![]() ![]() If you’re committed to carefully customized and even watering but not ready for an in-ground system, the Gardena ZoomMaxx is a better choice for you than the Melnor XT4200M. You can even link multiple ZoomMaxx sprinklers together in a series using the same spigot, creating a low-budget DIY irrigation system that covers your entire lawn from a single, central controller. The version we tested came with a circular sled base, but it’s also available mounted on a metal step spike, and you can swap out the sprinkler head on either base as needed. It’s more compact than the other sprinklers we tested, with a double row of rubber sprinkler nozzles to ensure a consistent delivery of water over a designated area without any dry spots. The similar Zoom controls on the plastic Melnor XT4200 and the Green Thumb model weren’t quite as sensitive.Ī standard rectangular oscillating sprinkler works for most situations, but the Gardena Oscillating Sprinkler ZoomMaxx (our pick in a previous version of this guide) is a great alternative if you need to water unusually shaped lawns or want more precision, flexibility, and control. ![]() Even the occasional wind-drift problem-which is almost unavoidable with any oscillating sprinkler-can be tempered within reason if you adjust the strength of the water output with the Zoom dial and then balance the arc length accordingly so you don’t accidentally water the sidewalk. You can easily move these various switches while the sprinkler is in motion and still stay dry, too. Although the controls don’t offer much sensitivity within that range, calibrating the coverage area with a combination of the Twin Touch, Zoom, and arc-length controls is easy enough. The Twin Touch tabs provide independent controls for the left and right width-each one controls half the sprinkler nozzles, which you can either point straight ahead or angle to cover up to 18 feet on either side. It consistently soaked the 3 feet or so directly in front of it, even at the highest settings, unlike several other models we tested that somehow managed to miss the ground right in front of them. We found the XT4200M to be highly adjustable within that range, too. While many other sprinklers come in a variety of sizes to cover different areas, the XT4200M comes in only one size-but it covers the second-largest area of the models in our test group, beaten only by its all-plastic cousin. In our tests, the spray from the XT4200M covered an approximate range of 8 square feet to 4,000 square feet, thanks in part to the built-in Zoom controls for water flow. The XT4200M has brass sprinkler nozzles as well, and a built-in metal sieve to filter out anything from the tap that could cause a clog. This design also means the XT4200M is more likely to hold up after bad weather and other everyday abuses (the Green Thumb 4200MGT also boasts a metal base but has clunkier controls). Although the main body of the XT4200M is plastic, its rust-proof aluminum sled gives it a bit more weight, stability, and durability, particularly in comparison with our all-plastic runner-up. In our tests, its wave of water suffered from much less wind drift than those of any of the other Melnor models. These plastic tabs are easy to switch and move even when the sprinkler is active, and the sprinkler can deliver a long rectangular spray range of up to 4,000 square feet. ![]() Like our runner-up, the XT4200M came with clearly marked controls for water flow, left and right width, and arc length. Melnor makes more than a dozen different oscillating sprinklers, but of the four we tested, the XT4200M was the most impressive in every category. Most companies offer different sizes of sprinklers with the same functionality, so rather than focusing on which model covered the largest area, I used this opportunity to explore the dials, adjustability, and other features on each sprinkler model, taking notes on accuracy, sensitivity, and ease of use: Were any of the models easier or harder to adjust when they were actively sprinkling? Did they have clear indicators about what each dial did (if any), and did the settings stay in place after I moved the sprinkler? How fine was the control over the arc of the spray, and how did that change at different widths and water flows? Several models also had a control for water flow-the pressure of the water going into the sprinkler, which you can adjust to vary the width and length of the water coverage. After marking out measurement intervals in my backyard, I tested each sprinkler to find its minimum and maximum width (horizontal spread, parallel to the sprinkler heads) and length (distance from the stationary sprinkler).
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