About Water Reel Travelers

Kifco's traveling irrigation systems are a portable irrigation option for crop irrigation, sports field irrigation, park watering, golf course irrigation, and more. They are also the way to go for getting rid of wastewater. Kifco's water reels are easy to use and they offer adjustable speed control to regulate run time and application depth, and feature automatic retraction and travelling sprinkler shut down. The Water-Reel® is a simple set and go irrigation system with traveller raingun that allows the user to irrigate acres in a single unattended pass.

We carry different models for different irrigation solutions, but they are all just as easy to use. If you are interested in a traveler for 2.8 to 11.6 acres, see our Ag-Rain models. For smaller irrigation projects (under 3.2 acres) you will want to look at the B-Series.

Trusted manufacturing MDPE Tube All Medium Density Polyethylene Tube used or sold by Kifco, Inc. is manufactured from virgin material and contains no recycled plastic materials.

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Ag-Rain Water Reels

B Series Water-Reels

Using a Water-Reel

Drive Options for Water-Reel Travelers

Kifco Water-Reels are an automatic form of portable irrigation which use one of four Drive Options to turn the Reel and retract the Gun Cart (Sprinkler) back to the machine where it automatically turns off. B-Series Water Reels can be equipped with either a Turbine, Bellows, Electric Motor or a Gas Engine Drive. Ag-Rain Water Reels can be equipped with either a Turbine or a Gas Engine Drive.

Bellows Drive

Kifco utilizes the highly efficient bellows drive mechanism in Models B110 and B140. The bellows drive is capable of retraction without consuming any pressure in the process. This allows 100% of the pressure provided at the machine to be available for irrigation rather than used or consumed by the drive mechanism. This is the preferred drive for machines that tend to operate at low pressure and flows (small diameter models). The bellows drive discharges and dissipates a small quantity of water used in the retraction.

Electric Motor Drive

The Kifco B-Series E100, E110 and E140 utilize the Electric Motor Drive option. These models can irrigate from almost any residential water source because of the simplicity of the electric drive and allowances for lower pressures and flows. The motor on the E100 is powered by a 110V, 200:1 ratio electric motor with a 15' water proof power cable. The motor on models E110 and E140 is powered by a 12V rechargeable battery (battery not included) with a run life of approximately 40 hours. This allows users to irrigate using a low quality water source without a booster pump.

Learn more about choosing between a bellows & electric drive

Turbine Drive

All Ag-Rain and B-Series Water Reels with tube diameter of 1.8” and larger utilize the Turbine Drive. The Kifco turbines are the most efficient turbine drive in the industry (10 PSI or less pressure used in the turbine) and are a reliable, efficient and highly adjustable drive option. Kifco impellers are precision machined from aluminum or composite material for longevity and resistance to corrosion.

Gas Engine Drive

The gas engine drive option is primarily used for applications where solids (animal waste or fibrous materials) are present in the water. It is also used in applications where the customer requires high speed irrigation or has limited water pressure and cannot afford pressure loss in the turbine.

Learn more about choosing between a turbine & engine drive

Bellows vs. Electric Drive

Operators prefer the simplicity of the Bellows Drive. Factors that make the Electric Drive the better option for your application include the following:

High Travel Speeds. An electric driven model will provide higher travel speeds for light applications (0.3 inches of water or less)
Marginal Water Pressure. If the pressure of the water is marginal, choose the electric drive over the bellows. Electric drive models will operate on as little as 26 PSI. The Bellows driven models require a minimum of 50 PSI continuously.
Puddle-free Application. With the Bellows drive, there is water discharge through the discharge hose. Some applications, such as watering your horse arena, prefer to not have water exiting the discharge hose, saturating where the hose is placed. For puddle free applications without any discharge of water, the electric drive is the best choice.

When these three factors are not involved, the bellows driven models are the best choice.

Engine vs. Turbine Drive Systems

There are three circumstances that usually dictate the need for engine driven Water-Reels instead of turbine driven Water-Reels.

High Travel Speeds. An engine driven model should be used if high travel speeds are needed for light applications (0.3 inches of water or less). Engine driven travelers are capable of speeds two times that of turbine drives.
Slurry Application. If the Water-Reel is applying slurry or any substance that contains significant solids, an engine driven model should be used. Usage of a turbine driven model in a slurry application is limited due to the size of particles that can pass through a turbine motor.
Marginal Water Pressure. If the pressure of the water is marginal it may be wise to choose an engine driven machine. The turbine driven system will take approximately 6psi to 10 psi to power the turbine depending on the speed of travel. This additional pressure at the sprinkler may be critical.

When these three factors are not involved, the turbine driven models are the best choice.

The turbine requires less service and attention than the engines. Most operators prefer the operating simplicity of a turbine. There are no oil changes, no gas tanks to fill, and no engines to start. With a turbine driven model, when the pump runs, the turbine runs. When the pump stops; the turbine stops.