The Best Underground Lawn Sprinklers

Rotary Heads

• Rotary heads, or gear-drive, sprinklers, spray a single stream of water and rotate back and forth to cover your grass. These sprinklers are among the most complex, as a series of tiny gears inside the sprinkler use water pressure to move the head. Rotary heads are particularly useful for covering areas that include shrubs or hedges, as the water arcs must be higher than for other kinds of plantings.

Pop-up Sprayers

• Pop-up sprayers are the most common type of residential sprinkler. These sprinklers use water pressure to raise a small supply tube 2 inches to 6 inches above the ground. When the nozzles are exposed, they spray water in a predefined pattern that ranges from 20 degrees to 360 degrees. Some pop-up sprayers are fully adjustable, including the throw distance for the water. Pop-up sprinklers are made out of plastic, but some models contain metal heads that help protect the nozzle from damage.

Impact Heads

• Impact sprinklers also use water pressure to lift a nozzle out of the ground. Impact heads use a strong jet of water to push a paddle that turns the sprinkler. These sprayers are the most powerful of the underground sprinklers and are great for covering large areas. Impact heads are most commonly used on soccer fields, large lawns and golf courses because they cover so much area.

Square Nozzles

• Square nozzles are a relatively new product that replaces traditional circular pop-up nozzles. Square nozzles spray water in a rectangle pattern instead of a circle or partial circle. These nozzles were designed for areas of grass that sit in rectangle shapes, such as between the sidewalk and the street or driveway. These nozzles are designed to save water by not over-spraying the lawn. Installing square nozzles requires twisting off a regular pop-up head and screwing on the new nozzle.