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Gear Drive Sprinklers

gary329 | Posted in General Discussion on July 17, 2007 09:53am

Any good sprinkler type folks out there?

Over the years I have changed out many of the pop-up gear drive style sprinkler heads ( Orbit and Rainbird act the same).  They can be few months to few years old, and always look perfect.  I clean the strainer etc., but they just will not rotate anymore.  I finally decide to call the Orbit tech-line.  He tells me that if just little sand gets past their built in stainer, it can jam the gears.  He says it is a sealed unit and cannot be cleaned, 1 day old to 10 years old, just trash them. Wow, what a response.

I have kept a bucket full of old ones.  The question is, has anyone had any luck opening  these things up or blowing them out to get them turning again?

Suggestions?

Thanks Gary

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Replies

  1. DanH | Jul 17, 2007 10:49pm | #1

    Crack open one of them and see how they're put together and what's happening to them. Then maybe a scheme to fix them will come to you.

    So convenient a thing it is to be a reasonable Creature, since it enables one to find or make a Reason for everything one has a mind to do. --Benjamin Franklin
  2. TJK | Jul 18, 2007 01:15am | #2

    I know what you mean. Some of them even claim a lifetime warranty, but if you read the fine print it costs $6 to get a replacement for a $10 sprinkler head. My advice is to buy them on sale and when they crap out, toss 'em.

    For ditch water the best ones I've found are Orbit's Voyager II series. They seem to last 2-3 seasons before locking up.

  3. User avater
    jhausch | Jul 18, 2007 01:22am | #3

    Here is my favorite gear drive sprinkler - The Nelson Rain Train:

    View Image

  4. bobbys | Jul 18, 2007 01:44am | #4

    i had one i thought it was way cool but ran it from my well that picked up sand and that was it, In fact it picks up so much i only use the sprinklers that dont move, I dont have a filter as its just lawn use

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