The two main sprinkler types for lawns — rotors and spray heads — have fundamentally different performance characteristics. Choosing wrong leads to uneven watering, puddles, or dry spots.
How each type works
Spray heads push water through a fixed nozzle in a fan pattern — the entire zone is covered instantly. Rotors rotate a single or dual stream slowly across the arc, building coverage over time. The key difference: sprays deliver water fast (high precipitation rate), rotors deliver slowly (low precipitation rate = more efficient).
Rotors: large areas, slow application
Rotor sprinklers rotate a stream across a sector or full circle:
- Radius: 5–15 m (some models up to 21 m)
- Precipitation rate: 12–15 mm/h
- Operating pressure: 2.5–4.5 bar
- Flow: 4–20 L/min per head
Rotors are ideal for open lawns of 200 m² and above. Their slow application rate lets water soak into the soil without runoff.
Spray heads: small areas, fast application
Spray heads (fixed sprays) fan water out in a fixed pattern with no rotation:
- Radius: 1.2–5 m
- Precipitation rate: 35–50 mm/h
- Operating pressure: 1.5–2.5 bar
- Flow: 1–8 L/min per head
Spray heads work best on small-to-medium areas, narrow strips, and around buildings.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | Spray Heads | Rotors |
|---|---|---|
| Radius | 1.5–5 m | 6–20 m |
| Precipitation rate | 40–50 mm/h | 10–15 mm/h |
| Operating pressure | 1.5–2.1 bar | 2.5–4.5 bar |
| Best for | Small areas | Large areas |
| Water efficiency | Lower | Higher |
| Wind resistance | Poor | Good |
| Cost per head | €5–10 | €15–30 |
When to use spray heads
- Small lawns under 5 m throw distance
- Narrow strips along driveways and sidewalks (strip nozzles)
- Areas near buildings where you need precise pattern control
- Commercial entry zones that need quick coverage
When to use rotors
- Large open lawns (more than 8 m throw needed)
- Windy locations — the heavier stream means less wind drift
- Slopes — the lower precipitation rate reduces runoff
- Sports fields and parks
- Budget-conscious large areas — fewer heads needed to cover the space
The matched precipitation rule
Never mix rotors and spray heads in the same zone. Their precipitation rates differ by 3–4×: in 20 minutes a spray head delivers about 12 mm while a rotor delivers only 4 mm. Rotor areas will be under-watered; spray areas will be over-watered. Different zones are fine. Use matched precipitation rate nozzles within each zone.
Example: Zone 1 (lawn): 4× Hunter PGP Ultra rotors. Zone 2 (entrance): 3× Rain Bird 1800 sprays. Zone 3 (strip): 2× Hunter PS Ultra strip nozzles.
MP Rotator: the hybrid
The Hunter MP Rotator is a unique hybrid: it mounts on a spray-head body but rotates like a rotor. Precipitation rate is 10–15 mm/h with a radius of 2.5–10 m. Because the rate matches rotors, you can safely combine them in the same zone.
Verify in SmartPluvia
Place both types in the planner to see coverage circles and spot the difference instantly. The system warns you if a zone mixes nozzle types with mismatched precipitation rates. The catalog includes 202 models with exact radius and precipitation data.