Complete Coverage, Not Just Close to the Head, Make PGP® Nozzles Best in Their Class

When it comes to nozzle performance, don’t get reeled in by hype and some fancy name for the products. In fact, you can’t even trust your eyes to be a good judge of what nozzles work best.

To find out what rotor nozzles perform the best—that is, deliver the optimum coverage and provide the ultimate in water distribution—you have to check the facts.

And, truth be told, our most popular nozzles in the PGP nozzle line consistently outperform the competition. In the test room…and out in the field.

We have the data from the Center for Irrigation Technology to prove it.

Good Coverage Means the Entire Length of the Throw

“When you look at a Hunter PGP nozzle, side by side with the competition, at first glance it might look as if our nozzle isn’t providing as much close-in coverage as theirs,” said Steve Hoveln, Hunter rotors product manager. “That’s because theirs is giving more water close to the head. The problem with that, however, is your turf doesn’t need the extra water. Their nozzles emit too much water at close range and it can flood your lawn and create brown spots.”

According to Hoveln, you can’t trust your eyes to be the sole judge of what makes a good nozzle. “Even though the spray pattern appears to be doing the job, in actuality it may not,” said Hoveln. “It’s like choosing style over substance.”

To support his point, Hoveln compared the distribution profiles for two of the most popular nozzles in the PGP’s class: the Hunter PGP #7 nozzle and the most popular mid-range residential rotor nozzle from Hunter’s leading competitor.

PGP #7 Nozzle Distribution Profile

Distribution profiles graphically chart the amount of water a nozzle distributes at various points along the entire throw of the sprinkler. Each profile includes a line indicating the optimum desired amount of water that should fall at that distance from the head. The actual amount distributed is then filled in and, ideally, should come as close to the “optimum” line as possible.

“The number 7 nozzle, the most frequently used PGP nozzle, comes very close to the optimum along the entire length of the sprinkler’s throw,” said Hoveln. “That indicates good, even coverage for the entire radius.

“In comparison, the competition shows a higher level of water distributed close to the head and then a drop off, below the Hunter level, in the mid-range area. That’s a profile that would indicate the chance of brown spots—from too much water—close to the head. And the chance of dry patches—from too little water—in the mid-range.

“Yet, their nozzle is the one with a catchy nickname and a nozzle that most contractors look at and say to their customers: ‘Wow, doesn’t that look good.’”

We Test Our Nozzles, Then Get Data Verified

To guarantee consistency in our PGP nozzles, Hunter’s quality assurance division conducts meticulous inspections with the tightest tolerances. Next, every batch of nozzles is put through tests (uniformity, water droplet size, amount of coverage close to the head) in Hunter’s on-site test room, the most complete such facility in the industry. Results are compared against a standard established by a perfect, true set of PGP nozzles produced and tested earlier.

Then, at Hunter’s outdoor test lab, nozzles are put through environmental testing, such as sand tests and UV degradation, simulating the extremes of conditions in the real world.

To verify everything Hunter does and give the findings the ultimate stamp of objectivity, PGP nozzles are sent to the Center for Irrigation Technology in Fresno, California. The industry’s most trusted independent testing facility then evaluates where Hunter nozzles stand in comparison to the competition.

“We’ve learned that even our most proficient engineers can’t look at a nozzle and, by sight, be able to tell if it is distributing water evenly and efficiently,” said Hoveln. “In fact, anyone who tells you something like ‘that pattern looks like it is doing everything it should and is the best’ is wrong.”

Simplicity is the Key to Consistent Performance

Hunter PGP nozzles have proven to consistently outperform their competition. So, how do the nozzles achieve such consistency?

“We purposely make our nozzle designs simple to ensure easier duplication and leave less room for error,” said Matt Beutler, Hunter engineering manager. “When plastics are mass-produced it is important to maintain simplicity in the design and the molds or else the chances for variance from the original will increase with each successive set of nozzles that is turned out.”

Look closely at the orifice on a Hunter PGP. Beutler said it’s a prime example of this simplicity: an opening with a simple shape and design, making it easy for water to pass through. This eliminates both the chance of water wearing down an intricate nozzle design and the possibility for debris to get trapped.

“You might think that the more advanced nozzle technology becomes, the more complex nozzle design would have to be,” said Beutler. “It’s just the opposite. The simpler things are, the less you’ll have go wrong.”

So, don’t just go by looks good or sounds good. Trust the scientific data. Without question, you’ll find the answer is, well…simple. The best performing mid-range rotor nozzles are Hunter PGP nozzles.