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

Hunter is the most popular. I'm also perfectly happy with Rain Bird. I've found that once you get to the commercial product lines the reliability is pretty close across the brands.
Often I find the customer purchases are made based more on marketing than anything else.
Everyone has heard of Rain Bird, even people who don't have irrigation systems.
Most have heard of Hunter.
After that they think Toro makes mowers and have never heard of K-Rain, Irritrol or Weathermatic.

Orbit is....interesting.

I prefer Hunter over Rainbird. I have had many bad experiences with Rainbird, but that may just be me. I have Hunter heads and valves and haven't had a problem with them.

Rainbird would come in second, but I've had problems with riser seals leaking and the valves sticking. Again, probably just me, but I can't work with items that don't work for me.


I would stay away from Toro and Orbit except for Toro's large surface sprinklers that are used on Golf Courses But, that's off topic for this situation.

The other brands I can't say since I have no experience with them......

Well, when I was young and dumb I used Weather matic. Thats what the vendor (here in Weather Matic country ) pushed it upon me as the best thing since tp.
I have not had much luck with Hunter and, I currently referr to the solarsync and the " solarstink" ! I can not get it to set up right and water properly. it either waters tooooo much or barely anything! I once had a weird problem with a hunter controller just coming on randomly. The newly installed remote port was picking up uhf from someone keying up something in the neighborhood. I had to install the shielded version of the smart port connection after many angry customer phone calls! VERY FRUSTERATING!
The only problem I have had with rainbird is this, the O-rings on DV-100's. Rainbird has been more consistent. More reliable. Better spray pattern on MPR nozzles than Hunter or W/m Lx nozzles. Etc...
I wish I had installed it at my own home.
They all have good Qualities.
Here is my short list:
Weather matic: the SL series of controllers, Reverse flow valves( the innovators of low pressure loss valves ) their series of rotors are pretty nice too, no tool needed to adjust. Other than arc.
Hunter: Roam remote control system, mp rotators for low precip applications, Pgp's Pgj's.
Toro: TWRFS-Sensor, Precision Spray nozzles and Precision Rotor nozzles.
Irritrol: 2400 series and 205 series valves, CR500 rotors! I think their controllers and sensors lack luster...
Rainbird: LOL, almost everything. The 1800 series heads, the 5000 series rotors, Rotary nozzles, Esp and esp-smt controller, DV-100 valves and DVF-100 valves, xerigation kit, retro heads for drip conversion, mpr nozzles.
For me Rain bird stuff just works.
Thanks.

I did a survey some time ago and Hunter sprinklers were the most popular.