Hard Hose Traveller - the big gun sprinkler is mounted on a wheel cart connected to a high density polyethylene (PE) hose ranging from 40 -140 mm diameter (see pictures), with the length ranging from 150 m to 750 m. The hose reel is stationary during an irrigation run. The irrigation water, under pressure, drives a turbine which turns the drum that rewinds the hose. The drum slowly rewinds the hose, the gun cart is pulled towards the main unit and irrigates a rectangular shape while being pulled. They are usually marked like this: 35 65 - 270 - where 35 is the machine type, 65 is the PE pipe diameter and 270 is the PE pipe length.

A typical big gun sprinkler discharges 14-143 m³/hr with the wetted diameter of 50-140 m at a connecting pressure between 3.5 to 13 bar. The application rate can be anything between 8 - 60 mm. To cover all possible scenarios in terms of the irrigated area, flow, pressure and application rate each manufacturer has a huge range of HHT (35 to 40 various size of HHT per manufacturer) based on the combination of the  hose diameter, hose length and sprinkler type.

The speed of rewind determines the speed of the gun while determines the water application rate. Slow pull - high application rate, fast pull - low application rate.

Soft Hose Traveller irrigators are similar to the hard hose ones but the big gun sprinkler attached to the machine and the machine is wound along a steel cable (see pictures). The cable is anchored at the end of the traveller run and winds up on a cart mounted winch. The winch is powered by either an auxiliary engine or water turbine.

Usually are using similar big gun sprinklers with a discharge between 35 - 154 m³/hr with the wetted diameter of 81 - 140 m at a connecting pressure between 3.5 - 8 bar.

Boom irrigators are like a combination of a linear move sprinkler boom pulled in by the drum and hose reel. There are generally low pressure machines 1 to 4 bar, with a discharge of 12 - 82 m³/hr. Spray booms apply a fine mist with  an application rate of 5 - 40 mm . The boom lengths can be from 18 - 80 m and the hose lengths from 200 - 400 m (see pictures). There are used on row crops, mostly vegetables and short fodder crops such as lucerne. 

The travellers are hooked up to a medium to high pressure piping network with hydrants. Normal spacing between the hydrants/runs can be 50 - 70 % of the sprinkler's wetted diameter. The exact spacing depends on the combination of sprinkler performance, field dimensions and wind conditions.

Once the traveller is in operation, it can irrigate unattended an area equal to the length of the hose by the wetted diameter of the gun.  This can be an area between  1.40 - 6.50 ha per run with HHT and 1.60 - 3.50 ha per run with SHT and 1.5 - 8.64 ha/run with Booms.