andrewsnmorgan
Well-known member
Got this from Lowes for 24.00 on clearance! Originally 75.00!!!! Nice cast iron original John Deere tractor sprinkler! I cant find a link on the site, But check your local Lowes for a sweeet deal! HURRY! 
John Deere Cast iron Tractor sprinkler
- Thread starter andrewsnmorgan
- Start date
ishiboo
Well-known member
Looks cute, not particularly good reviews though.
Lowes clearances are very much YMMV and up to the local stores on price, just a heads up.
Lowes clearances are very much YMMV and up to the local stores on price, just a heads up.
I got one and it made it literally fifteen feet before the gear box broke apart. The plastic bottom of the gearbox case (which holds all the gears together) split on both sides. There are sleeves held between the plastic bottom of the gear box and the cast iron body--when the bottom breaks the sleeves are no longer held in place, the gears spread out and no longer contact each other -- so it doesn't move.
I looked at the one they had on display in the store and it was cracked there already, too.
They are junk.
I looked at the one they had on display in the store and it was cracked there already, too.
They are junk.
Last edited:
Yeah, those John Deere models used to be made by National Sprinkler.
http://www.nationalwalkingsprinkler.com/models/detail/jd.php
Those were very high quality. Then John Deere changed to the current lower cost producer.
http://www.nationalwalkingsprinkler.com/models/detail/jd.php
Those were very high quality. Then John Deere changed to the current lower cost producer.
I like the walking sprinkler idea a lot. I may get one of the nationals. On the slow speed setting they can really soak in the ground, giving a nice, deep, targeted watering on areas that are hard to water with other sprinkler types -- like the cut between two houses.
OP
andrewsnmorgan
Well-known member
Well, I didnt notice all the poor reviews....... Sorry! But i am going to give it a good workout and report back in a month or 2. I kept the box and receipt for BOTH i bought!
shanker
Well-known member
I can't say enough about how awesome the people over at National Walking sprinkler company are. I had one of those crappy JD sprinklers from lowes that died, Isis a lot if research online and found out about National's and showed my wife how awesome they were. This was last summer, she called them to get me one for my birthday and they were backordered on the best one they have, she told the guy on the phone that it was for a birthday present for her husband and not only did they ship me one, but the also thru in every upgrade they had for it as a gift from them. I called them to thank them after I heard what my wife went thru to get it and the guy on the phone sai " so you're the birthday boy!". They are awesome, I highly suggest getting one. Do a search on here and you'll find a thread I made about it here
WBrowniv
Well-known member
I also have to agree on how great the National Walking sprinkler is. I was tired of dragging the hoses around the yard to water and was getting uneven results. Since an in ground sprinkler system was out of the question I started to look for something else that would work. I found their website, read the history of the company and said to myself "here we go"! Ordered the top of the line one, along with the grease to maintain the gears and just tried it out a couple of days ago. Wow! Nice even coverage and just plain cool in general. It is expensive but well worth it for an American Made product. They even offer restoration services for their past models.
rlitman
Well-known member
I have that model from Lowes. I've had it for about 5 years now (iirc, it was $59 back then), and have been pretty happy with it. It realistically pulls about 75-100 feet of cheap green hose, but doesn't really have the oomph to pull more than 40-50 feet of black Goodyear rubber hose (the added weight of that hose is just too much for it).
Since I got it, the steering wheel has broken, as has one fender, but the plastic gears and wheels have held up for me.
Still, I'd prefer a National one. Just the fact that the wheels are cast iron, is a huge improvement. There is no comparing the gear system, and when mine breaks, that's what I'll be getting next. The only thing the National is missing, that this sprinkler has is the automatic shutoff (which has worked well for me, but I have read warnings about it having a high rate of failure).
Since I got it, the steering wheel has broken, as has one fender, but the plastic gears and wheels have held up for me.
Still, I'd prefer a National one. Just the fact that the wheels are cast iron, is a huge improvement. There is no comparing the gear system, and when mine breaks, that's what I'll be getting next. The only thing the National is missing, that this sprinkler has is the automatic shutoff (which has worked well for me, but I have read warnings about it having a high rate of failure).
Last edited:
Wrenches of Death
Well-known member
Nascar4401
Well-known member
I have this model and has worked flawlessly for two years....http://www.nationalwalkingsprinkler.com/models/detail/d.php
Ok, so I was frustrated and there's a small drought starting here--so I decided to get a Nelson Rain Train -- the yellow tractor.
Amazon has them for $60 with a cast iron body.
