Finding a good oscillating sprinkler for low water pressure can be tricky because most products proudly advertise how much water they put out and how far their spray fan can go. These types of sprinklers work great if you have enough water pressure to power them but for homeowners that have low outdoor pressure best selling sprinklers just don’t work well.
In my yard I have a few above ground sprinkler zones setup to water the areas of my property that are farther away from the house. Because my hoses have to travel so far the pressure drops quite a bit so I’ve experimented with a number of low flow oscillating sprinklers in an effort to find the best options for my yard and for people like you too!
Through trial and error I’ve found the following four oscillating sprinklers on Amazon to work best for low water pressure setups. Lower on this page I’ll review each of these four and provide as many comments as I can as to why they are good options and what kinds of yards they might be best for.
► The Melnor XT Metal Oscillating Lawn Sprinkler – Jump to My Review
► Dramm’s 15002 ColorStorm Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler – Jump to My Review
► The Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler on Weighted Sled Base – Jump to My Review
► Claber’s 8740 Compact 160 Oscillating Sprinkler – Jump to My Review
Note: If you have low water pressure you may also want to see this article I published not long ago on how to increase your outdoor water pressure.
A couple of those sprinklers are full sized sprinklers that should work great regardless of your actual water pressure but I do find that the compact models work better out of the box without any calibration. Basically, the way oscillating sprinklers work, the water flow turns a water wheel which is what turns the oscillating sprinkler bar. Some models can spray a wide fan only but by closing off some of the holes you can shrink the fan size while increasing the pressure to the remaining holes.
The compact units are simply meant to do this out of the box.
Now with that summary out of the way I want to tell you a little bit more about each of these four along with my experiences with them in the yard.
Oscillating Sprinklers Are Very Common – Here’s Why
Ever seen one of those sprinklers where there’s a moving arm? The ones that throw the water in a fan-shaped jet way up into the air? Turns out, that’s the most common kind of sprinkler used out there these days, the oscillating sprinkler!
Generally, the oscillating metal arm ensures that it covers a pretty much rectangular area of about 20 by 30 feet. Quoting HowStuffWorks, we can say that:
An oscillating sprinkler like the one shown above is one of the most common sprinklers around. It sprays out a fan-shaped curtain of water, and the metal arm oscillates back and forth to cover a rectangular area perhaps 20 feet by 30 feet (6 meters by 9 meters) in size.
If you’ve thought about it for more than five seconds, you’ve probably wondered about the “oscillating” part of an oscillating sprinkler: What makes the arm go back and forth?
Oscillating Sprinklers: The Main Features
The Oscillating sprinkler is also a hugely selling model when it comes to sprinklers. This sprinkler, is useful for covering a huge open area within a minimum time.
This sprinkler lets water out in a fan-shaped pattern. Imagine a part of a circle from the center or a slice of pizza, it throws out water like that making it cover a huge amount of area in a single go. Yes, it obviously also has options to cover smaller areas, usually calculated in degrees.
However, if there is any objection in its bath, then that renders it kind of ineffective beyond that. For example, a tree in the middle would leave the area behind the tree dry. This makes it a good option only when the area is a large open area.
The main features of the Oscillating Sprinkler might be summed up in the following words:
- It is a great sprinkler for covering an area which is empty.
- The Oscillating Sprinkler throws water in a pie-shaped or fan-shaped pattern.
- This Sprinkler is also specially designed to cover a lot of area with one sprinkling, although there is also a controller through which you can adjust how much area you want sprinkled.
- This model is seriously affected if there is something in the middle, the part behind it is left dry.
- These sprinklers are durable, but might not go on for your lifetime.
- These sprinklers are also slightly more expensive than most other kinds of sprinklers, but they are well worth it.
What are the Best Oscillating Sprinklers for Low Water Pressure?
While finding an oscillating sprinkler for low water pressure is pretty hard, it’s not entirely impossible. And like all products, once you start to find them, you can find a few of them. And that’s exactly where the main confusion starts- you get confused about which one to with!
However, there’s no need to worry, because we are going to guide you to the best models! We have done the research for you, and have come up with the list of the probable best models for just about everyone. Also, we are going to show you the main features of each of these models. Then, you can judge for yourself which one would be the best for you! Don’t worry, though- we’re still going to teach you how to properly judge the models!
So, the main models and the main features for each of them might be summed up as follows:
Melnor XT Metal Oscillating Lawn Sprinkler
The most demanded model when it comes to oscillating sprinkler for low water pressure is this one. The Melnor XT Metal Oscillating Lawn Sprinkler is the top selling model out there! And most of the people that have had the chance to use it have been fairly satisfied with their purchase.
Offering a very affordable price and thus almost always chosen by first-time users, this model provides you with a wide array of features! The main features that this model brings to you might be summed up as follows:
- This model is well known for the precision nozzles that it provides you with. With the help of those, it can easily cover up to 4200 square feet! This is actually a larger coverage than most other sprinklers offer.
- Twin touch and zoom control can easily be set to cover the area that’s required. This ensures minimal water wastage and tat only the required area is watered. This makes this model a great choice for all lawn-owners!
- Again, the main reason why we put this model in this list is because it can operate in low pressure as well. While there are a lot of models out there, this model is one of the favorite models for people when it comes to that. So, if you trust the popular opinion, this might be a good model for you to consider.
- One of the cons you might want to keep in mind is that most of the people complain about the durability of this model. While it performs properly in the beginning, it does not usually last for too long. So, if you’re looking for a really durable model, you might want to keep this point in mind.
- Finally, this model is one of the best choices out there when it comes to the economic aspect. This is mostly because of the fact that this model is by far one of the least expensive ones out there! So, if you’re looking for a value-for-money product, this model deserves special consideration!
