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One common complaint I've seen regarding the Gilmour Sprinkler on Metal Spike is that the hose connector breaks. Once it breaks you can no longer attach a hose which means you can't use the sprinkler.



I haven't had mine fail but I've come up with a solution that will reduce strain on this connection which will make it last longer. It will also make it easier to use the sprinkler.





The hose connection is the black plastic nut on the right side of the photo. This is where the male end of a hose connects to provide water to the sprinkler. The green plastic on the left is a cap. If you have enough pressure and water flow to connect multiple sprinklers you can unscrew the green cap and connect the female end of a garden hose to it, and then the male end of the garden hose to another sprinkler input.



If your Gilmour Sprinkler hose connection has broken I think the only thing you can do is buy a replacement Orbit 58197N Zinc Step Spike Base and unscrew the Impulse head from the old spike and screw it onto the new one. The Orbit Spike has a sturdier construction than the Gilmour spike. The threads are metal and not plastic.



If your hose connection nut is still intact, you can buy a Orbit Brass Hose Quick Connect Set 58117 and attach the male part (right) to the sprinkler and leave it attached permanently. The female part (left) attaches to the male fitting on your garden hose.



Using the quick connect will make it easy to attach your garden hose to your sprinkler so you can set up your sprinkler faster. Since you won't be screwing and unscrewing that plastic nut all the time will reduce wear and strain on the plastic nut which will extend it's life.



These quick connect fittings also make it easy to switch between different wands. You can buy multiple Orbit Brass Quick Connect Male fittings to attach to different hose end sprayers. Put one on your sprinklers, one on your spray head, one on your wand sprayer, one on your Dial-n-Spray and you can quickly switch between them. There are some cheaper plastic quick connect fittings but I like the brass ones. They are very sturdy and last a long time without leaks. I have had one on my pressure washer for years without issue.



When not using your sprinkler try and keep it indoors or at least in the shade. Sunlight also degrades plastic.

Even on days with very little wind, water from an in-ground sprinkler system can blow where you don't want it because the fine spray nozzles on traditional popup sprinklers create a lot of mist that is easily displaced by the slightest breeze. There's a quick and easy way to fix this!



When a large amount of water goes on your concrete instead of your grass you'll need to run your sprinklers longer to make sure your lawn gets the water it needs. Not only is this bad for the environment, especially if you live in an area prone to drought, but it increase your water bill as well.



There is an affordable solution that will reduce misting and overspray of your existing system and it's very simple to install. It only involves replacing your sprinkler nozzles. The new nozzles will give you a more even watering pattern, reduce your water usage and minimize overspray and misting.

Hunter MP Rotator Nozzles

The MP Rotator nozzles are a fairly new innovation created by Walla Walls which was purchased by Hunter. Instead of broadcasting a fine mist spray they work like mini rotor sprinklers with multiple rotating streams.



The larger droplet size is more resistant to wind which prevents the water from being blown away so more of it winds up on your lawn where you want it instead of your driveway and sidewalks where you don't.



The Hunter MP Rotator nozzles also have a lower precipitation rate compared to the old style spray nozzles. They put down about 1/3rd as much water which will allow the water to be absorbed by your soil and prevent runoff. You'll need to water your lawn about twice as long as you previously with spray heads but you're still saving 1/3rd the water.

Adustable Arcs

Spray heads come in fixed angles such as 90, 180, 270, 360. The MP Rotators have adjustable arcs which allow you to fine tune your angles to prevent putting water where you don't want it. Three different arc ranges are available, 45-105, 90-210, 210-270 and 360 degrees.



Adjustments are made by turning a ring around the nozzle using the adjusting tool.

Adjustable Radius

The radius can also be reduced on the MP Rotator nozzles so that you can adjust the spray pattern so it only applies water where you want. The radius is adjusted by turning a screw on the top of the nozzle while the nozzle is running. You can use a very small screwdriver or the MP Adjusting Tool.

Matched Precipitation

The MP in MP Rotator stands for matched precipitation which means no matter what arc angle or radius you set the precipitation rate will be roughly the same.

Hunter MP Rotators Vs Old Toro Sprinkler Nozzles

Watch this video comparing the old Toro Spray nozzles and the new Hunter MP Rotator nozzles. Both shots were taken within minutes of each other. The reduction in overspray and mist is very dramatic.







