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  • From: "john good" <goodfarmers AT enter.net>
  • To: "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] water reel irrigation
  • Date: Thu, 14 Dec 2006 13:01:02 -0500

Scott,
We have previously used a kifco traveling reel system. They are definitely easy to set up and run, but also take a long time to finish a full run, around 8-14 hours, but you can run them over night. This can be very expensive depending on how you power your pump. You also need to have a pump that will automatically shut off when the reel completes a run, otherwise you need need to be there to shut down your pump at the end of the run.
Reels can be somewhat erratic in windy conditions, although we had few problems. The biggest problem we had was we really had to run to the reel at its very slowest setting to put down an inch of water in a night, and at times the drive mechanism had trouble operating at such a slow space, eventually slowing to stop halfway through a run.
We have gone to using big sprinkler guns, Komet 163's, on 7 foot folding stands manufactured by Rainflo Irrigation. We run layflat hose from our hydrants to the guns, which makes them quick to set up and relatively easy to move. It you have enough water and PSI you can irrigate an acre with 3 sprinklers in 4 hours and easily add more sprinkler to cover larger areas. The disadvantage is the need to for higher PSI. We were relatively happy with the water reel, but after moving to a new farm and switching to stand mounted irrigation guns, we are much happier with the cost, convenience, speed, and low maintenance factor of our new system. Hope this helps,

John & Aimee Good
Quiet Creek Farm
1996 Folk Rd.
Fogelsville, PA 18051
goodfarmers AT enter.net
610-285-4678


----- Original Message ----- From: "Goodwill at Homefields Farm" <sbreneman AT yourgoodwill.org>
To: <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Thursday, December 14, 2006 11:58 AM
Subject: [Market-farming] water reel irrigation


we are looking at using a traveling irrigation sprinkler reel next
year...aside from expense, what are the disadvantages to this system?

Our GPM is high enough, but PSI is low, so a booster pump would be
required--pricy.

Scott
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