Remember when fixing a sprinkler head didn't take 3 trips to Lowe's?

Back in the 90s my dad could pop a broken head out, swap in a new one from the truck bin, and be done in 10 minutes. Now I gotta check the PSI, find the right adapter, and still usually end up back at the store for one more fitting. Has anyone else noticed parts getting way less standardized over the last 20 years?

3 comments

3 Comments

finleyk871mo ago

My neighbor Steve literally had to go back to Lowe's three times last month just to fix one drip line fitting. The old ones from the 90s were basically universal but now every brand has its own weird thread pattern or depth. I swear they do it on purpose to sell more adapters and converters. Last time I tried swapping a Rain Bird head for a different brand I ended up with a pile of plastic junk that didn't match anything.

fiona3321mo ago

I have a dedicated bin with adapter rings for old Rain Bird and newer Orbit heads now, that saved me a trip more than once. What worked was bringing the broken piece to a local irrigation supply place instead of the big box store, the guy there sorted me out with a universal fit kit. It still took a little trial and error at home but I didn't have to go back for different sizes. It's annoying though that you can't just grab one thing off the shelf and know it'll work anymore.

bethcarr1mo ago

fiona332 is right about the local supply place being way more helpful than the big box stores, though I think you might have mixed up something about the thread patterns. Actually, Rain Bird and Orbit both use the same standard 3/4 inch pipe thread for most of their pop-up heads, it's the internal parts that got weird over time. Still, having that adapter bin saved you a headache for sure.