Drought is not terrible: TOP 5 oscillating sprinklers for the garden

The small Italian company Claber deals exclusively with irrigation equipment. It produces a variety of sprinklers, hoses with reels and connectors, hand sprayers and accessories. In the struggle for the attention of buyers, Claber relies on low prices, so economical gardeners and summer residents should take a closer look at the products of this brand.

The Claber 8748 is an inexpensive and very simple fan type sprinkler. It doesn't even have nozzle angle adjustment. That is, the width of the irrigation strip cannot be adjusted (except by changing the pressure of the water coming from the pump). The device has only five fixed settings: watering in one direction, in the second, plus three jet ranges when irrigating on both sides. In the optimal case (at a pressure of 3 bar), the sprinkler can water an area up to 17.5x11 meters in size (that is, an area of up to 192 m²). The settings are easy to change, but with one feature: you need to turn off the hose and turn the device upside down.

Due to the small irrigation area, this sprinkler is only suitable for those who have a small garden or a plot of complex shape, divided into small pieces of 1 - 2 acres: a zone with beds, a corner with bushes, a small lawn, etc. But, unlike from many other sprinklers, it can operate at low pressure (from 1 bar). That is, if your garden cooperative has poor pressure, or you draw water from a reservoir using a small and weak submersible pump, then the Claber 8748 is the best option.

VERTO 15G772, like many other oscillating type sprinklers, has a long jet range. This sprinkler can water plants that are up to 11 m away from its installation site (i.e., the range is 22 m). The width of the irrigation strip is also decent - up to 19 m. The area of the irrigated zone is easily reduced with the help of sliders and regulators that limit the angle of rotation of the mechanism or inclination of the nozzles. The maximum irrigation area reaches 418 m² at a pressure of 6 bar (at 3 bar - 285 m²).

VERTO sprinklers are inexpensive. Even this model, although it is the "coolest" among them, costs less than $25. The difference between it and more expensive counterparts (for example, the Gardena or Karcher brands, which cost one and a half to two times more), is that the VERTO sprinkler has a slightly thicker jet and slightly worse irrigation uniformity. It should also be noted that there is no metal in the design of this sprinkler, and the handles for adjusting the angle of inclination are flimsy and “gentle”. Therefore, it is not worth it to be too rough with it.

VERTO 15G772 will suit you if you need to water 4 acres at a time, and there is a normal water pressure on the site. And for 2 acres, it is better to take VERTO 15G773, which is mounted on a leg and equipped with a pressure regulator for fine tuning. In the VERTO catalog you can also find inexpensive hoses, connectors and other accessories (like water timers) necessary for organizing irrigation on the site.

The GARDENA AquaZoom M Sprinkler is designed to irrigate rectangular areas of lawns and vegetable gardens. Its jets hit far (range is 18 m at a pressure of 4 bar), so the maximum possible irrigation area is 250 m². But it is possible to change the angle of inclination of the side nozzles (reducing the width of the irrigated strip from 14 m to 3 m) and smoothly adjust the pressure(reducing the strength of the jet). With the help of sliders and "knobs" you can precisely control the sprinkler, telling it which areas of the lawn or garden should be watered and which should be left dry.

The sprinkler is made of high-quality plastic, which is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation and temperatures below zero (the manufacturer gives a guarantee for 5 years). The strength of the structure is given by a metal part at the base. Water enters the sprinkler through a built-in filter in the form of a conical stainless steel mesh. It well protects the mechanisms hidden inside the case from grains of sand and dirt. Therefore, you are unlikely to have to clean the nozzles. Before turning on the sprinkler, it is enough to run your finger over a number of nozzles to clean the jets of limescale - and they are ready to spray water in tiny drops.

The Gardena range of sprinklers includes oscillating devices of various sizes. They are marked with the letters S, M and L, like clothes. The model in question with the letter M is a device for irrigating medium-sized areas. She has completely identical "brothers" in design: S(for 150 m²) and L(for 350 m²). The whole series is designed to work in water pressure networks with a pressure of 2 to 4 bar. That is, these sprinklers are compatible with most submersible and surface pumps. To connect them, you can use not only branded hoses, connectors and adapters, but also any others. Therefore, any Gardena garden equipment will perfectly fit into the existing infrastructure of your site.

Oscillating sprinkler Karcher OS 5.320 SV is one of the most "advanced" sprinklers of this type. Its advantage lies in the unique ability to adjust and adapt to a specific site. This sprinkler can be configured to water a lawn or garden of almost any size - from 20 m² to 320 m². It has a built-in regulator that allows you to smoothly change the water pressure from minimum to maximum (4 bar). Part of the nozzles (12 out of 20) is turned off when it is necessary to reduce the width of the irrigation strip (it is adjustable in the range from 5 to 16 meters). The sprinkler is long-range, but the range can be adjusted (from 5 m to a maximum of 20 m).

The quality of technology and the thoughtfulness of its design is a hallmark of Karcher sprinklers. They are made of durable plastic (metal is used at the base for reliability), which is not afraid of heat and frost. On the bottom there are steel pins for attaching the sprinkler to the ground. All device adjustments are simple and intuitive. A unique feature of this series of Karchers is the "mudguard" - a small retractable part with which you can cover the half of the nozzles closest to you. Thanks to this “splash guard”, the sprinkler will not be able to douse you with water when you are squatting near the sprinkler, adjusting it. No other sprinkler manufacturer in the world has such concern for users. The package even includes a special (very convenient) device for cleaning nozzles.

It should be noted that the need for cleaning is the only drawback of this device. He absolutely does not like dirty water. If you are taking fluid from a muddy pond or sand well, then before each watering, you should clean the filter and flush the turning mechanism. Therefore, it is better to connect the sprinkler to a pressure system with clean water.

Karcher OS 5.320 SV (and its cheaper version without switchable nozzles) are great for irrigating medium-sized areas. They can work effectively at pressures of 2 bar or more (that is, in most cases, even the pressure of a conventional water supply will suffice). Sprinklers are connected easily and simply - using conventional hoses, connectors and fittings.

The Fiskars 1027028 sprinkler hits far (range reaches 21 m) and waters the garden with a wide strip (up to 17 m), covering an area of 357 m². But setting up the device for watering a smaller area is not difficult, because it is possible to adjust the inclination of the side nozzles and the angle of rotation of the mechanism. An interesting feature of this model is the presence of an "On / Off" switch. With a button on the sprinkler, you can turn watering on and off without leaving your lawn, instead of going to a faucet, outlet or pump.

The Fiskars sprinkler is a durable device made of aluminium and durable plastic. The removable filter is easy to clean from sand and dirt. Plaque on soft silicone nozzles is cleared with one movement of the finger. The recommended working pressure is 4 bar. There is usually no such pressure in domestic water supply. But almost any good pumping stationused for water supply to a private house or summer cottage will easily create the necessary pressure. To connect the sprinkler, it is not necessary to use expensive branded reinforced hoses and “cool” fiberglass connectors. The manufacturer emphasizes that his sprinklers are fully compatible with elements of irrigation systems manufactured by other companies.

This sprinkler costs more than $50. This is a little expensive, because you can easily buy sprinklers of other brands of the same characteristics for one and a half times cheaper. What are we paying for? First of all, for quality. Fiskars still makes all its sprinklers in the homeland of the brand, in Finland, and, like many other companies, does not even plan to transfer production to China.

Among other oscillating sprinklers of this brand, the inexpensive Fiskars 1023659 and the "water-saving" Fiskars 1023661 deserve attention.