I’m looking at an 800 sq ft front yard with clay loam and a 4% slope, currently 8 fixed 15’ sprays pulling about 12 gpm at 38 psi, and I want to split it into turf and shrub hydrozones. Plan is MP Rotators on turf (≈0.4 in/hr) and 17 mm inline drip at 12" spacing on beds, but I’d like advice on trenching and lateral sizing to keep pressure variation under 10% and distribution uniformity above 0.75.
On my last 700 sq ft clay loam yard, the only way I kept ‘under 10%’ was looping the turf zone in 1" and using PRS40 heads with SAM checks, then feeding short 3/4" laterals across that 4% slope. For the 17 mm drip, add a 25 psi regulator with air/vac at the top and a flush at the low end, and if your real supply is 12 gpm at 38 psi, split the turf into two valves or drop to PRS30/MP3000 so you don’t get pressure sag.
But i’d trench a 1" ring main on the turf and double‑feed the loop from a midline tee — keeps friction down so you stay under about 10%, and the 4% slope only adds about 1 psi anyway; then short 3/4" laterals to MP heads with 40‑psi PRS, @jackson_levine91’s loop note plus mid‑feed has been money for me. For the beds, run a 1" poly header with a 25–30 psi regulator feeding the 17 mm and put a high‑point flush/air vent so the clay loam doesn’t pond between cycles.
Consider using a manifold system for your turf zone; it really helps maintain consistent pressure across your sprays. When I set up mine, I ended up using MP Rotators too and found I had to tweak a few pressure reducers to keep them operating efficiently. Also, @jackson_levine91, make sure you double-check your flow rates with those inline drips; balancing those out can save you a headache later.