What is Hose-end sprinklers?

Here’s another way to put your good hose to work: A hose-end sprinkler is designed to screw into a standard hose and rest on the ground wherever you drag it and set it down; it then delivers water in a spray pattern in the immediate area. Clever designers have come up with all sorts of nifty alternatives, so you should have no trouble finding a sprinkler you like and that suits the lay of your particular landscape. Here’s a rundown of the common ones:

• Fixed-spray sprinkler: These sprinklers are the simplest types and are perfectly satisfactory for watering small areas. They deliver a fine, soft rain, rather casually (that is, without a super-reliable pattern). Use them on the lawn or for watering flowerbeds and shrubs; they’re less effective under trees because they fling water up into the branches, where it’s neither needed nor especially appreciated. You may have to run the water on low or get a heavier model if it tends to flip over on its side or upside down, a common problem.
• Whirlybird sprinkler: A spring-loaded arm breaks the shooting stream of water into droplets as it snaps back into place, which makes this sprinkler revolve. This deceptively simple design can actually accomplish a very thorough watering job in a circular shape.
  
• Rain tower: The rain tower is just an impulse sprinkler like the whirlybird, but it’s elevated on an adjustable tripod contraption so it can water a broad circle. Therefore, it’s terrific for watering large areas of tall plants, such as a corn patch or vegetable garden.
• Oscillating sprinkler: You have to set or assign these sprinklers their job, which can be a full-yard swing from left to right and back again, or a half-swing to the left or right, or just a held, stationary position. Oscillating sprinklers are marvelous for watering lawns and broad plantings. Splurge on the more expensive units; they last much longer and offer a greater range of settings that can make your watering more accurate and efficient. Compared to a whirlybird sprinkler, oscillating sprinklers tend to lose a lot of water to evaporation.
• Tractor (traveling) sprinkler: The tractor sprinkler is a little more hightech, at least for a homeowner. The small water-driven tractor scoots slowly across a lawn, using the laid-out hose as a guide. Meanwhile, a simple revolving sprinkler mounted on top does the watering. Some models have three speeds, for lighter to deeper watering.