Sprinkler Daddy Says:
Automatic or Manual Sprinklers?

The Difference Between an Automatic Sprinkler System and a Manual Sprinkler System

Manual sprinkler systems are simple and sweet.  There is no electrical work to worry about and you just need to turn a valve on and off whenever you want to water.  The downside to a manual system is that it's up to you to remember to turn on and off the water.

Automatic sprinkler systems are great because you can basically set it and forget it.  You can set your timer to turn the sprinklers on at a certain time each day.  This feature is great because it gives you the ability to water in the early morning hours before you even get out of bed.  At night your water pressure will be increased because less people are using water, which means optimum water coverage.  By watering at night you'll also have less water evaporation because it isn't as hot, and generally speaking it tends to be less windy at night (at least in Saskatchewan) so you'll be watering the areas you want to water.  An automatic sprinkler system also allows you to keep watering your lawn while you're on holidays.  The downside of an automatic system is that it will require a bit of minor electrical work when you're installing your automatic underground sprinkler system.

So to recap...

Manual Sprinkler Systems:

Automatic Sprinkler Systems: