The History of the Buckner Rocker Jet, Part V: Part Circle Rocker Jets' Primary Purpose

In part V of our History of the Buckner Rocker Jet sprinkler, we pause our march through the various versions of this sprinkler to talk about and demonstrate the primary usage of the Rocker Jet - large turf irrigation (primarily golf courses, athletic fields, parks, and cemeteries) through the use of quick coupling valves.
We start with a demonstration of how a quick coupler works. In a segment based on comments and questions we received on the first four parts of this series, we discuss changes to the large turf Rocker Jet line over time, and some of the challenges with the sprinkler. We move, after this, into a demonstration of how a night waterman would have worked through setting and adjusting these sprinklers, showing several different models in multiple settings. To close out the video, we feature the cinematography of our talented, young, photographer, Shane.
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#irrigation #golfirrigation #turfgrass #turfirrigation #sprinkler #buckner #rockerjet #brass #fresno #californiahistory

[@TheKillionC]

I truly can’t get over the beauty of this property, or the fact that you two have put together such awesome and informative videos. Now I have to bust out my rocker jets and take stock. Thanks guys!

[@antiquesprinklers]

Thank you!

[@photocontrol]

Another great video Bill & Kerry! Interesting detail on the trip mechanism and breakaway feature. Great demo setting them up with the keys and operating as they were intended. Amazing property with all the systems installed.

[@antiquesprinklers]

Thanks. Couldn’t agree more about the setting and system Kerry has out there. Truly amazing.

[@oldschoolsprinklers9000]

Bill, Kerry, This is great! A great big thank you to you both for capturing the history here for all to enjoy! Your efforts here surely show and the rewards are immense. This does trigger some wonderful memories as a child growing up where we would often visit our local city park that still had the same exact quick coupler system with the sprinklers mounted on the keys. And there was an employee going around with a little push cart with all of these sprinklers in there setting them up, watering and moving them around during the day! It was great! They had a wide mixture of different impacts from the Buckner Rockers to the Rainbirds and seemed like every model in between. As time went on into my young adulthood, I remember the park falling victim to being upgraded to a fully automatic underground system and the QC’s disappeared except for a few here and there. It is so nice to see your system operate the way it used to be in that time period. Thank you both again in your efforts to make this happen. Looking forward to seeing your next episode…

[@antiquesprinklers]

Thank you, Dave. In my young adulthood I was lucky to have a lot of mom and pop golf courses further out from the urban centers that still watered manually with quick couplers. Though there were a large number that had pop up impacts controlled by manual angle valves for greens and tees then huge 1 1/2” quick coupling valves every 80-100’, depending on the course, down the center of the fairway. I must admit, I was attempting to get them to convert to automatic as a way to put food on the table. Every now and then a course that was converting would give me an old sprinkler. I wish I’d been more diligent about that part, then held on to them through life changes.

[@oldschoolsprinklers9000]

If we only had a crystal ball back then…. I don’t know how many of them slipped thru my fingers as well wishing I would have gotten. I am grateful for the ones that I have. We just keep on the look out for more as they show up.

[@kerryvinci5287]

Hey Bill that place looks familiar! Thanks for all the work to make this show a reality.. It is great to be able to show the past times again today and hopefully bring back some memories for the people that used to do this as they're job! It was a nice sunny warm day..... I can only imagine what this would've been like for guys that did this all night and or when it wasn't so warm, You always get wet at some point, and imagine large areas such as golf courses at night tying to find the hundreds of couplers in the middle of acres of grass.... I make a toast to the people that did this day in and day out to keep the landscapes/turf looking good when mother nature didn't!! The Rocker Jet is truly a great achievement in turf care, and the advancement of the irrigation industry, as to being one of the first lightweight rugged sprinkler head for QC use and a great driver for the competition with Rain Bird. I wish the modern result was different for Buckner and the RJ, but It/they were instrumental in the progress that has led us to todays modern systems..... Thanks Bill for your passion to document and share for all to appreciate!

[@antiquesprinklers]

You really captured the job those guys did with these tools back then (and I hear still do in a few places around the country). It’s really gratifying to be a part of pulling together all the remaining information and knowledge about these things and put it in one place so it’s not forgotten. I appreciate how enthusiastically you share your knowledge, collection, and incredible setting.

[@sprinklercraft]

another informative video! It would've been a interesting job working with those old quick coupler systems in the 60's. Thanks to Kerry as well for showing some of his great collection. Looking forward to more videos from you guys

[@kerryvinci5287]

Thank you, I'm glad you enjoy watching it! It has been a fun project to build and now be able to run it and share it as well, for others to see a modern blast from the past. Most don't really appreciate the remarkable engineering, development and manufacturing that went into modern irrigation systems to keep the Parks and landscapes green over the past 70+ years.... I did enjoy the opportunity in the 70's as a kid to be around and help water a large hotel/park facility in AZ all with Quick Couplers and rain Bird 65's to get the unforgettable experience for this economical method of irrigation, also most of the Parks where I lived had all Buckner inground automatic and many QC systems used daily for watering the grass; and lots of Rocker Jets!

