# Hunter MP Rotator vs Rainbird R-Van



## Llano Estacado

On the topic of irrigation. I have Rainbird R-Van nozzles throughout the yard. I was going to replace a few problems ones and picked up some Hunter MP2000 nozzles. Problem I'm now seeing is the R-Van put out more water per hour than the MP's. In some quick online searching it seems the MP's have more favorable reviews than the R-Van's. I have several of the R-Vans that won't rotate until you physically rotate them, which is a problem since I don't baby sit the irrigation system.

Have any of you used both? I've got 7 zones with 6-7 heads per zone and at $6.00 each I'm not sure I want to change all to MP's unless they're significantly better.


----------



## g-man

Rvan is a good product similar to mp. Rvan output 0.6in/hr vs 0.4in/he on the mp, so do not mix them.

I would just troubleshoot your rvan. Why they don't turn? Hardwater?


----------



## Llano Estacado

g-man said:


> Rvan is a good product similar to mp. Rvan output 0.6in/hr vs 0.4in/he on the mp, so do not mix them.
> 
> I would just troubleshoot your rvan. Why they don't turn? Hardwater?


I believe it is due to outside debris(sand, dirt) entering it in the closed position. I don't think the upstream flow is the problem.


----------



## Fishnugget

Llano,

I have used both.

My backyard is all spray heads with a few VAN nozzles in the corners. The only thing special about the VAN nozzles is that you are able to manually adjust the spray angle, thats it. They work well and I have not experienced any trouble with mine.

The MP Rotators have a cool factor with their automatic rotating stream. I dont think its a good idea to mix spray heads with MP Rotators because they have different outputs. The MP Rotators need be run twice as long but they are guaranteed to save you 30% in water savings per their claims.

I prefer the MP Rotators because they do better against wind, the rotating stream is cool to watch and to this point have been very reliable. Also, they cover longer distances which means less sprinklers. This is my 2 cents.


----------



## Colonel K0rn

Another thing about the MP Rotators is that they do a "double pop" when they pop up to clear debris from the nozzles. I found this video pretty interesting when I was researching my heads that I wanted to use. I don't really plan on dumping sand into my irrigation system, but should it happen, I'd feel better knowing that I wouldn't have to worry _too much_ about it.


----------



## Llano Estacado

So at the moment I'm leaning towards swapping out the Rvans for MPs.

Thanks for all the imput!


----------



## kyleay

So I have the MPs and am thinking of swapping them out to the RVANS. My experience with the MPs is that at times they stop spinning. Since the system goes on early morning, I may not see the troubled head for weeks/months.

The RVANS that I have seem to rotate faster than then the MPs and at the moment, I feel like theyre a better option. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on the web about his particular head. I like the fact I don't need a special tool to adjust them and I only have to purchase two types of heads, full circle vs partial circle. The fact you can lower the stream down to nothing, it seems you can purchase all the same type/distance (17' - 24'), heads and lower the stream rate to your application.


----------



## Ware

https://youtu.be/VtTg0LodNzQ


----------



## Greendoc

kyleay said:


> So I have the MPs and am thinking of swapping them out to the RVANS. My experience with the MPs is that at times they stop spinning. Since the system goes on early morning, I may not see the troubled head for weeks/months.
> 
> The RVANS that I have seem to rotate faster than then the MPs and at the moment, I feel like theyre a better option. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on the web about his particular head. I like the fact I don't need a special tool to adjust them and I only have to purchase two types of heads, full circle vs partial circle. The fact you can lower the stream down to nothing, it seems you can purchase all the same type/distance (17' - 24'), heads and lower the stream rate to your application.


If an MP Rotator stops spinning, a likely cause is not enough pressure at the heads. They work best at 35-40 PSI at the head. Conversely, the Rainbird R-Van heads work best at 30 PSI or lower. High pressure will make those heads spin too fast to put down the water evenly and also spray out a fine mist.


----------



## Rain Bird Corp

If R-VAN stops rotating, use the flush feature to clear debris. Pull up (pretty hard) on the top of the nozzle with the zone running until flushing starts. This will clear most debris. Iron and mineral deposits will gum up everything. Consider treating the water to reduce the effects of this. Filtering will not remove iron and mineral deposits.


----------



## Ware

Rain Bird Corp said:


> If R-VAN stops rotating, use the flush feature to clear debris. Pull up (pretty hard) on the top of the nozzle with the zone running until flushing starts. This will clear most debris. Iron and mineral deposits will gum up everything. Consider treating the water to reduce the effects of this. Filtering will not remove iron and mineral deposits.


Welcome to TLF! It's always nice to have a good contact for product support. :thumbsup:


----------



## Ecks from Tex

Rain Bird Corp said:


> If R-VAN stops rotating, use the flush feature to clear debris. Pull up (pretty hard) on the top of the nozzle with the zone running until flushing starts. This will clear most debris. Iron and mineral deposits will gum up everything. Consider treating the water to reduce the effects of this. Filtering will not remove iron and mineral deposits.





> Location: Worldwide


Whoa, @Ware, I think now you can say you've officially arrived.

