Mr. Drip has GREAT INFO!

http://www.mrdrip.com/

When I first noticed their product, I didn't like it. They had "580" hose and "700" hose and like that. But garden hoses are half-inch ID, or five eighths, or three quarter. So: What is this "580" thing? I backed away from it.

Came back to it almost by accident. Looking at the Snip-n-Drip fittings you can get at Gardener's Supply, I wanted to compare em to something. Bezos was showing a Mr. Soaker Hose .580 Parts Kit that is "sold by MrDrip". So I started looking, and it started to get interesting.

The mrdrip.com home page, for example, compares drip irrigation to soaker hoses. They say soaker hoses are less expensive and take less time to set up. By contrast, "Drip irrigation does need some expertise while setting up and can have more components..."

They point out important differences that I would otherwise only stumble across after I bought a setup, set it up, and tried it out. For example:

Soaker hoses water the entire length of the hose, so it’s great for closely planted veggies, herbs, flowers etc. Where drip allows the use of a dripper to each individual plant.

They also provide useful tips:

Soaker hoses and drip irrigation share similar longevity. They will last longer when you run them under mulch to help protect it from the sun and other elements.

And that's just the home page.

Oh yeah, the home page also says you can use their stuff for your "Cannabis Irrigation" needs.

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So, about the naming of their hoses:

I looked at the 580 Soaker Hose page. First sentence:

580 Soaker Hose (3/8" ID) can be identified by it's "Yellow Stripe".

And among the products listed on that page is

#150 .580 OD (3/8" ID) x 100' Bulk Soaker Hose

for $21.99... 22 cents a foot. A bargain by garden hose standards. Granted, it's small-diameter, and you'll have to buy some fittings and do some assembly, but it still strikes me as a good price. (Hey, I'm not spending money. I'm just looking. Even cheaper.)

Plus, we already know both the ID and OD of their hose. That's good information.

Turns out they offer four sizes:

• 820 Soaker Hose - 5/8" ID - .820 OD (say 13/16") - Green Stripe
• 700 Soaker Hose - 1/2" ID - .700 OD (say 11/16") - Red Stripe
• 580 Soaker Hose - 3/8" ID - .580 OD (say  9/16") - Yellow Stripe
• 420 Soaker Hose - 1/4" ID

My guess, the 420 must be .420 OD, say 7/16". Can't guess the stripe color. But this is still damn good information. And that's a damn good naming system, after all.

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Oh! On their Soaker Hose page I just now found this table:

Actually, their table includes two more columns. I wanted to show the hose sizes. This table is like one you might see for steel pipe. It strikes me as very useful.

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Speaking of good info, the "580" page says

Note: We have our customers tell us that these fittings fit the Flexon kits available in Lowes. Customers also tell us that our fittings fit the 3/8" Miracle Gro brand of soaker hose.

They tell you who else's stuff works with their stuff, and where to get it. That's useful.

I like this site.