# Lets Talk Strip Nozzles



## FuzzeWuzze (Aug 25, 2017)

So i have 4 major sections of my yard that are street strips about 4-5 feet wide that have end strip(center on end) sprinklers and then edge strip nozzles every 12-14ish feet. For the ends Ive only really used Rainbird 15EST nozzles because no one around me really sells any other center end nozzle, they are all Left or right corner end nozzles.

Searching google i see that there are others, so was hoping to get your input on if you guys used any and your thoughts on them.

The 15EST nozzles are absolute trash, 95% of the water just shoots straight out and the corners of my lawn just get misted and thus are going dormant. Ive bought new nozzles, new filters, flushed the sprinkler, even put in a new sprinkler body and raised it up a bit to ensure it was at its best, and it still sprays like garbage.

SO if you have any input on the Hunter/Kbird/Weathermatic nozzles and if they are garbage let me know, i'd rather not have to order all of them to find out  I would even consider swapping out my end bodies for Toro to use their male nozzles if it means it sprays properly. At this rate i'm not even that worried about matching precip rates with my other Rainbird 15SST sidestrip nozzles, although honestly they are pretty shit at spraying forward too and I'd replace those if necessary.

I tried Hunter Strip sprinklers but they always seemed to overshoot my area or not provide proper coverage no matter how much i messed with the screw. And i have something like 20 heads across these area's so fiddling with the nozzles is becoming quite the chore.


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## hsvtoolfool (Jul 23, 2018)

All strip nozzles stink, but they also have a tough job. All you can do is install more heads closer than normal and then overlap the spray. The result is more wasted water than normal areas.

I have 6 Hunter MP-Strips on my sidewalk. They do an okay job, but I should have installed 8. The result is a single bone dry spot at my driveway corner. Someday I'll install another strip head to catch that spot.

I think many municipalites now ban street strip heads due to wasted water. The only type of irrigation allowed is underground drip line. I started to use that stuff, but I chickened out. Besides, I wanted to annoy the folks walking their dogs who poop on my lawn.


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## Delmarva Keith (May 12, 2018)

Agree with @hsvtoolfool , strip nozzles are just never well characterized in the spec sheets and it's impossible to design a system without actually trying the different brands in an above ground test layout. I've thrown up my hands and only use them on beds. I use Hunters. I have had good results on long narrow beds with them.

If close enough is close enough, I'd go with Hunter SS530 and RCS / LCS 515 in a triangle pattern, in other words space the heads 25' apart (always derate the throw in the sell sheets) on either side of the strip with the heads on side A directly between the heads on side B. Your precip rate will be on the order of 2" per hour (if I calculated the flow rate versus area covered right - I was where you are a while back but I remember doing the calcs and I think I did it right). For the Hunter nozzles, the ends on the head side at each head tend to get more water than the middles but by opposing them this way it should all average out close enough, at least to keep the grass growing.

Messing with the screw on the Hunter side strips doesn't do anything. I don't know about the center strips but you may have been wasting your time with that.

If it absolutely needs coverage and a zillion heads and overspray is not an obstacle, maybe take a look at the Hunter microspray nozzles.

To go off on a tangent, I've used the MP800 line on turf strips but the strips were around 10' wide. For a 5' turf strip, that's always a head scratcher of a problem. For wider strips where you can use them, the MP800's do seem to provide much more even coverage than any other typical nozzle.

I've never used drip lines so don't have a clue about that. Does seem to make a lot of sense if overspray is verboten.

How I ended up a while back actually solving a problem of a very narrow turf strip - irish moss, green carpet grass and ajuga.. :lol:  They all spread and after a short time, weed control is not an issue.


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