Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler with Flow Control: Product Review

The Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler with Flow Control is available with both a metal base and a plastic base. We tested both, and this review covers both models (XT4200 and XT4200m). The metal base might be a better option if you’re worried about the sprinkler staying in place, as it is slightly heavier, but other than that, the models are the same.

We were interested in trying out all of the levers on this sprinkler, as it has more adjustment options than some others.

Be sure to watch the full video review to see the sprinkler in action and to see if this sprinkler might be right for you and your yard.

Packaging

The Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler is neatly packaged in a cardboard box that displays the sprinkler’s many features and options. It’s ready to go right out of the box – no assembly required.

Both sprinklers arrived in cardboard packaging that gave information and details on the sprinklers

Specifications

Parts

One of the more adjustable oscillating sprinklers that we reviewed, the Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler has parts to adjust watering width, length, and flow (how much water is coming out). All of the adjustable parts are bright orange so they’re easy to find.

Probably the easiest one to figure out is the flow control. A knob on one side of the sprinkler lets you choose how much water you want coming out of the sprinkler, so it’s nice that you don’t have to adjust that at the spigot. It would have been even nicer if the flow control knob also was an on/off switch, but the flow control is a start.

Next to the flow control is a collar that adjusts the length of the spray pattern (how far back and forth the sprinkler oscillates). Maybe you only need one side watered, for example, so you would adjust the collar so that the sprinkler only points to that one side. (See our video review to see this in action).

The knob at the end of the sprinkler controls the flow of water

The final, and in our opinion, most confusing, adjustment option is the width control levers. Located in the middle of the sprinkler on both sides, these are not as user-friendly as the other controls, and the adjustments might take a bit longer for you to figure out. Although there are markings on the sprinkler to help you along, they’re difficult to see – especially as you’re being blasted with water while trying to adjust the levers! It’s particularly confusing because whether or not the lever should be up or down depends on which side of the sprinkler you’re looking at. For example, the picture below shows that if the adjustment levers are up, the water flow will be more narrow – but on the other side of the barrel, the levers have to be down to adjust the nozzles to the more narrow spray pattern. We ended up watching how the nozzles moved when adjusting the levers to figure out which way to move them; and ended up getting soaked in the process… (Again, watch the video to see how the width adjustment levers work). Nevertheless, it is nice to have width control options.

The width adjustments took some getting used to

Along with all of the adjustment options, there are other parts to be aware of. The hose connector has a washer to prevent leaks and a strainer to keep debris out of the sprinkler’s moving parts. It’s surrounded by a large plastic grip with knobs that make connecting and disconnecting the hose less of a pain, especially if you have arthritis.

The grip around the hose connector makes attaching and detaching the sprinkler from the hose much easier

On the end opposite of the hose connector, there is a removable nozzle cleaner that you can use to poke the nozzles and clean them out, which is helpful if you use a sprinkler for more than one season. Dust has a way of settling on and in objects when they’re not being used. Just be sure to put the nozzle cleaner back in the end of the sprinkler when you’re done using it, or water will flow out of that end.

Uses and Limitations

Oscillating sprinklers tend to lose a lot of water before the water even hits the ground. Because they send a spray of water high into the air, the water can evaporate or be moved by wind, meaning that you might accidentally be watering your sidewalk instead of your lawn.

To minimize water loss, run your sprinkler at a lower water pressure. We found that the Turbo XT Oscillating Sprinkler moved back and forth very well at a water pressure of only 25 PSI (what you might expect if using well water for irrigation).

Some of the water from oscillating sprinklers will be lost to evaporation and wind

Also, keep in mind that oscillating sprinklers work best in square or rectangular spaces, so if you’re trying to water a circular area, an oscillating sprinkler like this one might not be the best option for you.

We tested how consistently water reached the ground by setting up rain gauges at five, ten, fifteen and twenty-five feet from the sprinkler. After running the sprinkler for fifteen minutes with the nozzles on the widest setting, we checked how much water was in each gauge. There were only drops in most rain gauges, while others had up to 1/10″. The farther from the sprinkler, the less water reached the ground; but the coverage also varied from side to side, depending on where the rain gauge was. While not ideal, this is a pretty typical finding for oscillating sprinklers.

Warranty

Melnor offers a limited lifetime warranty on the Melnor Turbo XT Oscillating Sprinkler.

Recommendation

While not our favorite of all of the adjustable oscillating sprinklers that we reviewed, Melnor has included some nice features on the XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler. The adjustment controls, though not intuitive, give you a lot of control over where the water goes, and the hose connector is easy to grip and turn. It works well at both higher and lower water pressure (although coverage is less at lower pressure, it still oscillates). Overall, it’s a very good sprinkler with lots of features and is a good choice for watering a rectangular-shaped yard or garden.

Where to Buy

You can find both the metal (XT4200m) and plastic (XT4200) versions of the Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating sprinkler on Amazon

The Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating sprinkler with flow control is available on Amazon, in both the plastic (XT4200) and metal (XT4200m) versions.  You may also find it at a garden center or box store near you.

Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler

This is the plastic version of the sprinkler

$32.50

See it on Amazon

Price Reduction

Melnor XT Turbo Oscillating Sprinkler

This is the metal version of the sprinkler

$43.99 −$3.03 $40.96

See it on Amazon

Last update on 2023-03-31 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API