For years I used a standard oscillating model that swept back and forth slowly in a large arching pattern.  This is a fairly reliable model and the all time kids favorite but has a tendency to unevenly distribute the water.  It’s the kind the kids like the most particularly underneath the trampoline in the summer.  After endless fiddling I finally determined that when the ‘center’ setting was selected it went way down on one side and only about a quarter of the way down on the other.  If you choose the less expensive plastic lawn sprinkler you’ll get a cheaper and less durable one that eventually stops oscillating altogether. 

I ultimately decided that I wanted a lawn sprinkler that would satisfy several needs.  First, it must cover my lawn with the least amount of periodic relocations.  I don’t use a tractor sprinkler.  Second it needs to be metal, copper, or at least something sturdier than the all plastic models.  My preferred lawn sprinkler is a spike model made of brass.  It allows me to configure its water distribution in different ways that are useful.  It does do the circle thing, not unlike the ring models, but it can cover a far larger area and eliminate those missed corners better – albeit with some watering of the sidewalk involved.    Both the rotation of the spray as well as the type of spray can be configured. 

The only downside of spike type lawn sprinklers is that if you let it run too long the spike eventually comes loose as it gets more and more soaked – allowing it to tip over.  Lawn sprinklers invariable become crusted with mineral deposits.  This is particularly true of metal lawn sprinklers.  Just a drop or two of household oil on the joint that swivels will keep the sweep from hanging up or slowing down.

For years I used a standard oscillating model that swept back and forth slowly in a large arching pattern.  This is a fairly reliable model and the all time kids favorite but has a tendency to unevenly distribute the water.  It’s the kind the kids like the most particularly underneath the trampoline in the summer.  After endless fiddling I finally determined that when the ‘center’ setting was selected it went way down on one side and only about a quarter of the way down on the other.  If you choose the less expensive plastic lawn sprinkler you’ll get a cheaper and less durable one that eventually stops oscillating altogether. 

Tractor sprinklers are popular items.  People that use them swear by them.  If you’ve the patience to carefully lay your hose (get a lengthy one too) out in a coherent pattern to cover your lawn, then you deserve to sit back and watch the game uninterrupted.  If you have small children a tractor sprinkler might be problematic.  For a hands free way to water your lawn sans a built in system, a tractor sprinkler is a good fit.