Two Decades at the Top and PGP® is Still the One for Contractors

It may not have always been called the PGP, but for as long as the product has been around it has been known as the standard by which all other rotary sprinklers have been measured.

In 1981, when an upstart irrigation company by the name of Hunter Industries opened its doors and began manufacturing sprinklers, the company's sole product was a rotary sprinkler known as the Series 75. Revolutionary for its time, the Series 75 was the first mass-produced, plastic gear-driven sprinkler to offer residential and light commercial irrigation an economic solution that also delivered exceptional performance.

The forerunner of today's PGP, the Series 75 was initially available only in a fixed-arc design, but the sprinkler also offered some of the very same features and conveniences that have today become standard on sprinklers throughout the entire industry.

A Product on the Cutting Edge

The PGP has been and continues to be the world's best-selling gear-driven rotary sprinkler. But being first is not simply limited to sales figures. The PGP also holds the distinction of being the first sprinkler to have given the irrigation industry a veritable laundry list of features that today are taken for granted on sprinklers.

Look at virtually any rotary sprinkler from any irrigation manufacturer and you'll see features that were originally created by Hunter and were first included on the PGP (and before that, the Series 75). Interchangeable nozzles, a full 4-inch pop-up stroke, the industry's strongest retraction spring, quiet and reliable gear-driven design, "from-the-top" and "wet or dry" adjustment·these were all Hunter firsts.

In addition to all these features that are now de rigueur for any rotor hoping to attract customers, the Hunter PGP also includes an integral rubber cover that is designed specifically to keep dirt out, a variable stator that keeps rotation speed consistent regardless of nozzle size or pressure, and a large dirty water screen that will put an end to nozzle clogging.

First in Sales, First in the Hearts of Customers

It's no coincidence that being first in developing technological advances has had more than a little to do with being first in product sales. But even as more and more companies attempt to copy innovations that Hunter created for the PGP, loyal Hunter customers – both big and small – continue to stick with the PGP.

"I started out using Hunter PGP on both the residential and small commercial projects that I was handling," said Nicolas Morales, a landscape contractor in Oceanside, California. "Now, my company also handles bigger projects like business parks and elementary school campuses, and we use the whole line-up of Hunter rotors, from PGM up to I-40. Nothing beats Hunter for quality and performance."

Phoenix Irrigation is based in Austin, Texas and does the bulk of  their business in that capital city as well as in San Antonio. The company has more than 100 employees and at any given time has about 20 installation crews out in the field, plus numerous service crews. "We've done a multitude of projects, from small repairs to seven-figure jobs," said Scott Stewart, company general manager,  "so we go through pallets of PGP. They're reliable and dependable and something you don't have to go out and fix. Just what you want in a rotor."

Another big user of PGP is Custom Lawn Sprinklers in Orlando. The company is quite active throughout Central Florida on both residential and commercial jobs, with about 25 qualified installers on staff. "We do a lot of work around here," said company owner Bob Lingle. "So chances are when you look at a rotor in the ground in our area, it's one that we put in. And if it's one that we put in, chances are it's a PGP. No other sprinkler is as easy to use or as durable...or as great a value."

According to Bruce Harris of Oasis Water Systems in Wake Forest, North Carolina, for convenience and ease of use, no competitor comes close to the Hunter PGP. "We handle primarily residential properties, but the homes we service range in size from small to very big. On the homes with large landscaped areas, we won't use anybody else's product -- only PGP. The rotor installs easily, adjusts easily and performs incredibly well. I can't imagine how anybody could even think of using another brand to do the job."

Perhaps the comments of Phil Machut, owner of JM Irrigation in Grays Lake, Illinois best sum up the opinions of most loyal PGP users. "I've tried the rest and continue to stick with PGP. The others can lower their prices in an effort to be more competitive all they want. For my money nothing is going to make me choose anything over a PGP."

Why settle for second best when you can have the sprinkler by which everything else is measured? With its patented features and Hunter's years of experience in gear-driven technology, it's no wonder the often-imitated, but never duplicated PGP remains the professional's choice.