Top 3 of The Best Motion Activated Sprinklers

Can you picture this? You are #Blessed, your family is beautiful and your house is situated in a fine, healthy environment. Or maybe you are a town resident and owner of a cozy country house surrounded by lots of beautiful trees. Usually you spend your free time lying in a hammock together with a book and a glass of red wine.

A wonderful picture, isn’t it? Surrounded by fresh air and pure nature, you are frequented by various and numerous forest inhabitants – squirrels, deer, skunks, beavers, foxes…. Living in paradise, you are sure to have neighbors. Sometimes you can see their cats and dogs walking across your lawn. Sounds a little too good to be true.

Helpful guide: How To Get Rid of Raccoons – a complete guide

Why are Wild Animals Dangerous?

Unfortunately, the close contact with nature is pleasant only for a while. Very soon you will be unpleasantly surprised by the neighboring cats’ excrement in the limits of your own property. Wild things rummaging through  garbage and spreading your trash everywhere! Have you fed forest animals? My congratulations! They will never leave you alone now! Of course, they are not malicious, they are simply natural. And animals will come and take what they need without your permission – foods on the table, fruits and vegetables in your garden – all of these are common property now. Wow, the picture changed a little to drastically!

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Besides, wild animals may harm your family members – especially children – both physically and mentally. A wild animal simply reacts on a “danger,” this is its natural manner.  But there occurred cases of animals getting into ventilation passage and finding no way out, or cases of animals biting the electrical cables, etc. And what about birds? You should consider the possibility of birds stealing small home poultry and fruits.

Essential reading: The complete guide to keeping squirrels away

If all the  above mentioned is true for you or may become true soon, it’s high time to solve the problem of your yard safety. So let’s find a middle ground, we started with bliss and ended with terror, perhaps there is a middle ground of contentment. You may construct an enormous fence, or place traps and scatter poison. But the possibility is great that your own animals will eat poison or get into traps sooner than unwanted guests. So, the best solution is to use water sprinklers.

To begin with, let’s define what Motion Activated Sprinklers are. It’s a small unit that, after placing it in any convenient place, can hit a moving object by means of a motion sensor, and throw a powerful water jet into the needed direction. This way of deterring pests is absolutely safe, humane and inexpensive.

How to choose motion activated sprinkler?

Products of this group are all made in a rather simple way, some key parameters should be considered first.

• Type of fastening – the manner to fix the unit so it wouldn’t fall. Commonly, it is a pin which makes up 15-20 % of total unit length, it is inserted into ground. It is the most comfortable way.  There are models without fastening, positioned on a wide stand. They may be used as well, though they are less steady.
• Sensor of motion – The “eyes” of our unit. First of all, it must be present. Next, various options may come. A useful option is the possibility to customize sensitivity, thanks to it you may determine an intruder by its weight: squirrel, dog or elk. An additional pro is the possibility to regulate the detector position. This is important in case your chief enemy is a bird, the sensor directed towards ground won’t be able to notice it.
• Water jet power that may be regulated is a pro. There may be different situations. The water jet enough for an impudent neighboring dog may be too strong for light squirrels. We should distinguish and balance.
• Type of feeding – various ways are possible: accumulators, solar batteries, electrical circuit.  Batteries have an excellent mobility, but require recharging. Solar supply means independent charging and fine transporting, but batteries are worn out. Electrical circuit means no spending for batteries, but then mobility is reduced. What do you prefer? Decide for yourself.
• Prices: an average price of Motion-Activated Sprinklers: battery operated –Check current price, solar powered – .

 So, we have determined at last what we do want to make our family quite safe. Now we are ready to think over the choice.

Тop 3 Best Electronic Motion Activated Sprinklers

Orbit 62100 Yard Enforcer Motion Activated Sprinkler review

One of the best products of the given group. The preference of this product by purchasers is conditioned by many factors, so let’s begin with the very beginning. The first thing that I personally have appreciated highly is the material used to make the product and the design on the whole.  Metallic and tough construction makes you sure that neither wind nor enemies would be able to remove it from its place.  The design is up-to-date, matte black color won’t attract unnecessary attention and will permit the device to frighten enemies imperceptibly.

Orbit 62100 Motion Activated Sprinkler is assembled of several parts; this facilitates its transportation and storage at home. Motion sensor may be regulated by two planes. It is convenient for system calibration before working.

Right under the sensor there is a battery section. 4 AA batteries perform the supply and last for 7.500 cycles. The unit is very power-efficient. Outside there are regulation buttons – levers of watering duration and distance. The switch of timing offers the following modes: “day only,” “night only,” “always on,” and “off.” So, it allows you to use the device only when it is comfortable for you. There is also a “patrol” mode – every 30 minutes watering. Though, in my opinion, this last mode isn’t very rational, as animals are clever and adapt easily to watering timing.

The following will be especially pleasant for the fans of tower defense games: Plants vs Zombie, Heroes of Knight, etc. If you have a watering system, you include Orbit into it, and get a completely guarded perimeter – motion sensor gets activated and all connected taps start working. Your enemy has got into the trap and has to escape, wet and oppressed. , you get a reliable protection for your land, tested by many customers.

