Gilmour Pattern Master Sprinkler Watering & Irrigation

Gilmour Pattern Master Sprinkler: Product Review

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GPR Recommendation

Ease of Use
Quality
Performance
Final Thoughts

An innovative way to customize the spray distance and shape, but it didn't work as well as we'd hoped

Overall Score 2.5

Available on Amazon

Buy It

The Gilmour Pattern Master Sprinkler takes a classic impact sprinkler and makes some interesting changes.

The most noticeable of those is the red circle around the base of the sprinkler, called the “pattern master.” Adjusting this allows you to modify the spray distance and shape to fit large, irregularly-shaped yards.

It’s a good idea in theory, but does it work? Read on to find out.

Gilmour pattern master parts

The pattern master is the red circle, used to activate the deflector during parts of the sprinkler’s rotation

Specifications

Metal or Plastic: Plastic (polymer)
Adjustable distance: Yes, using the deflector
Adjustable width:  No
Adjustable flow:  No
Adjustable pattern(s): No
On/off switch: No
Advertised coverage area: 86 ft diameter / up to 5,800 square feet
Tested coverage area: 70 ft diameter (at 22 psi)
Work with low water pressure? No
Extras:  “pattern master”

What we liked

Ability to Adjust the Spray Distance – The Pattern Master sprinkler offers an innovative way to adjust the spray distance for unusually shaped yards. It’s easy to customize the spray pattern by lifting up any of the 12 flexible sections of the red circle (by pushing up from underneath). As the control arm (the piece sticking straight down from the sprinkler head – see image below) moves over the raised parts of the ring, it causes the deflector to lower, reducing the distance that water is sprayed. Overall, that worked fairly well although it didn’t make as much of a difference as we’d expected.

Use the “pattern master” to adjust the spray pattern

Easy to Make Most Adjustments – The Gilmour Pattern Master sprinkler is fairly easy to adjust once you understand how all of the moving pieces work. The tabs on the adjustable collar can be easily moved to control how far the sprinkler head rotates from side to side, and you can also make it go in a full circle by lifting the wire trip pin. However, someone with larger fingers would have a very difficult time getting behind the pin to lift it up.

It’s also simple to push up on the flexible “pattern master” ring to adjust the spray distance, although it does require a good bit of force so those with arthritic fingers may find it painful.

Can be Daisy-Chained – The sprinkler can be connected in series with other sprinklers to expand the area watered at the same time. Just be sure your water pressure is high enough to power all of the sprinklers. And don’t lose the end cap!

Gilmour Pattern master hose connector

The Gilmour Pattern Master Sprinkler has an extra hose connector for daisy-chain capability

What we didn’t like

Leaking Hose Connector – Right away, the hose connector leaked – a lot! – when we connected the Gilmour Pattern Master to the hose. It does have a washer inside the connector (as well as a metal debris filter), but that did nothing to stop the leaking. The leak came from behind the connector, not from the front where the hose was attached. There was also a lot of “play” and the connector did not appear to be firmly attached to the sprinkler base.

We also had some difficulty getting the connector onto the hose end. Overall, the plastic connector felt cheap, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it was stripped after only a few uses.

Gilmour pattern master leaking hose connection 2

With the amount of leakage that came from the hose connector, water quickly pooled around the Gilmour Pattern Master Sprinkler

Flimsy-Feeling Construction – Yes, plastic isn’t as strong or durable as metal. And yes, this isn’t marketed as a “heavy duty” sprinkler. Still, it feels particularly flimsy, even for something made out of lightweight plastic (ok, it’s actually made out of polymer).

We noticed a few things that gave us pause and led us to question the durability of this sprinkler. For example, the wire pin that must be lifted up to allow the sprinkler to rotate a full 360 degrees is located at the end of a thin plastic tab. Every time the pin is lifted up or pushed down, the plastic tab bends quite a bit. In fact, it looked and felt so much like it would break off that we didn’t want to mess with it.

The other part that constantly bent is the control arm. Each time it moved from right to left over a raised part of the flexible ring, it bent to the right. Not a huge bend, but enough to raise concerns.

Gilmour pattern master from side 2

While the plastic parts made the Gilmour pattern master lighter, they also seemed a little too fragile to last

Moves Around – Lightweight is good, but it does compromise stability. The sprinkler is more likely to move on its own, especially on flat surfaces, so be prepared to stake it or weigh it down with something.

Inconsistent Water Coverage – As with many of the other impact sprinklers we tested, water distribution was inconsistent, with much more water reaching 30 feet away than 5, 10 or 15 feet away.

Video

For a look at the Gilmour Pattern Master Sprinkler in use, some issues we had with it, and a tutorial on how the to adjust it, be sure to watch our video below.

Warranty

Gilmour offers a lifetime warranty on all of its products.

Recommendation

The unique adjustment mechanism on the Gilmour Pattern Master sprinkler make it handy for use in large, oddly-shaped yards. However, we found that it didn’t work as well as we’d hoped and have some concerns about how long it will last.

Where to Buy

The Gilmour Pattern Master sprinkler is available on Amazon. You may also find it at a garden center or box store near you.

Price Reduction
Gilmour 819603-1001 196SPB Impulse Polymer Sled Base Medium Duty Adjustable Pattern Master Circular...
  • Ideal for large circular lawns
  • Up to 5,800 square foot coverage
  • 86-feet diameter circular spray (43-feet spray distance)
  • Adjustable collar for partial- to full-circle coverage
  • Lifetime warranty

Last update on 2024-03-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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Disclaimer – GPReview would like to thank Gilmour for giving us a free sample to review. There was no expectation that it would be a positive review and we received no compensation for writing it. All opinions expressed here are those of the author based on personal experience using the product.

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