An efficient sprinkler system is one of the basic requirements to keep your lush lawn grass and blooming flowerbeds healthy. When it comes to matching performance with durability, Hunter and Rain Bird are among the top brands ruling on the market for over three decades.
However, when it comes to choosing the best brand for your residential sprinkler system installation, it is quite difficult to choose between these two leaders. Which sprinkler brand is better for your garden? Here is a quick analysis to help you make a choice.
Spray Heads
Hunter is the leader in offering greater spray ranges as required in large and commercial lawns. The Hunter sprinkler heads can spray water within the range of 15-90ft.
Rain Bird has a relatively shorter spray range of 13-50ft preferable for residential gardens.
Both of these sprinkler systems offer 40°-360° arc and the pop-up height of 4”, 6”, and 12”.
Despite having a shorter spray range, Rain Bird leads in the cutting-edge spray head technology. The propriety tech in some advanced models especially the 5000 series rotary heads offer awesome even water distribution. There are minimal concerns over leaks, malfunctioning, parts wear out issues, etc. Just install, adust the head perfectly and use it for a long time.
Control Box/Controllers
Rain Bird undoubtedly has the best user-friendly interface controllers very much recommended for beginners. Their 9-zone controller offers robust functionality. As regards Hunter, their 6-zone controllers are incredible for even larger yards. For those experienced with handling even the complex controllers, you can definitely go for any Hunter model.
Nozzles
Both Hunter and Rain Bird make plastic nozzles for all models. Sturdy enough, the nozzles are made of sturdy material offering extended durability. Not to mention in this regard, the plastic is not corrosion-resistant. Over time, they become brittle enough and are prone to chipping and cracks.
The brass counterpart is a more reliable option for greater longevity. They are pricey though but those who consider quality over anything else and can afford to go higher on the budget, may consider this option too. For just a quick suggestion, the Weathermatics brass nozzles are the forte in this category.
Rain Sensors
Though this is an optional setup, yet the expert lawn irrigation specialists suggest using them not only to save water but also to protect your yard from getting flooded. If your sprinklers are spraying water even during heavy showers, you are simply wasting gallons of water for no cause.
You can decide to go for wired or wireless sensors. The choice depends on the type and size of your lawn, landscape, and other factors. The wireless sensors are convenient for homeowners to install. Here again, Rain Bird has some good models that are convenient to use for novice gardeners.
Some rain sensors do have a complex mechanism and are expensive too. If you are not a DIY ninja, it is preferable to hire a specialist for the installation. It actually saves your money and your costly equipment from damage due to manhandling.
Valves
The valves are an integral part of your lawn irrigation system. You do not want to dig the ground deep over and again to fix the issues with the valves. If they fail to function you can end with leaks, interrupted water supply, and other issues.
The Rain Bird models are at a disadvantage in this regard. Their screws tend to strip out too early. If they do in your case too, it can become a major concern to put the things in order. It can take several hours to repair the faulty valve box.
The Hunter valves have a dual screw system that allows the users to use a hex screw (at the instance when Phillips strip out) to pull out the valve when you need to do some maintenance work. This saves time keeping you at convenience.
Durability
Hunter is one of the most trusted providers of sprinkler systems especially in areas with extreme weather conditions. This is because the Hunter parts will last a bit extra than the Rain Bird cousins. Hence they are also high on the price range ladder.
Hunter products offer a 5-years long extended warranty on most parts. Rain Bird products offer a 3-5 year warranty.
However, if you are looking for a simple setup for a small home garden space, the Rain Bird irrigation solutions can bestow problem-free performance for years.
For those who can go higher on the budget may consider purchasing some expensive Hunter parts for greater convenience and long-lasting performance.
Pricing
The price of installing a sprinkler system entirely depends on the size of your lawn, the type of irrigation setup chosen, climatic conditions, soil compactness, and other factors. Despite all these, the Rain Bird sprinkler parts are comparatively cheaper than the Hunter models.
This is not the way to judge what can work best for your lawn watering requirements. Since quality comes at a price, consider the related aspects as well before choosing any part.
The best part in this regard is that both Rain Bird and Hunter offer sprinkler parts in different categories of a low, medium, and high range to match different budget slabs. Without a doubt, the high-end options are designed for commercial lawns with loads of features that you may not require in a small backyard garden.
Even if you decide to go with any single brand, you can still get low-cost irrigation set up for your lawn.
What is the Best Sprinkler System Solution for My Lawn?
By now, you know very well that all parts are not manufactured to umpteen quality by either of the brands. Hence the ideal way to proceed is to go for a bundle combination.
This means you can purchase each part separately from the brand that meets your specific need. For instance, if you have a large yard, the Hunter spray heads are the choicest for their optimal throw range. Likewise, if you get puzzled with a complex control box, choose the Rain Bird version with a clean and clutter-free interface.
Conclusion
Both Hunter and Rain Bird sprinkler system parts manufacturers are industry giants. Needless to say, you can choose any of them for greater durability, sturdiness, quality, and performance. However, it is recommended to go for a bundled combination using parts that are better from a brand for ultimate convenience and peace of mind.