Has anyone tried one of the traveling sprinklers that is of the hose
reel type. I am looking at the Rapid Rain Model 860 by Mobile
Irrigation Technologies. I saw it at http://www.rapidrain.com and am
comparing it to Microrain. Seems to be a much better bang for the buck
and its made here in the ole US of A

"AgMan" wrote in message
oups.com...
Has anyone tried one of the traveling sprinklers that is of the hose
reel type. I am looking at the Rapid Rain Model 860 by Mobile
Irrigation Technologies. I saw it at http://www.rapidrain.com and am
comparing it to Microrain. Seems to be a much better bang for the buck
and its made here in the ole US of A


Yay for gadgets. Why fix what ain't broke? A good gear driven or impact
sprinkler can do wonders. It probably works well when new, but probably
quickly develops leaks, or develops problems. But your money, try it, report
back to us what happens to it after a few months.

-S

On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 03:15:58 GMT, Snooze wrote:
"AgMan" wrote in message
oups.com...
Has anyone tried one of the traveling sprinklers that is of the hose
reel type. I am looking at the Rapid Rain Model 860 by Mobile

no...

Yay for gadgets. Why fix what ain't broke? A good gear driven or impact
sprinkler can do wonders. It probably works well when new, but probably

Travelng sprinkler can be very helpful to water a larger area than
feasible with a single setting.

My father loves his Nelson traveling tractor sprinkler. He can start it
on one side of the house and it travels to the back of the yard, across,
then back along the other side. Takes all day, but he doesn't have to
babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't last, but the Nelson keeps going and
going... He's used it for a few years now. Don't know where he bought
it or how much he paid, but I think it is one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...095559-3648628

sdb

--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com

"sylvan butler" wrote
in
message rnal
On Fri, 03 Mar 2006 03:15:58 GMT, Snooze
wrote:
"AgMan" wrote in message
oups.com...
Has anyone tried one of the traveling sprinklers that is of
the
hose reel type. I am looking at the Rapid Rain Model 860 by
Mobile

no...

Yay for gadgets. Why fix what ain't broke? A good gear driven
or
impact sprinkler can do wonders. It probably works well when
new,
but probably

Travelng sprinkler can be very helpful to water a larger area
than
feasible with a single setting.

My father loves his Nelson traveling tractor sprinkler. He can
start it on one side of the house and it travels to the back of
the
yard, across, then back along the other side. Takes all day,
but
he doesn't have to babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't last, but
the
Nelson keeps going and going... He's used it for a few years
now.
Don't know where he bought it or how much he paid, but I think
it
is one of these:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...095559-3648628

sdb

Why is he wasting all that water?

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:13:10 GMT, Travis M. wrote:
"sylvan butler" wrote in
message rnal
start it on one side of the house and it travels to the back of
the
yard, across, then back along the other side. Takes all day,
but
he doesn't have to babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't last, but

Why is he wasting all that water?

Don't ass-u-me he is.

sdb
--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com

"sylvan butler" wrote
in
message rnal
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:13:10 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
"sylvan butler"
wrote
in message
rnal
start it on one side of the house and it travels to the
back of
the
yard, across, then back along the other side. Takes all
day,
but
he doesn't have to babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't last,
but

Why is he wasting all that water?

Don't ass-u-me he is.

sdb

I'm not assuming anything. If someone is watering a lawn/grass
all day water is being wasted.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:31:17 GMT, Travis M. wrote:
"sylvan butler" wrote
in
message rnal
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:13:10 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
"sylvan butler"
wrote
in message
rnal
start it on one side of the house and it travels to the
back of
the
yard, across, then back along the other side. Takes all
day,
but
he doesn't have to babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't last,
but

Why is he wasting all that water?

Don't ass-u-me he is.

I'm not assuming anything. If someone is watering a lawn/grass
all day water is being wasted.

My, aren't you the self-righteous know-it-all.

Except you apparently don't know that you are operating on 100% assumption.

How much water is being put down on the lawn during the watering? How
much does it require for the area covered? Subtract the second from the
first to calculate the waste. Time watering is meaningless by itself.

