IrriDex Official Parts Recommendations
This guide provides IrriDex's recommendations for residential irrigation equipment based on reliability, durability, maintenance requirements, and overall performance.
Rankings reflect our assessments and field experience and not controlled laboratory testing. Individual results may vary depending on water quality, installation practices, operating pressure, and environmental conditions.
The guide is generally written assuming you are not in a freeze-prone climate, though many people are.
1. Spray Heads
Worst: Orbit Economy Spring Loaded Pop-Ups
- Frequent sticking and failure to retract.
- Wiper seals can contract and deteriorate.
- Bonnet failures may cause sudden geysers.
- Discontinued.
Bad: Rain Bird RD1800 Series
- Prone to sticking relatively early in their service life.
- Subject to bonnet splitting under high pressures.
Decent: Orbit Professional Series
- Generally functional, but the wiper seal can deteriorate quickly under prolonged sunlight exposure.
- Innards are compatible with the canisters of older Orbit sprayheads excluding the economy series.
Good: Rain Bird 1800 Series, HIT RainPro 900/900T
- Proven residential spray bodies with good durability and serviceability.
- Innards are compatible with 1800 canisters
- Rain Bird wiper seals are hit or miss. Sometimes they last decades, other times they stick up after a year or two.
Better: K-Rain Pro-S
- Durable construction, good wiper seals, and great overall performance.
- Innards are compatible with 1800 canisters
- Super strong retraction spring.
Best: Hunter Pro-Spray
- Excellent build quality, dependable retraction, and a robust wiper seal design.
- Flushes out water every startup.
- Pressure regulator and check valve may unexpectedly fall out of or become dislodged from the riser at any time.
2. Residential Irrigation Valves
Decent: Orbit 100 Series, Orbit L-Series
- The Homeowner Special.
Good: Rain Bird DV/DVF, ASV/ASVF
- Reliable residential valves with readily available replacement parts.
- Diaphragm will degrade quickly. As it ages, the diaphragm forms micro cracks.
- Diaphragm is partially exposed to the elements accelerating the diaphragm's demise
Better: Hunter PGV
- Good hydraulic performance and serviceability, although sticking, diaphragm, and closing failures have been reported.
- Can last around 15 years on the original diaphragm in favorable water conditions
- Solenoid wires are NOT UV resistant! Cover them appropriately to extend life of the valve
Best: Irritrol and Lawn Genie
- Proven designs, broad parts compatibility, excellent serviceability, and a history of long-term operation.
- These valves can last up to 35 years on the original diaphragm - WOW!
3. Rotors
Decent: K-Rain RPS Series
- Functional residential rotors suitable for general lawn applications
- Rotating mechanism may fail randomly
Good: Rain Bird 32SA, 42SA, 52SA, 5000, 5000 Plus
- Good coverage and adjustment capabilities.
- Triple-blade wiper seal designs can develop retraction problems. I do not recommend buying Rain Bird products marketed with a triple blade wiper seal
Better: Hunter PGJ, PGP
- Reliable gear drives with strong performance and a proven service history.
- Grit can kill the mechanisms
- Nozzle is not easy to remove on the PGP
Best: Hunter PGP Ultra, I-20
- Excellent adjustment options, durability, and overall coverage performance.
- Nozzle is easy to remove on the PGP Ultra
- I-20 has a shutoff valve
- Fairly vandal resistant when new
4. Irrigation Controllers
Decent: Orbit Easy Set Logic
- Simple, inexpensive, and suitable for basic residential systems.
- More likely to fail.
Good: Rain Bird Residential Controllers
- Generally dependable, user-friendly, and widely supported.
Better: Hunter Pro-C Modular, HPC Modular
- Modular controllers allow you to expand the capabilities of the controller
Best: Irritrol Total Control, Rain Dial
- Very reliable.
5. Xerigation and Drip Irrigation
Not Recommended: Improvised Point-Source Drip Assemblies
- Barbed emitters inserted into blank 1/2-inch tubing can become clogged, damaged, disconnected, or dislodged.
- Particularly vulnerable to physical disturbance and poor filtration.
Recommended: Inline Drip Tubing
- Factory-installed, equally spaced emitters provide more consistent irrigation.
- Pressure-compensating emitters are preferred where appropriate.
- Proper filtration, pressure regulation, flushing, and secure connections remain essential.
Drip irrigation can be highly effective when properly designed and maintained, but it is not maintenance-free.
6. Fixed Pattern Spray Nozzles
Good: Toro MPR
- Acceptable coverage, but excessive misting can occur
- Certain models may have a colored collar that will become embrittled under sunlight.
Better: Hunter MPR
- Good spray distribution and consistent performance.
- Easy to clog up and disrupt spray pattern even with the included coarse filter.
- Weed whacker damage susceptible
Best: Rain Bird MPR
- Excellent pattern consistency, distribution, and overall performance.
- Proven and time tested year after year.
7. Variable Arc Spray Nozzles
Decent: Orbit PRO-Adjustable
- Susceptible to clogging and inconsistent spray distribution as they age.
- Homeowner special cheap junk.
Good: Toro T-VAN
- Functional adjustable nozzles with acceptable performance.
- Can develop a fracture and fail.
Better: Rain Bird VAN, HE-VAN
- Good adjustment capabilities and coverage.
- Deflectors can be damaged by string trimmers.
- HE-VAN arc adjustments may become difficult to operate over time.
- Distribution uniformity can deteriorate as components wear.
Best: Hunter PRO-Adjustable, High Efficiency PRO-Adjustable
- Strong spray performance, adjustment capabilities, and overall consistency.
- Can adjust it beyond 360 which can cause precipitation uniformity issues.
8. Rotary Nozzles
Bad: Rain Bird R-VAN
- Good throw distances and adjustable arcs, although performance can vary with operating conditions
- Easily breaks
- Arc adjustment system is easy to strip out
Better: K-Rain Rotary Nozzles
- Good rotary nozzle performance and useful coverage options. Inexpensive and lasts a while. Good for dirty water conditions.
Best: Hunter MP Rotator
- Excellent matched precipitation characteristics, water efficiency, and distribution when correctly designed and installed.
- Lasts around 15 years under favorable conditions before encountering major issues.
9. Additional Component Recommendations
Swing Joints and Flexible Connections
Recommended: Purpose-built swing pipe, compatible fittings, and properly installed swing joints. Avoid placing excessive mechanical stress on sprinkler bodies or rigid PVC connections.
Irrigation Piping
Recommended: Schedule 40 1" or 3/4" PVC pipe. Polyethylene is recommended for freezing climates, however PVC is the norm in most cases.
Final Notes
The highest-ranked product is not necessarily the best option for every installation. Pressure, flow, water quality, maintenance access, replacement-part availability, and installation quality all influence long-term reliability.
IrriDex encourages repairable equipment, responsible installation practices, and the use of components with established service histories.