Rainbird blackbird 1/2" hybrid plastic and brass impact sprinkler with original rainbird step spike

[@oldschoolsprinklers9000]

Nice little runner! Great coverage!

[@franknorcia2741]

Great job Chris!!! Usually when you have a slow reverse on brass impacts is the gap between the arm and the trip is too close due to the trip being bent in, you can also speed up the reverse due to age is carefully closing that gap slightly. In this sprinklers case with plastic trips there is not much you can do except arm tension if the spring tension is loose, and the gap is too close this is what happens.

[@NelsonBigGunP200Fan]

Thanks frank. I'm not sure how to adjust with it being plastic. Ill have to take a look. Also I fixed my 100B. Thinking of testing tomorrow. I got the cut pipe threaded and the drive nozzle in and clearing the drive arm. Ill let u know.

[@antiquesprinklers]

Love how this guy runs!

[@NelsonBigGunP200Fan]

Thinking its gonna need a bearing clean and maybe replacement. It's forward is fine but reverse is real slow. Probably just old age wearing out the bearing on it. I'm not fully sure but i believe this may have the brass bearing on it instead of plastic. Also there is the P4-PJ-TNT (I think), that is newer than this that is in the 15105C. Longer life bearing on that i believe. Also i think these older ones the bearing is removeable, and the bearing sleeve and washers. The newer models were molded into the body so if that went bad you were replacing the head.

[@randyvanheusden732]

I do not know for sure, but this looks like a newer design body and trip mechanism with brass arm that was used or put into this model. The trip mechanism and arc stops are using a newer design that comes from the original BlackBird PJ model. It appears that the bearing and nipple are in need of attention, possibly. I do not know for sure as I am going by the parts I have and what I have put back together. With most of those models in parts, It would be basically easy enough to put together one like that. Most of those BlackBird models are all disassembled. I would love to see history on these Rain Birds. I might have expected the return to be faster, but it ran consistently. It is one I would love to play with. Thank you for sharing it.

[@NelsonBigGunP200Fan]

Yes it looked like a newer hybrid blackbird as it has a different design of body and and trip collars and the brass arm. This one actually has both ways to adjust the distance and the stream diffusion. I liked these better than the SK-15 i have. I had many of these as a kid and they were great sprinklers. I do think yes, the bearing does need attention as there is spots in reverse where it gets slower and others it speeds up. I believe the washers and seals just need replaced, or the bearing sleeve may be binding on the bearing itself. But for getting on eBay it works decent otherwise, the sprinkler itself is in great shape and the brass arm looks new. I have just liked this design better, and I do have a P4-PJ that has the same trip collars and diffuser pin. I just like having the trip collars where they were metal rather than plastic. I liked the spike its attached to as its one you step on to get in the ground. I used that a lot when i was younger. I may even use it to test some 1/2" sprinklers, as my 3/4" stand is 3/4". When I had mine as a kid it was new, no missing or faded paint. Thanks for watching. I do have an idea now of putting this head inside a 15111 internal. IT would be like a 15111/15106 hybrid.

[@photocontrol]

Great find, a good runner. I agree the reverse is on the slow side, a good cleaning of the bearing may be all it needs to free it up. I would think the washers should still be in very good shape as they haven't been exposed to the elements.

[@NelsonBigGunP200Fan]

I had a few of these as a kid, i also had this spike too. Good spike because you can step on it and stick it in the ground. id like to make a popup out of this, i have to find another 15111 internal.