch (Had a bad dream about running over the electrical service feed). I did the rest of the install.

I don't want to knock others experiences because some of it has to do with the installation. But I went with Hunter and I've had 0 problems in almost 8 years. Not one head has been replaced. My neighbor next door has replaced 7 or 8 Orbit and Toro heads. More than likely he got some dirt in the lines with these and that's where his problems are coming from. But I do believe there is a difference.

[18 inch Crappie]

1" comes in 300 foot rolls at Menards for $43ea, I ordered my stuff from sprinklerwharehouse dot com free shipping over $149 and way cheap on hunter and rainbird stuff.

[setterguy]

Depending on how big your yard is check into MP rotators. Very nice heads. I moving part per head vs 9-16 moving parts in rotors. Advantages of Hunter are warranty, and quality of the spring in the head. Eventually dirt/sand debris will get into the seal of the head scoring it as it goes up and down eventually making the spring work harder to get the head to pop back down after a cycle. Eventually the spring fails and you end up with heads that are stuck up to be eaten by the lawn mower.

Internally all rotors work on basically the same principal, whether it be Nelson, Orbit, Rain Bird, Hunter or Toro. Where the head is manufactured has a lot to do with performance and dependability in my opinion.

1" poly will be fine in 99% of residential yards, if you are making big runs sometimes 1 1/4 is used on the main lines.