RVAN all the way for me. Love watching them soak-er-down.


----------



## DTC

Greendoc said:


> … MP Rotator ... work best at 35-40 PSI at the head. Conversely, the Rainbird R-Van heads work best at 30 PSI or lower. ...


This has me stumped on which heads to buy. I'm new to the forum, new to lawns, sprinklers.. all of it. 

First though, can you convert a zone from either spray OR rotary to these newer rotary nozzles? Not mixing head types per zone, I understand not to do that. Currently, I've got 5 zones with 18 rotary heads and 4 spray zones with 36 heads (54 heads in total). My plan was to convert zones incrementally over to either of the heads this thread is about.

Now, if water pressure is a key factor in deciding between these 2 heads... my pressure must be pretty high. 2 of my rotary zones spray 30-50 feet (ish). I used a Rainbird guage near the main line and recorded 58psi.

Would the Hunter MP Rotators be best for my system? And can I replace either spray or rotor zones with them?

Thanks!


----------



## Ecks from Tex

Greendoc said:


> kyleay said:
> 
> 
> 
> So I have the MPs and am thinking of swapping them out to the RVANS. My experience with the MPs is that at times they stop spinning. Since the system goes on early morning, I may not see the troubled head for weeks/months.
> 
> The RVANS that I have seem to rotate faster than then the MPs and at the moment, I feel like theyre a better option. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on the web about his particular head. I like the fact I don't need a special tool to adjust them and I only have to purchase two types of heads, full circle vs partial circle. The fact you can lower the stream down to nothing, it seems you can purchase all the same type/distance (17' - 24'), heads and lower the stream rate to your application.
> 
> 
> 
> Conversely, the Rainbird R-Van heads work best at 30 PSI or lower. High pressure will make those heads spin too fast to put down the water evenly and also spray out a fine mist.
Click to expand...

Are you sure you didn't mix those numbers up or mix up the R-Van with the H-Van? At least the most recent R-Vans I've seen recommend 45 psi as the optimal pressure.


----------



## Ecks from Tex

DTC said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> 
> … MP Rotator ... work best at 35-40 PSI at the head. Conversely, the Rainbird R-Van heads work best at 30 PSI or lower. ...
> 
> 
> 
> This has me stumped on which heads to buy. I'm new to the forum, new to lawns, sprinklers.. all of it.
> 
> First though, can you convert a zone from either spray OR rotary to these newer rotary nozzles? Not mixing head types per zone, I understand not to do that. Currently, I've got 5 zones with 18 rotary heads and 4 spray zones with 36 heads (54 heads in total). My plan was to convert zones incrementally over to either of the heads this thread is about.
> 
> Now, if water pressure is a key factor in deciding between these 2 heads... my pressure must be pretty high. 2 of my rotary zones spray 30-50 feet (ish). I used a Rainbird guage near the main line and recorded 58psi.
> 
> Would the Hunter MP Rotators be best for my system? And can I replace either spray or rotor zones with them?
> 
> Thanks!
Click to expand...

Welcome! You can use either MP Rotator or Rainbird Rvan. Remember to distinguish gpm requirements for a zone and psi requirements for a nozzle. Have you tested psi closer to any of the heads? Usually won't matter but it could depending on how your system is put together. But like I said either will work for you - both Hunter and RB make spec sheets that will tell you precisely the optimal psi and the kind of performance you can expect with your psi.

I have a separate irrigation meter with a ton of gpm and high psi. So what I am probably going to do is buy pressure regulated spray bodies for my RB R-Van nozzles. Rainbird makes specifically tailored 1804 spray bodies for the RVAN nozzle that regulate pressure to the optimal level, as does Hunter. So you can have the perfect spray every time. Downside though is they're more expensive, which is why you need to consult their spec sheets to decide if you really need it "perfect" or if you can still get good coverage with a standard spray body.

I spent a lot of time deciding beteen those two heads as well. Most on here will tell you Hunter MP, but after researching I went with the Rainbird. I think their most recent nozzles are a step up in quality, but on the other hand the MP is the first of its kind and one of the most reliable rotorary nozzles on the market. So it's reallt either/or, and based on my preferred watering methods I went with the RVan.

The other option is to regulate psi at the valve. I know less about this option because it is not as popular, I think because it's not as consistent, but I do know it's an option.


----------



## g-man

@DTC I first feel that I need to ask why switch your system? What is not working? The conversion will be expensive since you have 54 heads.

If you still want to do this, the best way is to swap the entire body to Hunter regulated body (PSR40 or something like that). These regulate the pressure at the head to 40psi (constant), so you a higher pressure will not matter much. Next you will need to see if the current head location is correct for the mp nozzles. The MP are great but they are not forgiving of incorrect placement.


----------



## DTC

The main reason I'm getting into all this is actually to save water. Last July I dumped 85,000 gallons on my lawn and I don't even like the lumpy thing. So, I want to save water, and I've learned a TON from this forum (pete1313's renovation thread actually). I have hope now 

First order of business is to get this irrigation system setup properly. It's extremely old, I have the architect's blueprint from 1979 for the original lines, and some of the heads look like they're original. I'm sorta OCD in this realm and like the idea of upgrading anyway. I'm loving learning about all this, and it's fun work to me.

