Larry Meyer is as passionate a farmer as they come – and he’s been able to live his dream for the past five decades. Instead of flocking to the playing fields like many of his peers, he spent his boyhood summers working on his father’s 200-acre farm. He later partnered with his brother, and was able to considerably expand their land. “As our families grew bigger, we decided to split off on our own. Today, I farm about 1200 acres together with my sons.” Silage corn for the nearby dairies, but also winter wheat, malt grain, alfalfa hay and edible beans are being cultivated in their fields just south of File, Idaho.
When it comes to irrigation methods, Larry has seen it all: from gravity irrigation (which he reckons is “a thing of the past”), to supplementary hand-lines and gated pipes, all the way to the modern pivot systems that now cover around three quarters of his land. “We made the conversion in the last 15 years,” he says, adding: “It’s a very different way of farming than what we did growing up.”
“We were going through a sprinkler package in three years – the muddy water was eating them up. That’s when I decided to switch to Komet.”
FUZZBALLS, DONUTS & CORROSION. As anyone who works with nature knows: sometimes change is the best way to ensure continuity. Larry’s switch to Komet came after years of working with sprinkler packages by different brands – none of which gave him the quality and longevity he needed. “Because I use wastewater in my linear pivot, we kept having to replace the sprinkler bodies – the muddy water was eating them up,” he explains. “So we were always looking for a sprinkler that could handle the sediment.” Aside from environmental challenges, which have recently included colder temperatures and higher winds, there was another issue Larry needed to address: “If you look at the packages of both competitors, you’ll see a fuzzball right underneath each of the bodies. I just wasn’t getting the patterns that I like.”
KPT – THE WHY AND HOW. In the end, the Komet Precision Twister (KPT) was the obvious solution. Its ultra-tough materials are just one reason why KPT far outlasts its competition, even in heavy-duty applications. But the real secret to the KPT’s success is its unique rotation system, designed to place minimal stress on the sprinkler’s key components. The result? Exceptional durability and an unmatched service life.
As Josh Mosier, Komet’s Technical Director for North America, explains: “The KPT is a field-proven sprinkler made for the toughest conditions. It will handle ferrous waters, fertilizers, calcium, residue, sand, and even aggressive liquids like vinasse at peak performance, and for many growing seasons.” Another unique advantage is the KPT’s droplet size, optimized through extensive research to resist wind drift while simultaneously protecting fragile crops. “The KPT is without doubt the sprinkler with the greatest droplet consistency on the market,” Josh Mosier continues. Thanks to its highly engineered groove configuration and flow-responsive brake system, “the KPT guarantees a controlled droplet size and constant performance throughout the entire nozzle range.”
“With my other sprinkler packages, I just wasn’t getting the patterns that I like.”
For Larry and his sons, the results speak for themselves: “This is my first year with the Komets on top, and it’s looking really good. I like the throw of the KPT – throwing the water upward rather than straight out. My son has also noticed a big difference when it comes to the irrigation pattern. He keeps telling me, ‘Dad, they look good, they’re really good!’”
Watch Josh Mosier’s brilliant summary of the 5 key traits that set the KPT apart from other pivot sprinklers on the market.
