Good tutorial. I opted for rainbird r-van nozzles and it meets my needs for a rectangle lawn of areas between 15-17 feet, where some areas are getting up to double and triple coverage.
Spray nozzles are great for watering tight areas if you live in SE FL that has rusty water. They help keep the rusty water off your home, patio, walkways etc because you can control their range very precisely. By the same token, spray heads in SE FL with rusty water are a huge PITA because they clog up with rust sediments in weeks. I wish I could find a way to sprinkle very tight quarters without having to clean my spray head orifices and filter screens every month ☹️
I bought dozens of rotary nozzles recently. Front yard ones have been changed and I'm happy with the result. Just be careful the distance rating. The more the better doesn't necessarily ring true in lawn care. One rotator I got has 22-30' rating and it's just way too much lol. Typically up to 15' is all you need in regular house. But the back yard couldn't take the rotator nozzles due to low pressure. I had a leak test guy come out and he said there's a leak under concrete in the far corner of backyard. It must be the sprinkler supply line. Water bill has been high. but I don't see any sign of leak on ground. I don't think rotor will work in the backyard either but I got one this morning anyway to test it out. I think rotator nozzles require minimal 40psi. Rotors may require even more...
Good points, thanks for sharing. Regarding your leak, that is unfortunate. I'm sorry to hear that. You might consider installing a Master Valve so that at least your mainline supply is only leaking while the system is operating and not leaking 24/7.
Great overview!! I have to say I am impressed with the MP nozzles. At first I was against and went RVAN as I like the fact of tool less adjustments, I also found them slightly cheaper when purchasing. However after time has passed and using the MPs for my strip zones, I have found the MP to be set it and forget it. Where as the RVAN always seem to need something especially in the spring in term of fine tuning adjustments…the MP held the previous adjustments and just run as consistent as the day I installed them which is a bonus.
I'm on clean city water and have had about a 1/4 of the MP rotors stop rotating. I've never had anything inside the filters its sand getting into the body itself. . If you snap push them down with your foot about 20 times some will start working again. Don't stop pushing when they first start because they'll just stop again in 5 minutes it takes at least 20 times to clean them out. There a PITA if you ask me.
Not sure what is causing your issue off the top of my head but I'm a commercial irrigation tech and have over 600 zones that contain over 1000 R-vans and 1000 MP Rotators and don't have that issue. These are designed to run at 40 PSI, do you have that dynamic PSI at your head? Are you using pressure regulated heads such as a prospray or a 1800 SAM-PRS40? Even of you have lower than optimal pressure, one of my whataburger sites uses mps and has low pressure at around 28 PSI or 30 PSI dynamic when the turf zones kick on, and still have no issue with them rotating. Throw and precipitation rate is just not optimal at that site, but the rotating feature works fine
Testing your pressure is a good place to start. Once you eliminate low pressure as an issue, we can move on to other possibilities. This is a good gauge: sprinklersupplystore.com/products/hunter-spray-head-pressure-gauge?variant=43673312777
@@davidl.7027great information, I had the prs45 and swapped to Hunter pro 40 psi and don’t really I’m getting enough water down compare to the 45. I have all mp1000
About to change out a bunch of rainbird 1800 360 degree nozzles with some MP rotators. These are superior nozzles in my opinion. I only have a 22.5 x 25 front yard
My pleasure, glad it was helpful. This is one of the most common questions we receive from end users. The MP Rotator is heavily marketed by Hunter, EPA, Water Agencies, etc, and it unclear to many that the product is not a sprinkler, it’s a nozzle. Reach out anytime with question. Would love to see your work.
Hunter I 20's are mouted to big sprinker sleds , because they have to moved around water 1/3 of an the rotor style works well for my application. WE have setup each is clearly labeled where iit goes in the yard
Probably best to call them what the industry calls them. If you are in the Sprinkler business, you should be using the correct terms. From what I understand Rotors have gears and such. I don't think rotators have rears like rotors do.
