Classic sprinkler experts

[gansky1]

Thanks for the rejuvenation tips on the Rain King. I have one (later version as pictured above) and use it now and then. We have a 1/2 acre yard so generally the tractor sprinkler gets his job done with little or no attention but I do like the RK for smaller areas. I had a neighbor stop and play with it one day, said he was going to look for his own on ebay, etc. as he had one as a kid and forgot how much fun it was.

 

[rp2813]

Old In-Ground Sprinkler Heads

I'd love to see pictures of those 1936 sprinkler heads.  My house was built in 1927 and still has its original in-ground system out front.  Over the years, the original heads gradually were replaced for various reasons.  Due to exposure, by the 1960s the finish on them had deteriorated to the point that they appeared to be made of molded concrete, and they would often break into pieces when trying to remove them with a wrench. 

 

I can't find anything on line about them and nothing is ever listed on ebay, but I'm fairly certain they were made by Thompson.  I have a '60s vintage Thompson head that has developed a similar concrete look to it.

 

[whirlcool]

I remember in the 1960s in ground sprinkler systems had the sprinkler heads made of polished brass or similar. And they were very heavy, not like the cheap plastic ones we see today.

 

[artcurus]

@rp2813,

Sorry it took so long to respond, real life very hectic here, we've been dodging hail storms. While water pressure can affect these somewhat, the sprinkler should spin reasonably fast even at 50.

The bearing is going out.

One of my favorite "sleeper" sprinklers, they were made by Thompson and work quite well. I've gone through three of these since childhood, including one I brought with my own money when I was around 6. I now have two NOS 1970's models stashed away, ended up paying about $80/piece. For NOS for these models, it's within range.

 

[rp2813]

Water pressure isn't the greatest here, so that could be part of the problem. 

 

I'm not going to use my Rain King for regular irrigation anyway, so it's OK as is. 

 

[powerfin64]

Rain King Main bearings

Ok, let get something settled about those. I own 4 Rain Kings and 2 Traveling Rain Kings, 1 metal, 1 plastic. I was just given a old Rain king last night from a neighbor. Hasn't been used in many years. It had been rebuilt at some point, due to the different colored parts. She said it didn't work and took alot of water pressure. I know alittle bit how these operate, and this one when I got it, just needed some TLC. It didn't turn, due to the jets were clogged badly.
There are screw plug at the bottom of each arm, using and flat head screwdriver, will undo these, to flush the arms out, which I knew about and did. Used some thin wire to run through each jet hole, put the screw plugs back in, and works like a champ.
These sprinklers don't have bearings, they turn on momentum from the water pressure and the distance setting used.(the higher distance setting will make the arms turn slower, lower distance setting make arms turn faster.) I have never seen bearings in these yet, and I have the Thompson Aqua Dial version also(orange) They don't either. Just some cleaning from time to time is all they need, All mine work(except for one, need new arms, they are cracked) but still run, but not completely like it should. these sprinklers do not wear out.

 

[powerfin64]

correction to my last post

I checked closer into my Rain King K-2 sprinklers, and I need to make a correction. There is a bearing Sleeve in all of them that I over looked. A few of mine do a little wobbling when spinning, but all work correctly otherwise. With the age and usage they all have, the bearing sleeve will get some wear, which makes sense. So I learned something about these Rain Kings, and feel I needed to explain I was not completely correct on the situation.

Rich

 

[artcurus]

@powerfin64,

Rich,

The head is connected to a shaft that has a flat head screw slot. It's visible when the bottom of the sprinkler is removed and you are looking up the post. The bearing is the part of the shaft that the flat head sits on.

If you have a junk sprinkler, take one apart, you'll see what I am talking about.

What happens is that other side of the flat head screw part wears out or gets rough. Sometimes they are interchangeable, sometimes they are not.

 

[gallowolf]

Rain King Restoration

Hi All,

This is an awesome string. First group I have found that talks about these. Anyway I picked up a rusty old rain king and have begun the restoration. I have 2 questions I would like to see if anyone may know. 1. What is the green color on these (I try to restore things to as original as possible)? Is there a way to remove the hose connection without doing damage? I have tested this unit and it works "as advertised" but in order to paint the cast body it would be great if I could remove all of the other hardware.

The three pictures are:
1. The original find.
2. After a good soaking in rust remover.
3. Current state.

Thank you all.

 

[olchev57]

Remove the hose connection

On the rain king, does anyone know how to remove/replace the connection. mine the threads are shot. thanks Rich

 

[2packs4sure]

My go to ~ Rain Bird RO-50

These are unobtanium now...

 

[appnut]

Those Rain King sprinklers were my favorite. Always made me think of our dishwashers we'd had up to that point in time growing up in Houston.

 

[petek]

Not sure if these are considered classic sprinklers but I've used these for years. Sears also sold them as Craftsmans. They're great because you can adjust how close and how far the spray shoots out, having it pull back when it it's passing a sidewalk or the road for example.

https://gilmour.com/products/sprinklers/garden-yard-sprinklers/pattern-master-circular-sprinkler-1960

 

[powerfin64]

I have the same

one, but on a smaller base. These are good for lower water pressure. as usual,
they are no longer made.

 

[shlim1]

Sunbeam K30 disassembly

Trying to do some repairs on a Sunbeam K30 traveling sprinkler. Does anyone by chance have any disassembly information or possibly even a parts schematic to be able to assist with disassembly? Picture for reference of what I'm working on.