Dramm 15002 ColorStorm Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler
Again, a lot of the customers also tend to go with the Dramm 15002 ColorStorm Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler. Now, it’s natural of you to wonder what’s special about this model. And funny thing is, we can easily find that out if we take a look at the main features of this model.
So, the main features of the Dramm 15002 ColorStorm Premium Metal Oscillating Sprinkler might be summed up in the following points:
- One of the main reasons why a lot of people tend to go for this model is the sheer aesthetic aspect. Dramm has designed their models beautifully, and they come in a wide array of colors. So, if you’re a lover of the aesthetic aspect, don’t hesitate to go for it! This specific model, for instance, is available in Blue, Green, Orange, Red, Yellow and Berry colors!
- This model boasts of 18 heavy duty brass nozzles which can easily let it cover a fairly large area. This makes this model a great choice too.
- The Heavy Duty Rubber Coated Aluminum hose connector ensures long term durability. And that by itself pays for the whole thing in the long run!
- Naturally, this model can easily operate under low pressure as well as high ones. This model has a range of 30-90 psu, which makes it more versatile than most models out there! So, if you’re looking for a versatile model, this might be a great choice for you!
- However, it is worthwhile to mention that this model isn’t exactly the cheapest model out there. While it isn’t the most expensive one either, it has a fairly moderate price level. So, if you’re on a conservative budget, you might want to look for alternatives.
Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler on Weighted Sled Base
Now, you might actually be looking for a more precise Oscillating Sprinkler. One of the best models that come to my mind when it comes to them is this one. The Gardena ZoomMaxx Oscillating Sprinkler is a great choice if you’re looking to water a small area properly.
You can easily understand what this model offers by taking a look at its main features. So, the main features of this model might be summed up as follows:
- As I just said, this model can be set up for precise areas as well. As per amazon, this model can easily cover 76 sq. ft. – 2300 sq. ft. This makes this model a great choice if you want to water a small area with a high level of precision.
- This model has been specifically designed to be more compact than other oscillating sprinklers. This helps it water the small areas with a high level of accuracy.
- You might wonder if this makes the model a little less stable overall. To overcome just that, it has been equipped with a large sled base. So, you can get all the compactness and accuracy without compromising on the stability or durability of the model, yay!
- The sixteen flexible rubber nozzles ensure proper distribution of water as well as durability for the whole sprinkler.
- One thing you might want to keep in mind is that this model is fairly expensive. A lot of people have went for it and loved it, but you must still take the cost into account. You should only go for it if that is not an issue for you. If you’re on a conservative budget, you can easily go for other models- and trust me, there are a lot of models available out there that will serve your needs at a little less price.
Claber 8740 Compact 160 Oscillating Sprinkler
Finally, here’s one more model that you might actually want to go for. This is a fairly automated oscillating sprinkler that people have went for, and fairly liked! So, if you’re up for trying out a little more automation, this might just be the right chance for you!
Now, you might be wondering about the features of this model. Well, no need to worry! The main features of this model might be described as thus:
- This model covers a fair area when it’s put on the highest settings. It can easily cover up to 1900 square feet.
- The automation comes in the form of preset buttons as to how you want your sprinkler to operate. You have four of these Preset patterns: half back, full area, half front, center area .
- It also boasts of being adapted with a quick-click adapter for water-stop feature, that ensures that there would be minimal to no wastage of water! If you’re a water conservation enthusiast like me, this might be a great point for you!
- The aluminium spray bar is also removable so that you can clean the model properly. This makes it a lot more hassle free for you when it comes to the cleaning process!
- One thing you might like to keep in mind is that a few of the people who have had the chance to use it complain about one thing: its construction. They hold that the construction is flimsy and that makes this model less durable than what it could actually be. So, if you’re looking for a really durable model, you might want to consider a few other models too.
- Finally the ABS and aluminum construction provides durability to this model. This model is believed to be fairly hardy, even if not entirely impact-resistant as the company claims it to be!
How to Choose the Right Model for Myself?
As we remarked earlier, all these models might seem really similar at the first glance. However, while they are undeniably similar, they still have a few differences between them. The first thing you need to do is to know what you’re looking for.
Once you know what you’re looking for, you can easily judge every model accordingly. In this way, you can easily find the model that perfectly suits all your needs. Please keep in mind that the best model out there isn’t the most selling one, it’s the one that serves all your needs at the most reasonable price.
And as long as you keep keep your needs in mind, it isn’t hard to find the right model! We here at Turf Mechanic are always here to help you out with the right information. We’re going to tell you what you need to know in order to judge the models properly. But since your needs can only be known by you, and the best model depends on those, only you can find out which model would be the best for you, right?
Turf Mechanic is Here for You!
Finally, we have reached the end of today’s article. We really hope that you could learn at least something new from this article. Hopefully, you would be able to implement these ideas in real and actually make your lawn even more beautiful!
We thank you from the core of our heart to take your time to read this article till the very end. We understand, however, that you might still have a few questions for us. Please know that Turf Mechanic is always here and is always prepared to serve you. So, if you have anything which you think we might be able to assist you with, please do not hesitate in reaching out to us! We look forward to hearing from you!
Once again, thank you for reading this article till the very end. If you liked this article, we have a great idea for you! You might actually want to check out our other articles! Here are a few to get you started:
- How to Measure Garden Hose Diameter?
- How to Stop a Hose From Kinking?
- How Can I Increase My Outdoor Water Pressure?
- Is it Safe to Drink Water From a Garden Hose?
- How to Cut Grass Under a Trampoline?
So, we hope to see you again on our next article. Please don’t forget to stick around and check back for our upcoming articles! We look forward to having you back as soon as possible! Till then, Turf Mechanic takes your leave! See you again soon, dear reader!
