A well-chosen lawn sprinkler can make the difference between having a beautiful and lush landscape or just any old lawn on the block. Sprinklers typically come in 4 basic designs and branch off from there. Each type has aspects where it excels and there are others where it falls short. Your lawn type will determine which of the 4 types is best suited for you. The size of your lawn and the type of soil you have are major factors in choosing a sprinkler. A sandier soil needs to be watered more frequently then a clay soil.

For irregularly shaped lawns or landscapes that require spot watering, a fixed sprinkler is going to be the best choice. Due to their limited design, fixed sprinklers don't off much in the way of flow rates and may require constant monitoring if over watering is a concern.

An oscillating sprinkler uses a piece of metal attached to a stationary base. The curved metal tube portion then oscillated back and forth and covers a rectangular pattern. A good oscillating sprinkler will pause just enough when watering furthest away so that each area is covered equally. In some cases you will also be able to choose flow rates and width patterns.

Revolving sprinklers use three or more arms that extend from a stationary base and basically fling the water out and cover a hemispherical area, water pressure and the setting on the sprinkler will determine just how much coverage you can get with one of these sprinklers. Unfortunately saturations aren't really consistent.

Impact sprinklers are probably the most popular type of sprinkler and can cover a very large area compared to the other 3 types. A jet of water is directed in a circular pattern by an external hammer. Impact sprinklers tend to have the best options for controlling flow rate. You can choose a fine mist for delicate plants, or a heavy flow to thoroughly soak a large lawn. Because it covers a circular area and the distance can be adjusted, these sprinklers tend to be the best all around choice.

Of course these options all pale in comparison to an in ground sprinkler system. An in ground sprinkler system can be designed to fit your specific lawn needs, but can be costly to install. Choosing the right lawn sprinklers is an important task for anyone serious about their landscape.