Walmart had it for $38--I thought, here's a deal. Got it home and the box says the body is REZIMAR^TM. Turns out that means plastic. They should be prosecuted for false advertising. It still weighs close to twenty pounds--I think it's full of concrete.
Anyway, I looked at it and the design is basically the same as the John Deere one. The bottom of the gearbox is still plastic, but it's reinforced on both sides with metal straps. Will that keep it from splitting? Actually, it probably will. Good deal.
It seems to work ok, but it goes even faster than the John Deere one, even on the slow setting, meaning that it doesn't water very deeply. I think I might take it back for that. Whatever. At least Wal-Mart has a good return policy.
Amazon has them for $60 with a cast iron body.
Walmart had it for $38--I thought, here's a deal. Got it home and the box says the body is REZIMAR^TM. Turns out that means plastic. They should be prosecuted for false advertising. It still weighs close to twenty pounds--I think it's full of concrete.
Anyway, I looked at it and the design is basically the same as the John Deere one. The bottom of the gearbox is still plastic, but it's reinforced on both sides with metal straps. Will that keep it from splitting? Actually, it probably will. Good deal.
It seems to work ok, but it goes even faster than the John Deere one, even on the slow setting, meaning that it doesn't water very deeply. I think I might take it back for that. Whatever. At least Wal-Mart has a good return policy.
m21bmr
Active member
I've got a Nelson Rain train that is several years old. Mine is the yellow cast iron "body" of the tractor with a plastic cased gearbox driving the rear wheels. Mine has been pretty durable. I have had to replace the gearbox once, but the parts were readily available through nelson's website (and reasonably priced.) Mine pulled hose for several years and had several miles of drive on it before the gearbox failed, so I'd give it a good review. I've had mine for close to 20 years. I'd say the original gearbox lasted around 12-14 years for me. Hopefully their current ones are still good quality.
losttechnician
Active member
I use two Nelson Raintrain sprinklers. They pull a LOT of hose, with living on a corner lot and all, and before I sold my house, they covered 15,000 sq ft of yard in the Texas heat. They ran every evening and morning. Now, another corner lot, with about 10,000 sqft, so they are still running hard.
Have to replace the gear boxes on both of them about once a year, but that is due to the heavy use/abuse. I heartily endorse those sprinklers, they are great. The paint is oxidizing on both of them, but other than gearboxes, I have only had to replace the arms, and that was because..... I dropped one and broke the T, and kinked one aluminum arm.
Do-It-Best carries the gearboxes, as does Gebo's (A regional farm supply kind of like Tractor Supply), and when they go on sale, I pick up a couple, knowing I will be back changing them sometime. Takes little time to change them, and they are back up and running.
For my odd shaped yard(s), these things are great, and *MUCH* less than installing a sprinkler system, even though that is what I would rather have.
Have to replace the gear boxes on both of them about once a year, but that is due to the heavy use/abuse. I heartily endorse those sprinklers, they are great. The paint is oxidizing on both of them, but other than gearboxes, I have only had to replace the arms, and that was because..... I dropped one and broke the T, and kinked one aluminum arm.
Do-It-Best carries the gearboxes, as does Gebo's (A regional farm supply kind of like Tractor Supply), and when they go on sale, I pick up a couple, knowing I will be back changing them sometime. Takes little time to change them, and they are back up and running.
For my odd shaped yard(s), these things are great, and *MUCH* less than installing a sprinkler system, even though that is what I would rather have.
Yeah, a sprinkler system is where it's at.
After using the "rain train" I find it doesn't water deep enough, just as I feared -- especially at the beginning and end of the route (because the way it works -- throwing water in a circle). The beginning is even worse because it slows down as it goes along due to the weight of the hose.
I guess I need to lay down the big bucks for a sprinkler system. DIY should cost me about a grand, maybe more. But I can get a separate meter from the city for irrigation -- water costs about 1/3 what it does on the house meter. That means it'd pay for itself in 5 years.
After using the "rain train" I find it doesn't water deep enough, just as I feared -- especially at the beginning and end of the route (because the way it works -- throwing water in a circle). The beginning is even worse because it slows down as it goes along due to the weight of the hose.
I guess I need to lay down the big bucks for a sprinkler system. DIY should cost me about a grand, maybe more. But I can get a separate meter from the city for irrigation -- water costs about 1/3 what it does on the house meter. That means it'd pay for itself in 5 years.
Last edited:
swoyer
Well-known member
wow, thank you for taking the time to build a fake website completely centered around pushing traffic through your links to amazon so you can turn a profit. What a contribution.