Customer Reviews
VERY UPSET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
2008-07-10
I purchased this unit and payed the hefty one day expidite fee. When it arrived I was very excited until I opened the box and discovered the threaded coupling that holds the sprinkler arm on was missing. I called Nelson as instructed by the insert in the box and they told me it would take 2 weeks to get the part. I asked for a supervisor hoping she'd understand that I paid extra and needed this quickly. With NO apologies or sympathies offered for costing me extra or for the inconvience, she cooly said 2 weeks was the best they could do because they were so backed up. I guess with that type of business, losing one customer like me doesn't matter to them, so beware if you need replacment parts or your order arrives with missing parts!
I am upset and disappointed with Nelson!
Toot toot, Raintrain! 
2008-07-03
I've had a couple of "hose jumping" incidents but otherwise works as advertised. I think it would be best for flat lawns with easy curves for the machine to negotiate. I wouldn't suggest leaving the device totally unattended until you know your set up works. Even then, I'd keep an occasional eye on it. This sprinkler really does save time by moving itself and does motor along like a little tractor!
Sprinkler review 
2008-06-12
I have only used the LR Nelson Raintrain Travel Sprinkler once, but I was very pleased with its performance. It was easy to assemble, the directions were clear and it lived up to my expectations. It covers a large amount of territory and does a good job of watering as it goes. I may purchase another one for my back yard.
Buy one!! If you have a flat level lawn!! Great product. 2008-06-08
I bought this for a rental house I own. And it works great! I have irrigation at my home and really like it but didn't want to spend the $ on a built in system for a rental house,(but I like my properties to look nice) so this Nelson yellow tractor works great. The lawn was so burnt and brown, then after just 3 times with this tractor it needs to be mowed, and the lawn looks good again. It puts the water on perfectly and consistant. It's as good as an irrigation system if not better. (as far as amount of water being applied) The only work involved is placing down the hose and wraping it up, If you call that work? You won't regret buying it if you have a flat lawn. From the other (negitive) reviews I've read, it sounds like people try to water mud! Up hills in the mountains. I really like it and you will too. Get ready to mow! And one other thing! Keep your eyes on it because some low life will steal it! It's too bad, but very true.
Great product, works as advertised 2008-05-09
The Raintrain sprinkler can be purchased with confidence. It works as advertised. I've got a 17,000 sq ft yard which someday will be a good candidate for an inground sprinkler system. But until that day, the Traveling Sprinkler is a good workaround. I was always having to go back outside every hour or so to move the oscillating sprinkler, now the little yellow tractor does the job by itself. I still use an oscillating sprinkler for back corners and small spots, while letting the Tractor Sprinkler handle the big open areas.
I use and recommend 5/8" hose. You're going to be running a hundred, maybe 200 feet of hose when you use this sprinkler, so water pressure loss will be a factor with 1/2" hose.
With experience you will learn the best courses to run this sprinkler in your yard. As you know, you lay down the hose in the course you want the sprinkler to take, and the front grooved wheel rides on the hose and guides the sprinkler along. The manual says make your hose turns very wide and gradual, and this is important. The tractor will have trouble following sharp hose turns if they have a radius less than about 3 feet.
Another thing to remember is that the tractor sprinkler drags the hose behind it as it moves along. Early in the course, there will be just a small loop, but as the course runs along, the dragged hose loop gets longer and heavier. This can give the tractor a problem handling turns late in the hose's course -- at this point the mass of the water filled hose being dragged behind, can overcome the steering authority of the nose wheel, making the tractor jump off course.
This may not be a problem for smaller yards if you're not running more than 50 feet or so of hose. At 200 feet of hose, it's an issue. To avoid this, either keep the programmed run fairly straight... or put the biggest turns in the course early on in the run, where there won't be so much heavy hose being dragged behind. Or you could take a tip from the big tractor guys and add a little more weight to the nose, which would keep the wheel pressed down better on the hose. I haven't yet tried this myself, as the little tractor is already pretty at about 25 pounds.
Where you want the tractor sprinkler to stop, place that little yellow plastic stop bumper over the hose at that point. The Tractor nose wheel runs over it, then the top of the stop bumper hits a kill switch on the belly of the tractor, and she halts. This is a great feature which lets you start the thing and then go out for a while, or even go to bed for the night... and the tractor will be stopped there waiting for you when you get back.
You can fine tune the spray pattern from the rotor head. Point the spray heads up for high spray, or level for spray directed more horizontally. I like the horizontal pattern -- here in TX we get some wiiinnnndy days, and with this low horizontal pattern, the sprinkler shoots the water efficiently onto the yard without throwing a lot of it up into the wind where it gets lost to evaporation.
Vary the hose pressure and you can go from a coverage width of about 15 feet up to nearly 50 feet. There are two drive speed settings. I've always used the slow setting. This tractor lays down a LOT of water into the ground at the slow speed. If you've had trouble keeping your turf sufficiently hydrated, this is the answer.
This Tractor Sprinkler is meant for established lawns. Newly seeded turf can be chewed up too much by the lugged drive wheels, and the dragged hose. Nelson recommends an oscillating sprinkler for newly seeded lawns.
Can't think of much else to say about it just now. If I do, I'll come back and edit :). Bottom line, I give it a good recommend. Any questions, email me at KINGLEO1@AOL.COM.
Awesome product 2008-07-24
I dont review anything, but this thing rocks...you have to get it if your even thinking about it, I do 100 ft of yard each night w/ this thing.
Lawn sprinkler 2008-07-22
I purchased this sprinkler as a replacement for my 19 year old Nelson Raintrain. It is far superior to my old one. Of course, I don't really rember how good it was in '89. The only problem I've had is the one they warn you about - it sometimes gets off the track when using a 1/2" hose. That never happens when using a 7/8".
Excellent product 2008-07-15
Love it! Saves you from having to move your sprinkler around all day to get every spot.
Raintrain Traveling Fun 2008-07-15
I have a U-shaped backyard on a golf course. It was impossible to water in fewer than three separate sprinkler setups. The Raintrain solved my problems. One setup and off we go. The only problem I have encountered is that I have to redirect the sprinkler heads to cover a narrower area for the final 50 feet. I just wish I had purchased one of these sooner.
Terrific and easy to use 2008-07-13
My husband loves the rain train. It waters our yard so well, and we live in Houston, TX, so it gets hot here, and we have lots of yard and landscaping. The rain train is easy to use, and we still have a 20 year old rain train from his parents that won't stop. This is a high quality product.