You don't know the size of the area nor the flow rate of the sprinkler
nor the requirements of the landscaping beyond "lawn/grass." Hence you
cannot know the amount of water being deposited relative to the needs of
the landscaping being watered.

I'd give you an example with concrete numbers, but I get the feeling
that would be a waste of time.

sdb
--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com

"sylvan butler" wrote
in
message rnal
On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:31:17 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
"sylvan butler"
wrote
in
message
rnal
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:13:10 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
"sylvan butler"

wrote
in message
rnal
start it on one side of the house and it travels to the
back of
the
yard, across, then back along the other side. Takes
all
day,
but
he doesn't have to babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't
last,
but

Why is he wasting all that water?

Don't ass-u-me he is.

I'm not assuming anything. If someone is watering a
lawn/grass
all day water is being wasted.

My, aren't you the self-righteous know-it-all.

Except you apparently don't know that you are operating on 100%
assumption.

How much water is being put down on the lawn during the
watering?
How
much does it require for the area covered? Subtract the second
from the
first to calculate the waste. Time watering is meaningless by
itself.

You don't know the size of the area nor the flow rate of the
sprinkler
nor the requirements of the landscaping beyond "lawn/grass."
Hence
you
cannot know the amount of water being deposited relative to the
needs of
the landscaping being watered.

I'd give you an example with concrete numbers, but I get the
feeling
that would be a waste of time.

sdb

If someone is watering their lawn/grass in the summer just to
keep it green they are wasting water. Let the grass/lawn go
dormant in the summer and when it starts raining again the grass
will green up.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

In article e0DSf.640$TK2.190@trnddc07,
lid says...

snip

If someone is watering their lawn/grass in the summer just to
keep it green they are wasting water. Let the grass/lawn go
dormant in the summer and when it starts raining again the grass
will green up.



Around here, you can get a ticket government fine if you let
your grass go brown in the summer from the code enforcement cops
unless water rationing is declared.

Bill
--
Gmail and Google Groups. This century's answer to AOL and WebTV.

In Palmdale, Ca. you have to keep your lawns clean and watered and GREEN,
it's in the city codes now. Glad I don't live there, I'm 35 miles north and
use water in my flower garden, not on a lawn.


--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Sidewalk Astronomy
www.sidewalkastronomy.info
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords




"Travis M." wrote in message
news:e0DSf.640$TK2.190@trnddc07...
"sylvan butler" wrote in
message rnal
On Sun, 12 Mar 2006 08:31:17 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
"sylvan butler" wrote
in
message rnal
On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 09:13:10 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
"sylvan butler"
wrote
in message
rnal
start it on one side of the house and it travels to the
back of
the
yard, across, then back along the other side. Takes all
day,
but
he doesn't have to babysit it. Cheaper brands didn't last,
but

Why is he wasting all that water?

Don't ass-u-me he is.

I'm not assuming anything. If someone is watering a lawn/grass
all day water is being wasted.

My, aren't you the self-righteous know-it-all.

Except you apparently don't know that you are operating on 100%
assumption.

How much water is being put down on the lawn during the watering?
How
much does it require for the area covered? Subtract the second
from the
first to calculate the waste. Time watering is meaningless by
itself.

You don't know the size of the area nor the flow rate of the
sprinkler
nor the requirements of the landscaping beyond "lawn/grass." Hence
you
cannot know the amount of water being deposited relative to the
needs of
the landscaping being watered.

I'd give you an example with concrete numbers, but I get the feeling
that would be a waste of time.

sdb

If someone is watering their lawn/grass in the summer just to keep it
green they are wasting water. Let the grass/lawn go dormant in the summer
and when it starts raining again the grass will green up.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

"Bill" wrote in message

In article e0DSf.640$TK2.190@trnddc07,
lid says...

snip

If someone is watering their lawn/grass in the summer just to
keep it green they are wasting water. Let the grass/lawn go
dormant in the summer and when it starts raining again the
grass
will green up.



Around here, you can get a ticket government fine if you
let
your grass go brown in the summer from the code enforcement
cops
unless water rationing is declared.

Bill

Then I guess it's time to attend some city/county council
meetings and change the law.

--

Travis in Shoreline (just North of Seattle) Washington
USDA Zone 8
Sunset Zone 5

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 22:37:05 -0800, "Starlord"
wrote:

In Palmdale, Ca. you have to keep your lawns clean and watered and GREEN,
it's in the city codes now. Glad I don't live there, I'm 35 miles north and
use water in my flower garden, not on a lawn.

For non-natives, Palmdale is a dry area up in the High Desert.

I suppose the city code is to "keep property values up".

Wonder if the lawn police could detect if you just spray the lawn
green?

Those Palmdale folks are prime candidates for xeriscaping!

Persephone

On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 18:14:34 GMT, Travis M. wrote:
If someone is watering their lawn/grass in the summer just to
keep it green they are wasting water. Let the grass/lawn go
dormant in the summer and when it starts raining again the grass
will green up.

Oh, now you assume everyone lives in your climate. That is a great
"north of seattle, WA" plan. Not for me.

Around here if you do that you will end up with cheatgrass (classed as a
noxious weed and you will be fined if you have it), bitterbrush, ragweed
and various other things, not lawn.

You see, with only 12" annual precipitation, which occurs almost
entirely november to march when grass is dormant because of cold, a lawn
will not just "go dormant" in the dry season, it and the roots will
entirely die and blow away before it rains.

sdb

--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com

Ultimately, as water becomes an ever-more-precious resource, lawn watering
will have to go, or will have to be significantly reduced in areas which are
too dry to support them naturally. In many parts of the west, it would be
possible to plant buffalo grass or some other native grass which could
survive on 10-15 inches of rain a year. It won't look like or feel like the
bluegrass lawns we are used to, but if it starts to cost $600-1000 summer
just to maintain a lawn, lots of families and individuals are going to
consider it......
Some upscale developments in my area are going for the natural open
ponderosa forest/bunch grassland mix common here. I think it's very pretty -
if they want to have a minimal lawn and garden immediately adjacent to the
house (which is also a good plan in case of forest fires), it's much more
practical and much lower maintenance than large swaths of lawn.
"sylvan butler" wrote in message
rnal...
On Fri, 17 Mar 2006 18:14:34 GMT, Travis M.
wrote:
If someone is watering their lawn/grass in the summer just to
keep it green they are wasting water. Let the grass/lawn go
dormant in the summer and when it starts raining again the grass
will green up.

Oh, now you assume everyone lives in your climate. That is a great
"north of seattle, WA" plan. Not for me.

Around here if you do that you will end up with cheatgrass (classed as a
noxious weed and you will be fined if you have it), bitterbrush, ragweed
and various other things, not lawn.

You see, with only 12" annual precipitation, which occurs almost
entirely november to march when grass is dormant because of cold, a lawn
will not just "go dormant" in the dry season, it and the roots will
entirely die and blow away before it rains.

sdb

--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com

On Sun, 19 Mar 2006 00:24:49 -0800, presley wrote:
Ultimately, as water becomes an ever-more-precious resource, lawn watering
will have to go, or will have to be significantly reduced in areas which are

Probably so.

possible to plant buffalo grass or some other native grass which could
survive on 10-15 inches of rain a year. It won't look like or feel like the

Most will not survive _any_ traffic with that little water, especially
if the water is concentrated during the dormant season(s).

Buffalo grass specifically, is dormant nearly all year here. Too cold
in the winter, too hot in the summer. It grows for a few weeks in the
spring and fall and is brown the rest of the time. Also, most people
object to the prickly seed burrs... I know my wife, kids and animals
do. And if you think quackgrass runners are bad, buffalo isn't for you.

bluegrass lawns we are used to, but if it starts to cost $600-1000 summer
just to maintain a lawn, lots of families and individuals are going to

Many people already pay $40/week in lawncare. If that were to double
because of water costs the landscape would most likely change.

sdb
--
Wanted: Omnibook 800 & accessories, cheap, working or not
sdbuse1 on mailhost bigfoot.com