A distinction is made between two parts in spray sprinklers: the nozzle and the associated body. Nozzle and body can be combined as desired and are also sold separately in stores. The body is practically the sprinkler house from which the nozzle moves up. It essentially consists of a cylindrical casing and a riser housed in the casing, which ensures that the nozzle mounted on it rises a few inches above the earth’s surface from the casing buried in the ground. In addition, a thread is attached to the body with which it is connected to the water pipeline.

Cross reference: In a separate blog post you will find an overview of the nozzles available on the market

The bodies from Hunter, Rain Bird and Toro, i.e. the three major suppliers on the irrigation market, are presented below. All three offer several different bodies. Rain Bird and Hunter nozzles not only fit into all bodies of their own brand, but can also be used across manufacturers, i.e. Hunter nozzles in Rain Bird bodies and vice versa. This is also common practice in the world of irrigation. You should always follow the manufacturer’s recommendations whenever possible, as certain bodies are particularly suitable for certain nozzles, e.g. pressure-regulated bodies for rotating nozzles. Care must be taken when using non-Toro nozzles in Toro bodies or Toro nozzles in non-Toro bodies, as Toro nozzles can have both female and male thread connections, but only female nozzles can be used in the Rain Bird and Hunter bodies.

Some of the bodies are offered in a large number of different risers, i.e. with risers of different heights or as a shrub version (body without riser that cannot be lowered and remains on the surface). The type designations reflect the measurement of the riser: 02 stands 2 inches, 03 for 3 inches,  04 for 4 inches, 06 for 6 inches and 12 for 12 inches. All bodies presented here have a 1/2 inch internal thread connection.

Hunter PS Ultra, Rain Bird Uni-Spray and Toro LPS are marketed as entry-level models for private users. From my point of view, there is little reason to reach for them even as a private person: The models located above them are at least a touch better and much more varied and also cost practically the same. The only reasonable reason to use them is optical considerations, due to the slightly smaller outlet in the garden soil (see below under “Diameter visible from above”).

Hunter offers 4 different bodies: PS Ultra, Pro-Spray, PRS-30 and PRS-40.

PS Ultra is the entry-level body aimed at private users. It doesn’t have a quite as strong return spring as the other three models and only has a 2-year warranty instead of 5 years. Above all, it has – like the entry-level models of the two competitors – a smaller head diameter. So if you want to have the smallest possible outlet in the floor for optical reasons, you can achieve that with the PS Ultra.

On the other hand, there are significantly fewer riser variants for the PS Ultra than for the other models. The Pro-Spray and the PRS bodies are also more stable and therefore also well suited for places that are frequented by many people. According to Hunter, the PS Ultra is also not suitable for use with graywater, so it should not be used with water that comes from your own well. Some of the PS Ultra entry-level models are available on the market with already pre-installed nozzles (Hunter Pro nozzles with variable sector 8A, 10A, 12A, 15A, 17A or an SS-530 side strip nozzle). The main difference between the PRS bodies and the Pro-Spray is the built-in pressure regulation to 30 psi (PRS-30) or 40 psi (PRS-40).

Model comparison

Notes: Models with an integrated check valve have a “CV” in the type designation. The Hunter Eco-Rotator sprinkler available on the market is not a separate type of sprinkler, but a PS Ultra body with a 4 inches riser and pre-installed MP-Rotator nozzle.

Riser variants

The 4 models are available with the following different risers:

Rain Bird also has 4 bodies that are quite similar to the Hunter bodies: Uni-Spray, 1800 Series, RD1800 Series P30, RD1800 Series P45.

Uni-Spray is the entry-level model and therefore the counterpart to Hunter’s PS Ultra. Compared to the other three models, it has a significantly smaller head diameter and is only offered in a 4 inch riser version. It is often offered on the market in a ready-to-use combination with Rain Bird HE-VAN nozzles (8, 10, 12 or 15). The 1800 series is according to Rain Bird the best-selling spray body in the world. In addition to many other variants, it is also available in a pressure-regulated variant (recognizable by the type abbreviation “PRS” in the model name). The RD1800 is an even newer generation of models, which is specially designed for pressure regulation and also always contains a check valve. In the P30 variant, the pressure is regulated to 30 psi and in the P45 variant to 45 psi.

Model comparison

The RD1800 P30 and RD1800 P45 bodies can be purchased with an additional flow protection device as an option. With this, the sprinkler automatically registers when the nozzle has been removed from a pressurized sprinkler, e.g. due to vandalism or damage. Instead of allowing the water to spray out of the sprinkler in a fountain, the anti-flow device automatically ensures that the water flow is greatly reduced. As a result, less water is lost. This is probably not an issue for the typical private user, but is interesting for irrigated areas that are only inspected from time to time.

Riser variants

The 4 models are available with the following different risers:

Toro also offers roughly the same body models: Toro LPS, Toro 570Z, Toro 570ZPR.

At Toro, the entry-level body is called Toro LPS. It is often sold with the nozzles already installed (TVAN 8, 10, 12, 15 or 17). The Toro 570Z is the better body aimed at corporate customers. It is also sold to private customers in an identical form as Toro 570. The 570ZPR also has integrated pressure regulation. The 570 models are also optionally available with an additional flow protection device, which Toro calls “X-Flow”.

Model comparison

Riser variants

The 4 models are available with the following different risers:

Cover image: Hunter