Mastodawn

When I was a kid, I sometimes wondered how a sprinkler "knew" how to change directions without being powered with electronics. I think it wasn't until I was in my late 30s that I came across this GIF and I realized how insanely genius a simple sprinkler really is.

EDIT: Some people have kindly pointed out that this GIF was in fact from a demonstration on how different gears function and not from an actual sprinkler as I had originally led to believe. Other people have been assholes about it.

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Benjamin Braatz Jul 7

@SKleefeld Doesn't it then always turn further in one direction (when the outer teeth turn it) than in the other direction (when the fewer inner teeth turn it)?

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John Sturgeon Jul 8

@HeptaSean @SKleefeld

I'm thinking the same thing.. .I have no answer for that. I also don't know what’s turning the main gear if not for electricity. The whole post makes no sense.

After some digging turns out it has nothing to do with sprinklers.

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Benjamin Braatz

@johnsturgeon @SKleefeld To not be too mean: It is an interesting mechanism and oddly satisfying. And in another reply was a link to a YouTube video explaining one other type of sprinkler. So, all in all, this thread was totally worth the time.