@@wattsupwiththat1463 correct they rotor doesn’t have any rears or gears but I would classify it as a rotor none the less. It’s an excellent product regardless of how you might wish to define it.
I’m getting ready to start putting in my sprinkler system. Couple questions! 1- can any sprinkler body work for the MP Rotator 2- I guess there are different spray length on different MP Rotator? 3- is there much of a difference between a 4” and 6” pop up? Which one is preferred? 4- can a complete sprinkler with an MP Rotator be bought? Looks like everything is separate. Thanks
1 - yes, any pop-up Spray Head will work. Do not use one that has pressure regulation less than 40psi. You want a minimum of 40psi 2 - yes, there are different modules with different distances and arc gangles. Refer to the MP Rotator Nozzle Chart / Specifications 3 - this depends on how you maintain your turf grass. If you prefer a 4” cut height then go with a 6” pop-up. If you cut at 1-3”, go with a 4” pop-up. If in doubt, go with 6” - taller can’t hurt. 4 - the MP Rotator is only a nozzle. The body must be purchased separately. This is a really interesting question/observation, and perhaps in the future we could bundle them together on our website. Even so, they still come as 2 parts for assembly. Good luck with your project!
MP rotator can match precipitation rate of Rotors for smaller areas. So yes, you can put three or four MPs on a "Rotor zone". IMO could have started video with that.
Ty for the great info I have a well system 2 zones 30 mp heads on each zone uggh. Well anyway the head are constantly getting stuck or spin like crazy can I put old school reliable rotar heads instead of mps
Yes, that is possible. You will likely need to add zones (to 4+) to accommodate the increased flow rate of the rotor heads, so I wouldn’t recommend switching them out, 1 for 1. Partial redesign may be required.
This depends on who you ask. My observation is that Hunter MP Rotators have the majority of positive responses from professional irrigation contractors. Hunter's technology was acquired from Walla Walla Sprinkler Co (NelsonIrrigation.com), who invented the technology.
Which MP Rotors are better Hunter, Rain Bird orToro. My water company is giving a rebate 2 dollars per. I have a 800 sq ft front yard. Not the best pressure but I was able to get it to 40 PSI.
Great question. I can say the Hunter is the “original” with the most units installed. Is 40psi the pressure at the sprinkler, or at your house? MP work best at 40psi, and not so good at 30-35psi.
The MP1000 has a distance range of 8-15 feet. The MP2000 has a distance range of 13-21 feet. If the the desired distance is 14-15 feet, would you recommend the MP1000 or the MP2000 nozzle? Are they more effective at the shorter distance of their range or at the longer distance of their range? By the way, I have a well not municipal water. Thanks!
I’ll see if I can get an official answer from Hunter. In the meantime, my gut says error on the side of MP2000. Wind, low pressure, etc., can often reduce the coverage, so I’d plan on more distance being better…
I had to make the same decision when I installed the irrigation system for my lawn with 14-15 feet distances. I used a mix of MP2000 rotators because I can always decrease the radius for the shorter distances, but can't increase the radius on the MP1000 to compensate for the windy days. I would rather have an overlap of coverage than risk under-watered areas.
If you mean MP Rotators, yes, it could help. Take a look at the nozzle chart, and that will give you the gpm. You can then compare the MP rotator nozzle, to whatever spray nozzle you are replacing it with.
Interesting, thanks for sharing. I'm curious, do you know if this might have anything to do with your water quality?Just trying to think of something that might cause this to happen.
@@djaga530 yes, 32psi is on the edge of the minimum (30psi). To rule out low pressure or mineral/debris, I would remove one of the nozzles that is NOT rotating and put it on a sprinkler with good pressure, that IS rotating, and see if it rotates there. If it rotates in that location then you know it is a pressure problem. If it doesn't rotate then it may be clogged.