It was a very sunny day and the streams could only be picked up by my camera when close up. Before replacing the nozzles water was puddling on the sidewalk and driveway. Afterwards there was very little water on the sidewalk and most of it was due to not positioning one of the nozzles correctly.



This part of the yard is right next to the neighbors. With the old nozzles we'd be watering the neighbor's yard too!



The only draw back is that you'll need to reprogram your controller to water twice as long. You'll probably want to monitor the results and make adjustments up or down depending on how your lawn reacts but even though you'll be watering longer, you'll be using less water overall and not wasting water on your hardscape.



Another benefit of the low flow is that if something changed in your neighborhood that reduced the flow rate of your water system, either due to changes in the mains, or additional development in your area, replacing your existing nozzles with MP Rotators will make your system run like new again.

Male or Female Threads

The MP Rotator nozzles are available in either a male or female threaded version to fit different style popup sprinklers.



Female threaded MP Rotators will fit Hunter, Rain Bird, Nelson, Irritrol and Whethermatic sprinkler bodies.



Male threaded MP Rotatos will fit Toro popup bodies.



One of the heads in the test system was an Orbit sprinkler body that had a brass, male threaded nozzle. The MP rotator was too narrow to fit into this nozzle unfortunately. If you have these types of sprinkler bodies and want to use the MP Rotator you'll need to dig them out and replace them with something like the Hunter Pro Spray Body 4" which takes the female threaded nozzles.

MP Rotator Versions

The MP Rotators come in different models. They are hard to find locally but a wide assortment can be found for a good price on Amazon.



MP1000 has a radius range of 8'-15'.

MP2000 has a radius range of 13'-21'

MP3000 has a radius range of 22'-31'



All models, MP1000, MP2000 and MP3000 are available in 90-210, 210-270 and 360 degree arcs.

Specialty Nozzles

The MP rotator series also includes a few specialty nozzles.



MPCORNER for tight spaces has an adjustable arc of 45-105 degrees with an adjustable radius of 8' to 15'.



Side Strip: MPSS530 creates a rectangular spray pattern of 5' x 30' with the spray head in the middle of one of the long sides. The MPLCS515 and MPRCS515 are left and right corner strips that produces a 5'x15' spray.

I have a couple of Gilmour Metal Impulse Sprinklers on Zinc Spike Bases. They work very well but they can be loud, even after using my technique to make them quieter so I decided to attach a Hunter PGP Adjustable Rotor Head to the spike base.



The gear driven rotor sprinklers are a lot quieter than the impact sprinklers. If you don't already have the impact sprinklers you can just buy the Gilmour Turbine Rotor Sprinkler With Polymer Spike Base and not have to add the rotor head on it. I already had these impulse sprinklers so I decided to convert my impact sprinkler to a rotor sprinkler.



The Hunter PGP Rotor Head is also recognized as one of the better gear driven sprinkler heads out there. These sprinklers are meant for in ground installations but I'll be using them above-ground on spike bases. By the way, if you already have the sprinkler heads you can also buy the Orbit Zinc Step Spike Base to mount it on.

Quieter Than an Impact Sprinkler

Because the sprinkler is gear driven and doesn't use the impact from the swing arm to turn the sprinkler the Hunter PGP is considerably quieter than an impact sprinkler All you hear is the sound of the water spray. Here is a video of my sprinkler installed and running. The hunter PGP has a radius range of 20' to 46' which matches well with the impact sprinkler. Take a look at the video below to hear how quiet it is in action.

Materials

Since I already had the spikes from the impact sprinkers, to upgrade my impact sprinkler to a rotor I only needed to purchase the following two items:

• Hunter PGP 4" Popup Sprinkler Head


• 3/4" x 6" Polyethylene Cut off Nipple Riser

Tools

Step 1: Remove Impact Sprinkler Head

The old impact sprinkler head is screwed on to the spike base. It comes off easy by turning it counter clockwise with a pair of pliers.

Step 2: Cut Down Cut-off Riser

The cut-off riser has multiple threaded sections on it. It is used when installing in-ground sprinklers to connect the lateral lines to sprinkler heads. It will also work to connect the Hunter PGP sprinkler to the spike base.






