oscillating sprinklers that stop oscillating

21 years ago

Hi folks,

I keep buying more expensive oscillating sprinklers, and they always stop oscillating. I thought maybe it was due to our low water pressure, but we had our house replumbed and now have great water pressure...and they still don't oscillate.

Any ideas on how to repair them?

Any ideas why they work great when they are new, and then they stop oscillating?

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jellero_yahoo_com

15 years ago

i once took a box of non working sprinklers back to walmart where i bought them and took them to the manager. i got my money back. if you have a nelson email them and tell them the problem. i told them i had been using nelson sprinklers for many years but the one i had stopped working. they sent me a higher end sprinkler, the "metal" model (the base is metal, not the gears). that was two years ago. i complained today about that one going bad and they are sending me another. the problem may be the plastic gears wearing down. using metal gears or a worm drive would probably help. john

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Comments (6)

elchante
21 years ago
No. But I have the same problem. And what's worse, is I have my oscillating sprinkler on a timer set to turn on when I'm at work. It gets stuck to one side and that is the only part of the vegetable garden that gets watered. This is third oscillating sprinkler I've purchased. Each time I've moved up to a more expensive one thinking that would guarantee that it would keep on oscillating. But that theory didn't hold up. Now I'm looking for a different sprinkler solution for the garden. I hope some one answers you question because I'd like to know, too.
coho
21 years ago
Get a tube of silicon grease and lubricate the plastic cam and follower (The part that makes sprinkler oscillate) Also the seals/bearings, on the ends of oscillation tube need to be lubricated. Mind, this will only extend service a season or two. They are built with sales in mind, not use.
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breinders
17 years ago
Fix for oscillating sprinklers that have stopped oscillating!

I have been able to get my plastic oscillating sprinklers to oscillate again by soaking it in white vinegar. I was so relieved to not lose my $80 investment in two of these sprinklers.

In order to use the least amount of vinegar as possible, I took the base off of the sprinkler and only submerged the portion of the sprinkler containing the gears (near where the sprinkler attaches to the hose) by filling a small container with white vinegar. I let them soak overnight.

I have no idea whether there could be side effects of the vinegar on the plastic. The sprinkler looked fine and performed like new again.
Mick Soiseth
5 years ago
They ought to be outlawed. I have never had one that has worked for long. And this is one case where more expensive doesn't mean better. I've had cheap ones that last longer than expensive ones. Melnor brand seems to be the worst.
rlstone425
4 years ago
last modified: 4 years ago
I complained to Nelson about the "rubbery" adjustable mini-nozzles crumbling due to sun exposure; they had me send them a picture and then sent me a brand new one. Pretty sure the same thing will happen with this one...Our watering season is only dormant for a couple of months, so that sprinkler is exposed to a lot of sun In El Paso