Pop Up Sprinkler Heads have been around for a long time and with all of the options how do you know you are getting the best value for your money? Rainbird’s pop up sprinkler heads are the best sprinkler heads on the market today. Rainbird’s 1800 series spray heads paired with 5000 series rotor heads offer the best value, spray patters, or coverage and ease of installation when compared to their competitors.
First off I want to say that Rainbird is not paying me for this article nor are they sponsoring me in any way. However, I do currently have affiliate programs with Amazon and Drip Depot and would appreciate it if you used my links to purchase these products if you found this article usefull. Thank you.
Price
Rainbird’s 5000 series pop up sprinklers have the greatest overall value on the market. Starting at $12.25 Rainbirds 5000 series can save you a bundle of cash when installing large systems. The 5000 plus series cost a bit more at 16.25 but offer a check valve (which prevents water from draining out of the lowest head when the system is turned off) and a Flow Stop feature (this allows you turn off the water at the head)
Rainbird 5000 costs 12.25 compared to the Hunter PGP $14.82
Rainbird 5000 Plus cost $16.25 compared to the Hunter I20 $16.76
Both products offer the same reliability and features, but Rainbird’s price is significantly lower.
Spray Pattern or Coverage
The number one thing I noticed about Rainbird Sprinkler Heads is their spray pattern and how even the coverage is.
Rainbird’s 5000 series heads utilize what Rainbird calls “Rain Curtain” technology as featured in the video. The primary difference is that Rainbird’s nozzles allow more consistent water droplets starting at the sprinkler head and ending at the end of the pattern. Most other manufactures tend to lose a lot of water due to misting.
Ease of Installation
Rainbird has 2 features here that set them apart from the Hunter I20’s the spring force and the way they are adjusted. The Hunter I20 features an extremely tight spring, which helps to ensure they retract properly once the water is turned off. However, this makes for a huge pain when installing them and servicing them.
If you are not used to installing the nozzle you can easily pinch your hand the sprinkler retracts. I do not have a way to measure the difference in force between the Hunter I20 and the Rainbird 5000 series heads, but I will say it is at least 3 times hard to pull the Hunter I20 up. In fact, it is so hard, often during installations, if you try to use the key to pull the head up, you will pull it completely out of the ground.
Rainbirds 5000 series heads have a tight spring, but not so tight you are hurting yourself or ripping them out of the ground unintentionally. In addition, I have seen systems where there is simply not enough pressure to push the Hunter I20 completely out of the ground and as a result swapped them out for Rainbird 5000’s pop up sprinkler heads.
Undoubtedly, both manufacturers are the best in their industry. If you choose to go with either manufacture you will not be disappointed, but Rainbird’s product is slightly superior to Hunter’s, which in my opinion makes them the best. After all, in a race it isn’t hours that matter it is seconds.
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