To get the sprinkler head close to the ground I elected to cut the riser down to the first threaded section. The riser cuts easily with a utility knife.






The cut section on the left is what will be used to attach the sprinkler head to the base.




Update: The cutoff riser is designed to be weaker than the other components so it breaks easily. I made the mistake of trying to push the sprinkler spike into the ground by holding it by the sprinkler body and not the metal spike base. The riser snapped. It's designed to do this because the riser is cheaper to replace than the sprinkler body or the other fittings which are either more expensive or more difficult to replace. I'm considering replacing the broken cutoff riser with either a metal or PVC 1/2" to 3/4" reducing nipple which would be more durable. I would need to make sure to be careful handling the sprinkler since it would obviously break before the metal fitting.

Step 3: Attach Riser To Base

The thinner end of the nipple screws into the spike base using a clockwise motion. Make sure the threads are seated correctly because the plastic threads are easy to strip. I tightened as far as I could by hand and then continued with a pair of pliers to get it nice and snug.

Step 4: Attach Sprinkler Head To Riser

I've owned my Suncast Sidetracker 125-Foot Garden Hose Reel for just over 3 years now and wanted to update my review. There have been a couple of hiccups but overall I'm extremely happy with the hose reel and especially pleased with Suncast's customer service.



Even though the hose reel is very affordable (it costs less than $30 at the time of this writing,) I just hate wasting money on products that don't work or break. It makes me feel like I was scammed. Reading the reviews for the various affordable hose reels I kept seeing the same negative reviews over and over. Not just for the Suncast STA125B but for all hose reels. They leak, their flimsy, they break, etc.



I really needed a hose reel and was anxious for the delivery but I also felt very anxious fearing that I made a bad purchase decision. I was so close to spending over $100 on a metal hose reel, like they use at my local garden center. I have friends and family that have had plastic hose reels for years and haven't had problems so I decided to take a shot on the Suncast Sidetracker. I'm very glad I did.

Why Use A Hose Reel?

With all the frustration I was having trying to choose the best hose reel you might wonder why bother? I guess I'm a bit lazy sometimes. I like doing things, home improvement projects, yard work, etc., but I don't enjoy tidying up afterwords one bit. The faster I can be done, after I already consider myself done the happier I am.



A hose real is an easy way to tidy up your hose after watering your lawn or garden. I used to have a wall mount hose hanger but the hose always looked unkempt and lots of times I'd leave the hose piled up on the ground underneath it just so I could get out of the heat faster.



Using my Suncast hose reel is a snap and I no longer have my hose laying around where it can get kinked or damaged. It also makes it easy to remove the hose and store it for the winter.

Hose Reel Installation

The Suncast Sidetracker was very easy to install. It comes with screws and wall anchors which I needed to install it on my brick wall. All I needed was a drill, masonry bit, hammer and screwdriver to securely mount the hub (base) onto the wall.



An included short hose connects the hub to the faucet and then your hose attaches to the reel.

It Leaked!

That's right. Right after I first installed my hose reel, attached my hose and turned the knob on my hose bib, water started shooting out the hose reel in every direction. This wasn't just a trickle either. I wasn't happy at all.



I took the hose reel apart and looked at what the problem was. There were a couple of issues. One major one was there were no rubber garden hose washers in the short hose that was included. I contacted Suncast and after providing them with the information about when and where I purchased the hose reel, they quickly sent me replacement washers as well as an additional tube of silicone grease and mounting anchors. If you're having problems with leaks there's more detail in my how to fix a leaking hose reel article. It didn't take much to fix the leaks.

It Warped!

At this point you might be a little confused, I did say I loved the hose reel right?



Actually, it came a little warped. The base that mounts to the wall had a slight bend but it got worse over the years. At first it didn't seem like a big deal because the screw had straightened it out and held it flat on the wall. Every few months though it would pull out and even though I used various methods to keep the anchor in place, mortar, hydraulic cement, epoxy, it would still pull the screw out from the wall.



It seems like it's a design flaw with the hose reel hub (the part that mounts to the wall.) You can see there's a thin spot in the plastic because of the notch for the leader hose to pass to the back of the hub. There's one on each side to allow you to mount it on either side of your faucet.