This is a great question, there might be, hard to say just one against the other. Off the cuff, I’d say I-20s are better for longer distance. They also have the benefits of in-head shut off, which is actually a very great feature, even if it’s not used very often.
You don't talk about the down sides to MP's. The downside being they stop rotating often. One day they are turning, next day they stop, causing large dead areas in turf or shrubs beds. I traditional spray such as a 10H can be trusted. If you don't have the ability to test zones often, I would not use MP rotators or R-Vans. I would take a rainbird 5000 in a smaller lawn area than MP's.
Thanks for sharing. The only examples of similar reports that I've heard came from systems that had either, low pressure. or water sources that were not clean such as wells, ponds, or sources with high mineral content, iron, etc.
I just upgraded my Hunter spray heads to MP Rotators. OMG! I have a 7' mow strip between the sidewalk and the street. Initially I went with 8' sprays with 30PSI sprinkler bodies. I wasn't happy with the coverage. To many dry spots by the sidewalk. Now that I am using MP800SR90's throughout most of the mow strips, I could not be happier. The reach with the 30 PSI sprinkler bodies is just about right. Oh, and they just look so cool when running. Adjustment was a breeze! If you are thinking Rotators, stop thinking and hit Andy up.
MAN i found your video this am and very helpful. my lawn has sprays (old owners ) 8 on a zone. i replaced 2 with rotors and few spray heads pop up but no water. do the sprays require more volumn?
Hi. This will depend on the exact nozzles that you plan to use. Take a look at the performance charts linked below, find the different nozzles that you plan to use, and add up the total gpm. On average MP Rotators are roughly 0.75-1gpm so that would be 6-8 sprinklers per zone (6gpm / 0..75gpm). It is important that you reference the performance charts first because some of the nozzles can be as high as 3.5gpm, if you plan to cover 30ft full circle. Example: If you add up all of the nozzles and get a total flow of 14.8gpm, then you need 3 zones, each 4.93gpm, or no single zone larger than 6gpm. Hope that helps! Performance Chart: www.hunterindustries.com/sites/default/files/rc_mprotator_dom.pdf
Hi Andy, I just updated a zone from 3 unregulated rotors spraying about 30 feet each (one was pushed to 35 feet). I switched those out to regulated 40psi pro sprays with 1 MP3500 and 2 mp3000's. When I'm watching the MP's spray I notice they seem to be dropping the water precisely at the end of their arc but not much in-between. Is this normal?
Thanks for sharing all this information. Yes, this is normal, and is a bit strange at first to watch when we are used to watching traditional rotors and sprays. Each stream of water is a different length, and it can look like some areas are missed, but over a period of time, it is incredible how even the distribution is. You may have to increase your runtimes, depending on the specific nozzle that was in your previous sprinkler, and the precipitation rate.
@@Andy_Humphrey thank you!! I am considering swapping most of my zones over to MP. The lawn portion of my system, 6 zones, are all unregulated PGP rotors and I guess the pressure is so high they produce so much extra mist off the main stream of water that floats away. It looks like smoke if you glance out the window when youre inside the house. Hoping to save a lot of water with MP's or at the very least, regulated rotors.
@@RandallSavageOhhYeah - Wow, it sounds like you have a lot of pressure! Consider adding a pressure regulator at your water source so the high pressure doesn't become an issue on the entire piping structure over time. This could also save you $$ by eliminating the need to purchase the more expensive pressure-regulated sprinkler bodies. Just a thought. You can check the static pressure with a pressure gauge attached to any hose bib. Ideally, you should start with about 55psi at your source and end with 40psi at the sprinkler, but many factors can affect the dynamic pressure. My guess is that you have 70+ psi at your home based on your description. Good luck!
@@Andy_Humphrey Thanks my good man. I appreciate the advice! The pressure inside the home is regulated. The system is tied into the water pipe before the home regulator so I'd need to figure a way to check pressure at a head?