We're shrinking the lawn by about 5-7k feet by putting in mulch, plants, trees, boulders etc... All this is going to lead to converting some zones to drip, capping a couple zones entirely. I'm not sure exactly yet. But I definitely think placement/location of heads needs redesigned. I'm going to submit for the Rainbird design since they offer it. All this moving and changing just seems like the right time to upgrade the heads.

We'll probably run gas lines for firepits and cooking, lines for landscape lighting too. There's a whole lot about to happen out there. I'm excited about the changes, learning, and spending the time with it.

that's probably a lot more than you wanted lol


----------



## Ecks from Tex

Cool! You should do a renovation thread I'd love to see


----------



## DTC

Ecks from Tex said:


> Cool! You should do a renovation thread I'd love to see


I'm not sure there's anything to learn from my experience, but I like the idea of having a log/journal of the transformation. We're still working with a landscape architect to finalize the master plan. It's going to be phased though, and possibly over the next couple summers.


----------



## Greendoc

Ecks from Tex said:


> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> kyleay said:
> 
> 
> 
> So I have the MPs and am thinking of swapping them out to the RVANS. My experience with the MPs is that at times they stop spinning. Since the system goes on early morning, I may not see the troubled head for weeks/months.
> 
> The RVANS that I have seem to rotate faster than then the MPs and at the moment, I feel like theyre a better option. Unfortunately, there doesn't seem to be a lot of info on the web about his particular head. I like the fact I don't need a special tool to adjust them and I only have to purchase two types of heads, full circle vs partial circle. The fact you can lower the stream down to nothing, it seems you can purchase all the same type/distance (17' - 24'), heads and lower the stream rate to your application.
> 
> 
> 
> Conversely, the Rainbird R-Van heads work best at 30 PSI or lower. High pressure will make those heads spin too fast to put down the water evenly and also spray out a fine mist.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> Are you sure you didn't mix those numbers up or mix up the R-Van with the H-Van? At least the most recent R-Vans I've seen recommend 45 psi as the optimal pressure.
Click to expand...

After seeing the poor performance of the first model and having MP Rotators readily available, I never gave the latest version another look. If Rainbird corrected the tendency of those heads to spin at turbine speeds, I will change my mind about them and give them equal consideration.


----------



## Ecks from Tex

Greendoc said:


> Ecks from Tex said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Greendoc said:
> 
> 
> 
> Conversely, the Rainbird R-Van heads work best at 30 PSI or lower. High pressure will make those heads spin too fast to put down the water evenly and also spray out a fine mist.
> 
> 
> 
> Are you sure you didn't mix those numbers up or mix up the R-Van with the H-Van? At least the most recent R-Vans I've seen recommend 45 psi as the optimal pressure.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> After seeing the poor performance of the first model and having MP Rotators readily available, I never gave the latest version another look. If Rainbird corrected the tendency of those heads to spin at turbine speeds, I will change my mind about them and give them equal consideration.
Click to expand...

Ok that's what I thought might have been the case.


----------



## smcguinness

I just switched all my spray nozzles to the R-Van and for the most part I could not be happier. Just not seeing any runoff or spray landing on my sidewalks puts a smile on my face. With N. TX water worth its weight in gold, not only did I feel like I was investing in a better irrigation for my lawn but hopefully a payoff in the wallet too. I have experienced some stoping of rotating, but it mostly appears to clear with a tap or sometimes resorting to the flush technique.

One question I do have is about mixing the throw nozzles. I assumed, maybe incorrectly, that since they are all rotary I can mix the R-VAN14 and the R-VAN18, but in the zones where I have, the R-VAN14's rotate at a much faster rate than the R-VAN18 in the same zone. Am I messing up the pressure through the zone which is causing the issue?


----------



## Rain Bird Corp

smcguinness said:


> One question I do have is about mixing the throw nozzles. I assumed, maybe incorrectly, that since they are all rotary I can mix the R-VAN14 and the R-VAN18, but in the zones where I have, the R-VAN14's rotate at a much faster rate than the R-VAN18 in the same zone. Am I messing up the pressure through the zone which is causing the issue?


The R-VAN14 may rotate faster. You are not doing anything wrong. They can be mixed.

The rotation speed does not affect the precipitation rate, and the R-VAN14 is matched precipitation rate with all of the other R-VANs and can be placed on the same zone.


----------



## jht3

I've been slowly converting all my head's to rainbird. I find the rotors the easiest to adjust, especially with the slip clutch for the left stop. Got rid of the last Toro and one more Hunter to go. But that is off topic.

I have had one rainbird fixed 90* rotater in a landscape bed for 6+ years, on the same zone with 5 rotors. It is on a 12" body and has not once acted up. I'm about to convert a turf zone of 7 Toro and rainbird 4" spray head's to r-vans on 4" 45psi SAM bodies. Should minimize run off and improve coverage. Wish I had the layout as that is the only zone that I can't find the valve! And I have dug around for years looking for it.


----------

