Plastic impact sprinklers for can yards, open ground and frost protection — flow rates, trajectories and throw diameters.
Plastic impact sprinklers are the heads growers reach for on open ground, can yards, germination beds and frost protection, where a wide throw matters more than a fine droplet. They are light, resist the fertilizer and chlorine that corrode metal, and are inexpensive enough to leave on a temporary block.
The lines on this page run from the Rivulis 501-U at under half a gallon a minute to the Senninger 70 Series at nearly 40 gpm, so the job is matching flow, trajectory and spacing to your crop and your water. ML Irrigation sells wholesale to production nurseries, greenhouses and horticulture education programs from Fountain Inn, South Carolina, and ships to all 50 states.
Which plastic impact sprinkler fits my block?
Can yards and nursery blocks. Rain Bird calls the 2045-PJ (Maxi-Bird) a workhorse for nursery use: 22 to 45 ft radius, 1.5 to 8.4 gpm, and trip collars from 20° to full circle, so one model covers the yard and the fence line. The Superior 65P Plastic Impact Sprinkler is the other nursery-rated head, 33 to 47 ft spacing, sold as the budget choice for temporary blocks. Netafim's MegaNet 15D / 24D tops out at 3.3 gpm over up to 40 ft; the 24D high angle suits open-field nurseries and frost protection, the 15D low angle shade and net houses.
Germination and delicate crops. Impacts throw a coarse droplet; on seedbeds look at the Rivulis 501-U, a fine-droplet head for leafy greens and greenhouses at spacings up to 26 ft, or the 5022 SD and 6025 SD, rated for short-cycle germination of vegetables and flowers. Propagation under cover usually belongs on micro-sprinklers.
Solid set, under-tree and edges. The Senninger series step up in flow: the 20 Series and WedgeDrive on 1/2" risers, the 30 and 40 Series on 3/4", the 50 Series to 20.1 gpm and the 1" 70 Series to 39.1 gpm. Rivulis answers with the 5035 SD and 5030LT. Under canopy, low angles keep foliage dry: the 9° Senninger 2009, the 12° 30 Series, 5024 SD and 6024 SD, and the 4° 6004 SD. Edges want the Senninger Part-Circle, the Rivulis 427 GAG / 427B AG-U or a part-circle SD head.
What pressure, flow and water do they need?
Every head here is rated for a pressure window, and its throw and flow only hold inside it. Most want roughly 25 to 60 psi at the head. Exceptions matter: the Senninger 70 Series is rated 40 to 70 psi, the Rivulis 5024 SD holds uniformity down to 22 psi, and Netafim rates the MegaNet at 29 to 45 psi at the head, not the pump. Laterals and elevation eat pressure; gauge the last head on the zone before judging coverage. On sloping ground, a pressure regulator on each lateral keeps the nozzles honest.
Zone flow is the sum of the heads: twenty 50 Series at up to 20.1 gpm each is a different pump from twenty 501-U at about a gallon, and the two will not water evenly on one lateral.
Water quality decides the drive. Netafim's MegaNet guidance is a fair rule for the category: no filter on clean water, 40 mesh on surface water, a hydrocyclone on sandy well water. Rain Bird rates the Maxi-Bird for grit and chemicals in dirty water, the Senninger WedgeDrive resists grit wear, and the Rivulis 5022 SD and 6025 SD are built for reduced clogging sensitivity. Pond and river water still needs a screen or disc filter ahead of the mainline.
Check the thread before ordering risers: inlets here run 1/2", 3/4" and 1", mostly NPT male, with female, BSPT and BSPP variants on some lines, and several Rivulis heads mount on IrriStand carriers instead of a pipe thread.
What goes wrong, and how do the lines differ?
Failures are rarely the sprinkler's fault.
- Spacing set to the catalog diameter. The throw figure is where the last drops land; heads must overlap well inside it, and wind shrinks it. Rivulis publishes spacing limits: 65 ft on the 5035 SD, 12 to 16 m on the 6025 SD, 26 ft on the 501-U.
- Mixed nozzles on one lateral. Most lines here color-code nozzles so a wrong size shows from the aisle.
- High-angle heads under canopy or in wind. A 23° or 25° stream wets foliage and drifts; that is what the 4°, 9° and 12° bodies are for.
- Full circles on the boundary, where a part-circle head belongs.
Senninger, carried here under Hunter, runs a graded 20 to 70 series from 1/2" to 1" inlets, with the WedgeDrive for grit and low pressure; Senninger states the 70 Series outlasts brass. Rivulis builds around the SD super-diffuser plate and hammer for even distribution at wide spacing, plus an arched water path and snail-resistant drives on the 6004 SD and 6024 SD orchard heads. Netafim's MegaNet is encapsulated, with two balanced jets, a closed body that blocks insects and its own filter. Rain Bird and Superior each field one plastic model here: the Maxi-Bird, with a Precision-Jet S-tube against side splash, and the 65P, with stainless springs and chemical-resistant bearing seals. For a permanent block, compare the brass impacts, or request a quote with your layout and ask us about sizing.
Frequently asked
Should I buy a plastic or a brass impact sprinkler?
Plastic wins on temporary blocks, on lines that carry fertilizer or chlorine, and where a head may walk off. Superior positions its 65P for short-life installations where a brass head is not worth burying, while Senninger states its 70 Series outlasts brass. For permanent risers on higher pressure, compare the metal impact sprinkler range before you decide.
Which plastic impact sprinkler works for frost protection?
Netafim lists frost protection and orchard cooling among the uses for the MegaNet 24D high-angle head, and Rain Bird rates the Maxi-Bird for climate control in nurseries. Frost work runs every head on the block at once for hours, so size the pump and mainline for the whole area rather than one zone at a time, and keep the trajectory high enough to clear the crop.
Can I run these sprinklers on pond or well water?
Yes, with filtration matched to the source. Netafim's guidance for the MegaNet is 40 mesh on surface water and a hydrocyclone on sandy well water. Grit-tolerant drives help: the Senninger WedgeDrive, the Rain Bird Maxi-Bird and the Rivulis 5022 SD and 6025 SD are all built for dirty water. Ask us about screen and disc filters sized to the zone flow.
Who does ML Irrigation sell plastic impact sprinklers to?
ML Irrigation sells wholesale to production nurseries, greenhouses and horticulture education programs, and ships to all 50 states from Fountain Inn, South Carolina. Send the crop, spacing, water source and pressure with your quote request and ask us to look over the head, nozzle and zone count before you order.
How far apart should plastic impact sprinklers be spaced?
Closer than the throw diameter. Spacing is normally a fraction of the wetted diameter so the patterns overlap, and tighter again in wind. Use the manufacturer figure at your operating pressure: Rivulis rates the 5035 SD to 65 ft, the 6025 SD at 12 to 16 m and the 501-U to 26 ft, and Rain Bird lists the Maxi-Bird at a 22 to 45 ft radius.
