The 2017 Irrigation Show & Education Conference features hundreds of exhibitors from the landscape, golf and agriculture irrigation industries highlighting their latest systems and components innovations. While the New Product Contest had more than 50 entries, the majority in the landscape irrigation and lighting categories, dozens more new products were on display in the exhibit hall.
Here LM rounds up a few of the new products on display.
Rain Bird
Rain Bird had seven entries in the 2017 New Product Contest, making Alex Nathanson’s job both exciting and challenging this year. Nathanson, the company’s corporate marketing brand manager since 2002, had the chance to show off products for both the agriculture and landscaping markets.
“Rain Bird has been in the industry since 1933. We go through the cycles of innovation and it takes awhile for new products to come out,” Nathanson said, standing near the booth where he had personally designed and laid out each and every new product display. “Quality is our No. 1 focus. Balancing innovation and quality is a process, so every so often a lot will come out at once. Behind the scenes our engineers are always working on things.”
ESP-9V Battery Operated Irrigation Controllers
The ESP-9V can operate for more than two years on two nine-volt batteries and its nonvolatile memory backs up scheduled timing in the event of power loss.
XFS-CV Dripline
Combining Rain Bird’s Copper Shield Technology and a new 4.3-psi check valve, the XFS-CV dripline can be used in areas with up to 10 feet in elevation changes, Nathanson said. For context, that’s the height of a regulation basketball hoop.
ESP-Me and ESP-TM2 Controllers with LNK WiFi Module
Available in 4-, 6-, 8- and 12-station models, Rain Bird’s new ESP-TM2 controller is suitable for indoor or outdoor installations. By contrast, the ESP-Me is expandable up to 22 zones and is suitable for everything from residential to light commercial uses. By plugging in the LNK WiFi Module to either, users can access, operate and monitor their irrigation systems from anywhere using a free mobile app. With the WiFi module, the ESP-TM2 can also access internet-based weather information to adjust the irrigation schedule daily, saving up to 30 percent in water.
Hydro-Rain
B-hyve Smart Hose Faucet Controller
The B-hyve Smart Hose Faucet Controller was one of two Hydro-Rain products included in the New Product Contest. Both of the products are now in limited release but will be widely available in early 2018.
B-hyve Institutional Controller
Brad Wardle, director of the B-hyve product line, describes why the institutional controller, also coming in early 2018, is a good fit for landscape contractors.
K-Rain
BL-KR Gen 2
Erica Vine, COO of K-Rain, says the new device-agnostic Bluetooth controller exhibited at the 2017 Irrigation Show makes mass changes like those needed for managing municipal and school facilities so affordable and efficient “you don’t even have to put down your donut” to reset your timers.
Sprinkl
Conserve
Daniel Pruessner, co-founder of Sprinkl, describes why he his co-founder Noel Geren got into the irrigation business 3 years ago. The Texas-based startup dedicated to adding advanced conservation and cloud connectivity to sprinkler systems at an affordable price.
Rachio
Rachio Pro
Steve Schneiter, channel manager for Rachio Pro, talks about how the controller startup uses customer service (and Amazon reviews) to stand out in a crowded market.
Toro
PCV-500 Precision Check Valve
Orion Goe, marketing manager for residential & commercial irrigation at Toro, talks about the differentiating value of the PCV-500, which was a nominee in the New Product Contest.
