SPRINKLER TALK FORUM - You Got Questions, We've Got Answers

The Maxi-Paw is an impact type rotor and the 5000 series is an internal gear driven type rotor. The Maxi-Paw may have its benefits as far as throw distance, but only if you have enough water pressure. The Maxi-Paw is more likely to fail, and you can forget about repairing these sprinklers on your own. In my opinion they stick out like a sore thumb because the diameter of the sprinkler is about 4 times bigger. This is probably why the Maxi-Paw is not a top selling sprinkler, and doesn't get reccomended that often. Just because it is a Rain-Bird system, there is a lot more than just setting it up right. Make sure you choose somebody you feel comfortable with and who you can trust. Has the guy been in business long, or is he just starting out and lowballing the competition. Is he using professional grade Rain-Bird parts, or home improvement store Rain-Bird parts? Is there a warranty on the parts, or just the labor? How much fill are you bringing in? The system should really be installed when the grade is at its final level, so as not to bury the sprinklers, or so that the pipe is no 2 feet in the ground. Overlapping should be head-to head coverage, which means each sprinkler head should spray to the next sprinkler head, and so on. 40-50 PSI with the Maxi-Paw rotors is probably not the best idea, unless you only have about 3-4 on a zone. If you use the gear driven type rotors, you can probably get away with 4-6 on a zone, depending on conditions. The pipes should be buried to plumbing code for your area, which varies from state to state. Generally, the main line under constant pressure is buried 18", and the lateral zone lines after the valves are buried according to your climate conditions. I hope this helps.

Tony

Get some references. Maxipaw sprinklers are not a standard first choice. They actually are good heads of their type (impact head) but they are not as reliable or as durable as gear-drive rotors. If you have concerns about your water supply pressure and flow, you want to space the heads fairly close together, maybe forty feet apart. I've used thirty-foot spacing when the pressure was low enough. Get a price for gear-drive rotors, either the Rainbird 5000 series or Hunter PGP series. The Hunter PGP's are best at using small amounts of water.

It's kind of late to ask questions, if you've already signed a contract. Get the 5004's - they can be fitted with Rain Curtain nozzles, which achieve a very good spread of water at low pressures. It is true that a Maxipaw can throw water further at low pressure than a gear drive rotor can. But that only means possibly using less sprinkler heads, not a better sprinkler system. You probably want no more than forty feet spacing between heads on your pressure. The installer might have been planning for more distance between heads, and priced the system accordingly. If so, he might want additional money for more heads and zones, and would be justified in asking for it.

Stay firm in your resolve to have "sealed-case rotors" in your sprinkler system. (memorize that phrase) - it is the open-to-getting-fouled nature of the Maxipaws that make them less reliable than a good gear-drive rotor. The head-spacing question still remains, and if the system was going to be running with a sprinkler-head-pressure of 30 psi or less, the 5004's (or any gear-drive rotor) will throw less than a Maxipaw can. This is where closer head spacing, more heads, more zones, and more money come in.

It will help your contractor 'think out of the box' if he knows he'll be recompensed for the time and trouble. Make sure he knows that you're willing to pay for more heads and zones, if the change in sprinkler head requires them. Two or three hundred dollars extra might be in order, depending on circumstances.

Glad your happy with your new system, should you have any other questions, just stop by..There is a wealth of knowledge here and somebody will be able to help you out. It never hurts to get a second opinion.