Nelson 1865 Raintrain Traveling Sprinkler
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Product Details
Manufacturer: NelsonModel: 1865
Product features:
- Traveling wheeled lawn sprinkler; travels along length of attached 5/8-inch hose
- Adjustable rotary spray arms; 2 speeds; auto shut-off ramp to stop sprinkler operation
- Rustproof c-iron construction; chip-resistant, powder-coat paint; assembly required
- Includes 1 sprinkler, shut-off ramp; hose not included
- 18.1-pounds; 2-year warranty
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Nelson 1865 Raintrain Traveling Sprinkler
Customer Review: Nice at first, big design problems later on
Summary: 2 Stars
I got a Nelson Raintrain to water irregular lawn areas. It looks great at first, shiny yellow body of massive heft, but things get much more problematic when you actually use it over time.
THE GOOD--The unit worked well for three months when it travelled over densely thatched lawn with no blemishes or irregularities. Then there is the real world of real lawns. Here's what I found.
THE BAD--If the lawn has a gap 2-3 inches or more between solid grass, one wheel would dig down and spin, digging deeper and deeper. The unit would stop, and occasionally tip over. The manual said such a scenario is likely to strip the gears, but mine did not. You must exercise extreme caution using the Nelson Raintrain with newly sodded ground, as gaps in the sod will cause this problem.
You cannot use it on newly seeded lawns, as it will dig into the mud for reasons described just above.
Past about 60 feet the hose becomes too heavy to drag, so the unit occasionally stops and more likely tips it over if there's much of any turn.
If there is a sharp turn with radius less than about 5 feet, the unit sometimes jumps the hose and heads off on its own, stalling somewhere.
The amount of water delivered has only two settings, high and low speed, whereas the average user may need more variation and control.
The overall amount of water deposited may be too light. The streams of water rather thin, so the reviewer who said the total accumulation for both travel speeds was ? inch was likely correct. I want to touch up after a light rain and soak it when I have new sod.
Very occasionally one of the sprinkler arms would be thrown off.
You cannot use a timer with this unit more than once, as you must reposition the travelling unit before each run. If you need to go away for a few days, this defect can be critical. I must take two trips this Summer and water $800 of new sod, so I just bought a bunch of new watering equipment from Amazon.
You cannot adjust the sprinkler heads, which are fixed, from a stream to a mist. They really deliver more of a stream than a spray. The pattern they deliver is not even, but when it travels it will be except at the beginning and end of the run.
Often they break. If the reviews here at Amazon are any guide, likely over time they break, but not usually in the first few months. Mine simply stopped spraying water after three months. When I determined the water passages outside the gearbox were clear, I read the Amazon reviews and threw the unit out. I would have spent a couple hours repairing it the first time; it would likely have broken again; I am leaving on a trip before replacement parts could be in place; and I can't use this unit with timers in any case for trips.
The massive metal body is a wonder to behold but the entire rest of the unit is lightweight aluminum and plastic. I found myself taking great care putting the unit down in my shed, afraid I might bump and bend the lightweight aluminum sprinkler arms.
For all the reasons above, you must keep an eye on this unit every half hour or so or you are taking a chance.
In summary, the Nelson Raintrain is a neat idea for watering irregular lawn areas but too mechanically complex for the task. It has enough design flaws that they would likely not be corrected even if the mechanisms were more sturdy. Instead I'd recommend an alternative strategy with more reliability and the same or less cost.
THE ALTERNATIVES--To water my irregular areas I am switching to more standard sprinklers daisy chained together with short hoses. I can leave these fixed and use timers. The highly rated products on Amazon I plan to get are:
*Nelson Adjustable Pattern Control Gear Drive Sprinkler with Flow Control on Rezimar Wheel Base #50250, likely the best sprinkler but it does not have a built-in inlet and outlet, so I'll put it as the last one in my daisy chain.
*Nelson 50230 - Whirling Vane Sprinkler, has inlet and outlet built-in
*Nelson oscillating sprinklers
*Nelson Triple Spray
And for the timer I'm getting
*Orbit 62001 Lawn & Garden Hose Digital Watering Timer And Valve" Tools & Hardware
Description of Nelson 1865 Raintrain Traveling Sprinkler
Nelson, 16,000 SQFT Maximum Coverage, Traveling Sprinkler, With Automatic Shut Off Valve, Rust Resistant Cast Iron Body, Durable Brass Hose Connection, Built In Automatic Shut Off, Ramp Can Be Placed Anywhere On Hose, Ramp Trips Lever & Shuts Off Water, Low Speed Transmission, Adjustable Spray Arm With Regular Nozzles, Patented Rear Wheel Cleats, Made In USA.While an automatic sprinkling system certainly ensures greener grass and nurtured flowerbeds during the sweltering days of summer, not every household comes equipped with such a system and they can be downright expensive to install. Historically, the alternative to the built-in sprinkler system has involved setting up a hose and sprinkler and then manually relocating the water source to several strategic locations every thirty minutes for several hours. Despite all the detail and time this manual system receives, the sprinkler never quite makes contact with certain patches. Likewise, swamping also occurs at times because homeowners generally have more important things to worry about than whether it is time to switch the sprinkler. Luckily, the folks at LR Nelson are employed to worry about finding comprehensive watering methods for busy homeowners who don't have the means, time, or desire to dig up the yard to install and intricate system of sprinkler pipes. Responsible for a bevy of creative lawn care solutions, the Peoria, Illinois outfit introduce this ingenious Raintrain traveling sprinkler.
With a rustproof cast iron construction, the sprinkler waters up to 13, 500 square feet, though covering a lesser area of 11,9000 square feet ensures more effective performance. The sprinkler arms adjust for varied spray patterns and arcs, throwing water from 15 to 56 feet. The sprinkler waters as it travels along a hose on a preset route, much like an electric model train, except with a hose as the rails. To water, the homeowner lays out the hose as desired, taking care to avoid dramatic corners or turnabouts that may result in hose kinks or a derailed sprinkler. A front wheel runs on the hose with the two traction-ready rear wheels bestride. The hose connects to the posterior of the sprinkler. For the best results, LR Nelson recommends a 5/8-inch hose, though a 1/2-inch hose may suffice, up to 200 feet in length. For sprinkling termination, the user places a shut-off ramp on the hose to lift the sprinkler off its "rails," while simultaneous stopping operation. The shut-off ramp should be installed with at least five feet of hose between it and the spigot. The traveling sprinkler operates at two motor speeds, high and low. On high power, the sprinkler travels approximately 37 feet per hour, with a 1/4-inch water application. On low power, the sprinkler moves at a 21 feet per hour rate with a 1/2-inch water application. The simple installation requires no tools. The sprinkler weighs 18.1 pounds upon shipping. --Jessica Reuling
Lawn & Landscaping
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