With all the really cool equipment available, who in their right mind would water any other way?

Absent from the list are the modern, technological gardening wonders: digital watering timers; multi-pattern, dripless "trigger" nozzles; track sprayers; silent impulse sprinklers and quick-snap connectors. And all are available in bright colors and constructed of high impact plastic or rust-resistant metal.

Lawn-watering equipment such as plastic hose nozzles go for as little as $2, but water-saving, wide-reaching silent oscillators can easily top $40. And electronic timers with numerous programmable cycles can cost more than $70. Manufacturers have come to realize that there are many people who have neither the time nor inclination to hand water.

Companies such as Gardena, Nelson and Rainbird - all available at local hardware and garden supply stores - are emphasizing time-saving, water-saving, easy-to-use devices.

Tired of continually having to screw on and off hoses, nozzles, sprinklers and faucets? Try quick-connect couplings.

Connecting is literally a snap with Gardena's "Quick Connect" or Nelson's "Snap Connect" systems.

Gardena's "Quick Connect" couplings are a simple push/connect and pull/release system. Nelson's "Snap Connect" is based on the same principal except its release uses a touch-button release.

With one of Gardena's inexpensive Adapter or End Connectors on faucets, hoses, nozzles, and sprinklers, all you need to do when moving a watering device is snap it off rather than unscrew. That's done by pulling the barrel of the end adapter in the direction of the arrow on the adapter.

Some Gardena end adapters even are available with a convenient "Water Stop" feature that turns off the water automatically at the hose end so gardeners can change watering products without walking back to the faucet.

Nelson may be most widely known for its die cast iron "Raintrain" traveling sprinkler, which is excellent for large areas. The sprinkler train propels itself across the lawn following any pattern laid out by the hose. Some models even come with an automatic shut off.

One unique traveler, the Melnor, reels in the hose as it travels across the lawn.

Remember the pleasant psst-psst-psst sound of an impulse sprinkler? No good for late night or early morning watering when the sound could annoy neighbors.

Gardena's "Turbo Drive" unit makes no noise. It also adjusts its spray in two stages. Both far- and short-range areas are watered one after another, providing complete coverage. The unit, which also can be connected to other sprinklers in a series, is also available on a weighted "sled" base.

All impulse sprinklers have a set of stops that let you vary the watering angle from about 30 to 330 degrees and they will also water full circle. Most have an adjustable deflector that limits the upward reach of the stream and a diffuser screw that breaks the stream into a spray. Both controls let you reduce the diameter of the pattern by at least one-third. Neither control reduces the water flow so you can speed up the rate of watering by shrinking the pattern.

The new trend in oscillating sprinklers - these have a curved tube with holes or tiny nozzles that slowly moves back and forth to deliver a broad band of water - are built in timers and controls for flow, and width and coverage adjustments. With the controls right on the device, trips back and forth to the faucet are eliminated.

Nelson's new Dial-A-Time Oscillator series allows gardeners to pick a watering schedule best for their garden and leave it alone. All come with built in automatic shut offs.

Electronic timers let you program the day, starting time, and stopping time.

Gardena's and Nelson's electronic timers can be set for up to three-times-a-day watering cycles, varied day schedules, and water durations from two minutes to 120 minutes.

Gardena this year discontinued its digital timer for the Electronic Water Timer, which combines the benefits of digital timers - accuracy - with the ease of manual dials and knobs for programming.

Nelson sells three digital timers, which incorporate digital and audio "feedback" for "easy programming." The top of the line Rainmatic 5600 comes with three programmed settings that make setting up even easier.

There also are mechanical timers - no batteries - which turn the water off. All you have to do is attach the timer to any hose or faucet.

Nelson is the only company to make the automatic water switcher - the Rainmatic - which splits the water from a single faucet into two hoses for watering different areas.

If faucets are limited on your property don't despair. Just get a multitap distributor, which turns a single faucet into as few as two or as many as four different hoses at once.

Gardena makes the fabulous Four-Tap Distributor with each tap having its own shut-off valve that also can be used to regulate water flow.