[@antiquesprinklers]

Thanks for taking the time to watch it. I’m sure some people were better suited than others to be up much of the night, alone - or maybe with one helper, inevitably soaking wet, but there were a lot of people doing it. It takes a long time to cycle through the irrigation system on a golf course in particular.

[@NelsonBigGunP200Fan]

@@kerryvinci5287 Speaking of QC's there is a golf course maybe 15 mins from me that has QC's with 808s on them. I have not caught them running yet but I hope to at some point. If i drive by there and theyre running I will stop and get video!. The 808s are well used and rusted but I am sure they still work good. Maybe I should set up some kind of pipe arrangement with a couple QC's for my 503Ms or brass impact heads. I do have a few 1" 360 Western Brass heads, I would need to get the female ends though. I only have the male ends that the sprinkler threads into.,

[@kerryvinci5287]

@@NelsonBigGunP200Fan The pure Quick Coupler systems are really cool to see these days and fairly rare if non existent out here.... That would be incredible and make an awesome video if you were able to catch that course when its watering and get some good video of it, especially if they run 808's that really is a cool golf course head of the days back in time!

[@randyvanheusden732]

You know I hated every minute of it, NOT TRUE. It was great to hear the changes in the manufacturing process and design. I think it is amazing how quickly they move and the one that did move slowly which would seem to me the bearing was quite resistant. I enjoy these sprinklers and just watching them is a pleasure and it was great hearing about how some of the wear issues change the functionality of how it works. All very interesting, thank you for sharing it.

[@antiquesprinklers]

The questions you raised in earlier comments helped guide the information that went into this episode. It’s really useful to know what someone would want to hear/see. We appreciate that greatly.

[@NelsonBigGunP200Fan]

That is a really informative and awesome video of the Rockers. I learned a few things and even about my 511. It's missing the trip collars and moves very fast!. I have a bunch of 503M's that have the male end of the QC's that came with them. I enjoyed Kerry's footage and explanation of the part circle Rockers. I really do appreciate the history too. You have a very nice area to run them on! That is very beautiful! it makes me wish i had something similar but bigger to test my big guns out on. You must have a good water supply and pump to run them all like that. They get some good distance and coverage too. I did not know the old style arc stops were held tight with that thumbscrew and that it was easy to get the arc stops off alignment with tightening it. When I was little I do know Buckner made a 555/565 with the ratcheting stops, my neighbors had FEBCO rotors with a similar head to the 565. When they gave me those as a kid it took me a bit to figure out how the arc stops adjusted. It makes sense that Buckner went to the ratcheting arc stops on later models. Easier to adjust and won't get out of alignment. My 503M's have those stops too. I noticed there was some popup rotors when the camera was panning around. One looked like a 37/47 or 51. I learned a lot watching this video. Kerry/Bill thank you for taking the time and putting together this awesome series of videos. Thumbs up! Actually 5000 thumbs up. If i lived next to Kerry as a kid I'd be watching those run every day! I can't wait for Part VI!.

[@antiquesprinklers]

Thanks, Chris! Love your enthusiasm for the topic and your up close experience with some of these old sprinklers.

[@michaelnaretto3409]

Those are really cool but I am a rain bird brass impact sprinkler guy.

[@antiquesprinklers]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/maTahJmVj5aAl5Ysi=liKbZpLx5P8LG7G8 Have a bunch of Rain Bird impact videos. Here’s one.

[@ericnewton5720]

What is this beautiful property with all the quick couplers? Running off city or private well? Just curious about the capacity of the water source Looks like you also have inground rotors in addition to the couplers? Are they Rb 47s/37s? Can we see that running? Lol

[@MikeMac89]

Also interested

[@antiquesprinklers]

All but one of the sprinklers in this video is running on Kerry’s home system. I’ll let him fill in the specifications, but it has amazing f equipment in it. I’d recommend having a look at our History of the Buckner Cam Rotor we filmed last fall for more of the stuff (truly installed, very old, pop up rotors) in his amazing system. I’ll post a link in this thread if I can.

[@antiquesprinklers]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o2m2hWCnndyCgdksi=53_VEicQFrlZpqUX

[@antiquesprinklers]

@MikeMac89 see reply above.

[@kerryvinci5287]

Thank You for the compliments of our property! We run with City water supply at 100 [regulated] PSI with flow rate of 75GPM @ 65PSI... With oversized Backflow [2"] and 3" PVC Main line, all to minimize friction loss, with flow velocity below 4FPS max. Good eye to spot the Rotors; Mostly Buckner 8265, a 8280H, and CAM rotor 1282, 1330, 1310, 1300H and 1294H. Those can be seen in the "History of the Cam Rotor" Bill has linked below.... Stay tuned for the Impact rotors..... Thanks I am glad others enjoy this too!