Havahart 5266 Spray Away Motion Activated Sprinkler Animal Repellent 2.0 review

Of course, we are biased: we like Havahart for its safety features and how it humanely captures animals. Havahart One-door Animal Trap 0745, Because it is cruel to kill squirrels, raccoons, chipmunks and other fluffy rodents if they are not causing damage to your dwelling.  – We believe they can be safely caught and then released or repelled with the help of Motion Activated Sprinklers.

Unpack Havahart Animal Sprinkler, position the sensor as necessary depending upon the expected pest, “dig in” the device by a pressing motion of one leg, connect a hose, and forget about pests as well as the existence of the repellent itself. If we are to compare the principle of its work with firearms, this mechanism resembles more a machine-gun than a rifle. Once it has noticed the enemy, it covers the territory of rather large radius very fast and powerfully, so even a very quick animal will be covered.

But the device has its cons. First, the number of functions is small. For the price of (slightly less than that of the preceding model Orbit 62100 Sprinkler) we get the product with much more limited functionality. Second, the material used to make the case of the device is plastic, this shortens the service life of the device.   

Contech CRO101 Scarecrow Motion Activated Sprinkler

The working principle of this first-class design sprinkler is the same that two other top models have: When the sprinkler senses the movement of an animal, it shoots towards it a thin, but very powerful, jet of water. An animal would memorize this negative experience and appear at this place no more.

Customers have noted that the device works on squirrels, raccoons, cats, dogs and especially deer – the latter bothering the owners of country houses more often. Customers also recommend changing batteries more often to maintain a strong jet of water, or buying lithium rechargeable batteries.

In the opinion of many customers, the main advantage of this “big water gun” is its reliability and long duration: one device can serve for about 3 years, maybe even more if it were not for a harmful ultraviolet exposure. We recommend you to stick to humane ways of pest elimination.

Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler

 special features: Enforcer Motion-Activated Sprinkler

• Infrared motion sensor works day and night to detect animals big or small and is easy to adjust.
• Large area coverage, sprays up to 70 feet in diameter, covering 3,840 square feet when set to a full circle.
• Includes sensing technology for optimum water and battery conservation; Uses 4 AA alkaline batteries and as little as 2 cups of water per activation.

This sprinkler is a multi purpose, adjustable device. The sensor unit can be angled down for smaller animals, or angled up for larger animals and even birds. It can repel animals in the same way as the others, sensing them and shooting a water jet. But it can detect intruders from up to 40 feet away and has a wide viewing angle of 120 degrees. It also has a lawn sprinkler mode which the others lack.

Questions & Answers about Electronic Sprinkler

Does an electronic sprinkler work in darkness? Will it work in winter when there is snow everywhere?

Yes, it does work at night. Probably it will work even better, since in that time the temperature of air lowers and the usual infrared motion sensor will catch the warmth of an animal’s body more easily. Just make sure the sensor is positioned sufficiently low in order to be able to recognize even small beasts, or higher for deer. As for winter: you won’t be able to use the device in the cold season since it has to be linked up to a hose and water.

How do I know that it’s time to change batteries in an electronic sprinkler?

Periodically check the strength of water spurt: if it weakens, it’s time to change batteries.

May I use an electronic sprinkler not to repel animals but to water a lawn?

The Enforcer sprinkler does have a lawn sprinkler function. But the others do not. So you can choose a multi-purpose device or look for what you need among usual devices intended to water lawns.

Does the sensor of motion in this device respond only to the appearance of an animal or a person as well?

This device responds to any warmth emitted either by an animal or a person. But you may customize a sprinkler as you need, choosing the required trajectory of action, then the water jet will not touch you. For example, don’t direct the device towards the paths you tend to go, and it will be ok.

How to mount the given device best?

Since the ground near the device would get wet, you can’t simply put it on the ground and go away. Here are some tips:

1. If the ground is rather compact, dig the device into it for the depth of some inches. It will be enough for it to stand firmly.
2. If the ground is soft, take a flower pot (sufficiently big) and locate the device into. Place dirt or gravel inside the pot.
3. Check if there are no leaks, otherwise you may get another pest problem — mosquitoes.

How sensitive is the detector of motion? Can the rustle of leaves impact on it?

It is quite possible if the wind is strong and the trees are near. Don’t locate it near trees to avoid such situations.

How long is the service life of batteries?

It depends on the activities of animals in your garden. Of course, if there are hordes of fur-bearing hooligans there, the batteries will last only for some weeks. However, if the activities are moderate and useless water “shots” are minimal, the batteries will be sufficient for 3-4 months of permanent work.  Buy more powerful batteries and sleep well!

Making your choice easy!

Here is a comparative table which can help you to make up your mind.

Motion Activated Sprinklers Comparison Chart

	Orbit 62100	Havahart 5266	Enforcer
Maximum Detection Range	40 feet	35 feet	40 feet
Maximum Spray Distance	35 feet	35 feet	70 feet
Detection Modes	Day only, night only, 24 hr, off	9 sensitivity settings.	Day and night settings.
Power Source	4 AA Batteries	4 AA Batteries	9V battery
Price

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