As you get better at farming in Stardew Valley, you will start to unlock different sprinklers. Sprinklers allow you to save time and energy everyday by watering your crops for you, with the trade off being that you have to build your fields around the sprinklers. Each tier of sprinkler offers a different coverage area.
How to craft each sprinkler
There are three types of sprinklers in Stardew Valley: sprinkler, quality sprinkler, and iridium sprinkler. The base sprinkler is unlocked at farming level 2 and requires 1 copper bar and 1 iron bar to craft. The quality sprinkler unlocks at farming level 6 and requires 1 iron bar, 1 gold bar, and 1 refined quartz to craft. Refined quartz can be made by putting either quartz or lava quartz into a furnace with a piece of coal.
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The iridium sprinkler unlocks at farming level 9 and requires 1 gold bar, 1 iridium bar, and 1 battery pack. Battery packs are obtained from lightning rods, which can be crafted at foraging level 6. During a storm, lightning will activate the lightning rod and create a battery pack.
Sprinkler layouts
From left to right is the correct layout for the sprinkler, quality sprinkler, and iridium sprinkler.
Each sprinkler has a specific layout, based on the number of tiles it can water. As seen in the picture above, the basic sprinkler covers four squares, to the left, right, top, and bottom of the sprinkler. The quality sprinkler covers eight squares, in a circle around the sprinkler.
The iridium sprinkler covers 24 spaces, in a 5×5 square, with the center space lost to the sprinkler itself. Late into Stardew Valley, you can also acquire sprinkler upgrades, including one that slightly boosts the range of the sprinklers.