I built a $40 drip irrigation system that works better than my old $200 kit

Finally got tired of dragging hoses around last May so I pieced together a setup from Home Depot using 1/2 inch poly tubing, some 1/4 inch drip lines, and a timer off Amazon. My old Rain Bird kit always clogged at the emitters after two months. This cheap rig has been running since June with zero clogs. Anyone else had better luck with the DIY route over the pre-packaged kits?

4 comments

4 Comments

nancygrant19d ago

So did you use any kind of filter on that DIY setup? I skipped one on mine and I'm wondering if that's why my cheap emitters are still running clean after all this time. I just used a basic brass screen filter from the hardware store but I keep thinking I'm gonna regret not spending more on it.

hannahk1922d ago

You ever try using a different kind of emitter? I had the same problem with those little drip ones clogging up all the time on my setup. Switched to those little pressure compensating ones you can get in a big bag for cheap and haven't had a single issue since. The timer I got was like $25 on Amazon and it's still ticking after two years... guess sometimes the cheaper stuff just works better if you pick the right parts.

sam_murphy3922d ago

That timer from Amazon is the real MVP honestly. I snagged a $18 mechanical one (no digital settings or anything) and it hasn't missed a beat since May. The key for me was skipping those cheap butterfly emitters and using 1/4 inch soaker tubing instead (just punched holes in the poly and ran it right to the plants).

dakotawood19d ago

$18 is pretty solid but like...its a timer lol. You got me wondering if I'm overthinking this whole setup @sam_murphy39. I mean does it really matter that much what emitter or tubing you use as long as it waters the plants?