# Hunter MP Rotators



## Alex_18 (Mar 9, 2019)

What is everyones thoughts on the Hunter MP Rotators? Im in the middle of a renovation of my front lawn but plan on putting an irrigation system in this fall or next spring. I would like to get it done in the fall because im planning on renovating the back yard next spring. I have a roughly 8,500 sqft lawn. 5,500 in the front and 3,000 in the back.

I would like to install the Hunter MP Rotators but I havent heard any thoughts from people that already have them. Give me your pros and cons on them please. Thanks in advance!


----------



## stotea (Jul 31, 2017)

I have them in one of my zones that is relatively narrow simply because the PGP Ultra's minimum radius is too large. The Rotators seem fine for my application, but I'd be concerned about their smaller streams at longer distances. I feel like they'd be extremely vulnerable to even a slight breeze.

Edit: This topic got me doing some research, and apparently the Rotators are supposedly to be great in the wind. So, I dunno...


----------



## masci (Apr 26, 2019)

Pro: easier to adjust than spray heads (honestly gear rotors too) and more efficient than spray heads. Probably better uniformity than gear rotors but I can't say this with 100% certainty. Probably more intuitive for DIYers, because you don't have to swap nozzles for different flow depending on the arc like gear rotors. They deliver matched precipitation rates whether they are set at 90 or 180 degrees. They seem to be pretty insensitive to water pressure too.

Con: Slow to throw down an inch of water, so it can take quite a while to water your lawn. It's not really that much slower than PGP rotors, but a lot slower than spray heads (which I wouldn't recommend anyway). They probably won't deal well with foliage in the way compared to gear rotors because the individual streams are weak, but they deal with foliage better than spray heads. If you keep your grass very tall, make sure you have bigger popups than 4". It's a little harder to get good watering coverage without overspray due to how the MP rotators handle edges (the streams get weaker/shorter as they approach the edge. The offerings of how many different nozzles you have to buy is a bit annoying. They are going to be more clog-prone on dirty water. If you're using unfiltered lake water or hard water, you probably want something else.

For a new install, they wouldn't be a bad choice I don't think.


----------



## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

I love mine. This was my first irrigation install, so it's taken me a while to dial them in for even coverage. But I am proud that I only made two big goofs. I have two challenging little areas and they stay bone dry. But I have plans to tweak things a bit to water these areas correctly. No big deal.

Here's what I learned...

- Limit the water pressure to Hunter's specs so you don't get any "misting". My curb pressure was over 80PSI, so I installed a brass Zurm pressure regulator screwed down to about 50 PSI. Then I simply used Hunter's pressure-regulating spray bodies with check valves. This guarantees the correct pressure to the MP Rotors. It's not like the spray bodies area super-expensive!

- Head-to-head coverage is critical for MP Rotors. And don't rely on Hunter's advertised distance specs. It you have 20 feet between heads, use 30 foot MP Rotors, 10 feet between heads then use 15 foot Rotors, and so forth. You can dial the distance back a little if needed. The MP Rotors water most evenly when they overshoot each head by a few feet.

- The Hunter MP Rotors must be well above grass level to work properly. The streams shoot out at various angles, so it can't even be close to the top of the grass. If your HOC is 1.5" or below, use the 4" spray bodies. If you keep your grass above 1.5" HOC or above, go ahead and use the 6" spray bodies. It won't hurt anything to have taller heads. I installed 4" spray bodies everywhere. Two years after installing my system, my finally got a reel mower and dropped to 3/4" HOC. I am still shocked at how much more evenly my lawn is now being watered. It's just a night and day difference.

- The GPM for these heads is indeed low, but that allows time for water to soak into the soil. There's very little run off. I only waste the little bit that hits my hardscaping. The low GPM per head also means you can put a LOT more heads on a single zone without worries about water hammer. My two biggest zones have 10 heads each. My street strip has 6 heads (soon to be 8). I have no problem at all with pressure drops or water hammer.

- Don't scrimp on heads in the street strip! Those narrow MP-Strip rotors are the most inefficient at coverage. Space them at 6 to 8 feet and use more heads than you think. This was my worst design screw up. Now I must add two heads at the outer corners of my street strip since I spaced them a bit too far apart. Bear in mind that the heat pouring off the asphalt and sidewalk drives water demand in the strip area way up.

- Don't water when it's really windy! That's true for any time you shoot water through the air. MP Rotors shoot low enough that normal breezes don't affect them, but a true 15+ MPH wind just wastes water. If the wind is so strong you wouldn't go crappie fishing or your 9-iron only goes 90 yards into the gale, then don't water your lawn!

- I'll probably use the Hunter I20 gear rotors when I put irrigation in my 10K back yard. I think the small MP Rotors are ideal for smaller 30-foot areas with irregular shapes and tight spots. But for large rectangular areas spanning more than 30 feet, the big rotors are probably the best option.

Finally, I have a confession. I trenched and installed the entire system myself in early July a few years ago (not my fault or choice!). It was over 100° F, I was overweight, and I suffered pretty bad heat exhaustion. Since then, I enjoy sitting in a lawn chair in the shade of my house smoking a stogie and drinking single-malt watching the MP Rotors do their little dance. I have my own private Bellagio fountain show without the lights or dramatic music. The dancing streams of water are quite mesmerizing. Or it could just be the Glenfiddich 12.


----------