The top screw is very important because the reel mounts to the top and the weight of the hose on the reel puts extra strain on that screw.

Suncast Support Is Great!

I wasn't very happy at this point and I contacted Suncast customer support again. After describing the problem and sending them photos they told me they would send a replacement hub.




The replacement hub arrived promptly and I noticed they had updated the design. Suncast moved the notches for the leader hose to the bottom which made the new hub sturdier than the old hub.



Installation was easy and the new hub came with new o-rings, though in 3 years I hadn't needed to replace them in that time. All I needed to do was add more silicone grease every year when I put the reel back on the hub.



Even though I had some major issues with the hose reel, I understand that sometimes issues can come up, some of which might  have been the retailer's fault, but they stood by their product. If their products were garbage, they'd go out of business doing this so I guess I was just unlucky. These things happen.

The Best Features

Like I said, I really like the Suncast Sidetracker Hose Reel.The issues I had above were a pain to deal with but hopefully you don't run into the same issues as I believe the new model comes with the sturdier hub. (Update: Confirmed with Suncast new STA125B's come with sturdier hub.) The good things about the hose reel far outweigh the problems I've had and even when the hub was bent the hose reel functioned well and didn't leak after I corrected the issues. I've had the new hub installed for quite a while now without issue.

Compact Design

What I liked about the Sidetracker was that it mounts with the reel flat against the wall which minimizes the amount it protrudes from the all.

Hose Guide

The Sidetracker has a hose guide built into the base. There is a spinning bar behind the front of the guide. This allows the hose to be pulled perpendicular to the wall and still gracefully spin out of the reel without causing strain on the hose or the reel.



This was an important feature for me since most of the time I use the hose I'm pulling it straight out from the wall. It also makes it easy to collect the hose without having to fight to align the hose properly while winding it up.

125' Capacity

One of the complaints I read about other hose reels was that even though they claimed to hold 100' of hose, they didn't. The extra capacity allows me to roll up my 100' hose without having to be too neat about it.

Easy To Remove and Replace Hose

At the end of the season I store my hose indoors to prevent it from deteriorating in the freezing weather. Pulling one tab unlocks the reel and provides a neat bundle to store away. When it's time to replace the hose it's just a matter of adding more silicone grease, sliding the hose reel onto the hub and locking the tab in place.



The hose reel also makes it easy to drain water from the hose before storing it for the winter. I just remove the sprayer, pull out the entire length of the hose and slowly reel it back in letting gravity do the work.

Affordable Price

The Suncast Sidetracker CPLSTA125B Hose Reel is priced very well. It's a small price to pay but it has made some yard work more enjoyable and I don't have to worry about people tripping over my hose or having my yard look messy.



I was really scared about all the negative reviews but even with the issues I initially had, I'm very pleased with the product and the service I received from Suncast. I found the best price on Amazon.com and it included free shipping.

A rain gauge is a device you place in your garden to see how much rain has fallen on your landscape in a given period of time. There are simple rain catchers as well as wireless electronic versions.



They help you accurately determine how much rain has fallen on your property which will help you save water. If you followed my advice on how to water your lawn, you already know how much water your lawn needs. A rain gauge will tell you how much rain fall you had so you can adjust your watering cycle so you can subtract the amount of time necessary to account for natural rain fall.



You should empty your rain gauge every time you water your lawn or weekly, whichever comes first.

Below are some of the nicer rain gauges I have seen that also have free shipping:







One should be enough if you just want to measure rainfall, but if you're putting them in the path of your sprinklers one per zone would be better. If you have an area that gets less water, for instance under a group of trees, you might want a separate rain gauge there as well.



If you like to electronic toys and don't want to bend over regularly to check or empty rain gauges, there are electronic weather stations that will allow you to check how much rain you had. There's the Honeywell TC150 Wireless Rain Gauge but Oregon Scientific seems to be the leader in home weather stations and I'd probably go with them. I've had one of there weather stations in the past and was very happy with it. Unfortunately it was damaged during a move because it wasn't packed well.



I'm trying to be frugal but I do love toys so it's just a matter of time until I break down and buy a Oregon Scientific RGR126 Range Rain Gauge.