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

Of all the heads you've mentioned, the Rainbird R-50's have the best seals.

Rocky,
First of all, anything is better than the Nelson heads, they are junk. Secondly, I would suggest the PGP or I-20 Rotor from Hunter. Each contractor has their own preference as far as sprinkler heads go, and so opinions will vary. I do know that I have installed many many PGP and I-20 sprinkler heads, and have never had a problem. For the money, the PGP is an excellent sprinkler. As for replacing heads a zone at a time, that should be alright. As long as all the sprinkler heads on that particular zone have the same precip. rate, you will be fine. Good luck with whatever you choose.

The fact that the water is drawn from a lake makes it possible that it contains particles that can interfere with sprinkler operation. That is one reason I would lean toward the R-50, which is capable of working with lake water better than the Nelsons. The seals on a R-50 are as good or better than anything ever made. Rainbird holds the patent on the seal, so you don't see it in other brands. I've seen R-50 systems more than ten years old with zero seal failures.

The R-50 heads are a bit tricky to adjust, and often don't spray as far as a gear-drive rotor (Nelson, Hunter, Toro) so they aren't a real favorite. But they are very capable of performing at low pressures, like what you'd see in a pumped-lake-water system.

The Hunter will directly replace a Nelson, without additional digging. The R-50's are the same height, but wider in diameter.

Unscrew the Nelson sprinkler head, with the body of it still in the ground, and replace it with the Hunter "guts" or internals of the sprinkler - thread it into the Nelson sprinkler body that is in the ground.

The Nelson sprinkler heads may have a 5 year warranty, and the PGP only a 2 year warranty, but the PGP will out perform the Nelson hands down. The Nelson heads are notorious for sticking up after the zone cycle has completed and for poor seals. Do you want to replace your sprinklers every 5 years or so, after the warranty is up? I have a couple of clients who have had the same PGP sprinkler heads for around 14 years now and have not had a problem with them. If you are looking for a longer warranty, Hunter also offers the I-20, which has a 5 year.

<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by RidgeRun05</i>
<br />Unscrew the Nelson sprinkler head, with the body of it still in the ground, and replace it with the Hunter "guts" or internals of the sprinkler - thread it into the Nelson sprinkler body that is in the ground.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

Dear RidgeRun05,

I had underground sprinklers installed about 8 years ago. They installed Nelson sprinklers. I haven't had any problems with them until now. One of the heads is leaking around the seal. I saw your advice about replacing the head with Hunter guts. I ned to know what to order to do this. I'm going to order it online at Sprinkler Warehouse. I would like to keep the Nelson body in the ground to make it easier and just screw in a new head.

I have Nelson 6000 sprinkler heads.
Are there different sizes of Nelson heads ?

If I order this Hunter head (http://www.sprinklerwarehouse.com/detail.aspx?ID=414)
will it fit into the Nelson body ?

I'm also going to order the Hunter adjustment kit.
Is there any other tool I need ?

Thanks for your help.

Struz