Rotor Sprinkler, Sealing the Deal on Landscaping Convenience

Rotor sprinklers operate by rotating streams of water over the landscape. The most common form is the impact (or Rainbird) sprinkler. The body of an impact rotor sprinkler is able to spin in a 360-degree arc, rotated by way of a swinging arm that repeatedly impacts the body, moving it around in small increments each time.

Rotor sprinklers are best known for their trademark sound, commonly transcribed as "tooka, tooka, tooka, tic, tic, tic." There are, however, rotor sprinklers designed to be much quieter and smoother if the noise is a problem.

As a replacement to impact rotors, gear-driven rotor sprinklers alter the equation a bit. In this case only the nozzle, rather than the entire body, moves in a circle. The pressure of the water itself moves a turbine which in turn moves the gears that turn the nozzle. Gear-driven rotors may have more than one stream of water and can cover a large area.

Robot sprinkler is another form of rotor sprinkler with, as you may imagine, a programmable electric motor that allows homeowners to designate the size and shape of the area to be watered. The desired area is programmed into the sprinkler system and the electric motor does the rest.

Rotor sprinklers are known for their power and ability to cover a large area. A well-positioned rotor sprinkler can often water the expanse of the average lawn and landscape. Many rotor sprinklers can also be set to an automatic timer to seal the deal on landscaping convenience.