Sprinklers.

[Grandad]

Iridium I think is how you spell it? are those worth getting because the simple sprinklers are VERY easy to get but take AGES to hoe around every season. (worth noting havent actually come across any yet but I can go deeper in mines if worth it)

[AvatarMan]

Iridium Sprinklers are amazing.

Also if you put floor tiles under the sprinklers you wont pull them up when you hoe the ground around them.

[Grandad]

What level on the mine do you start getting it?

[AvatarMan]

Iridium Ore, rarely in the bottom of the Mines. But you can get plenty at 50+ in the skull caverns.

[Grandad]

Skull caverns 120+ right....

[The Mighty Mulletman]

You can find it in the skull cavern or sometimes in the quarry. You might get lucky with geods as well.

[Proteus]

Iridium sprinklers are great ... 24 tiles watering with a single one.

But you should use alternative ways to get them (instead of crafting them youreself) ... often the trading ♥♥♥♥♥ has one of them for sale (around 4k gold) ... and Krobus in the sewers sells them for 10k gold once a week

[TheStrategicRabbit]

They take a massive work load off you, letting you plant more crops that you don't even need to worry about watering, thus increasing how much money you can make. I'd say the first 2, maybe 3 iridium bars you get should be turned into sprinklers, but I'm no expert on the matter yet.

[mmmmarygray]

Personally, I am in late game and still using quality sprinklers. I haven't had a big reason to switch.

Also, iridium gets very easy to obtain after getting the statue of perfection.

[Moosey Fate]

I spent a lot of time farming the last 5 levels of the regular mines for iridium. You get it, but way too slowly. If I did it again, I'd rush to the bottom of the regular mines once, then unlock skull cavern, and dive as far as you can there in a day (focus on exploring vertically, not clearing floors). But the traveling cart sound like a way to get your first 4-6 for roughly the same price.

I'd get at least 6 iridium sprinklers before spending iridium on anything else. Probably 12. Then the pick axe, then the ring, then the rest of the tools.

[Zero Angel (Ocelot)]

Nah, I wouldn't buy the sprinklers first. Or try to grind the mines for iridium. You have a greater chance of getting iridium for every 10 levels in the skull caves you go down. If you make an iridium band first, that 10% attack helps you kill enemies faster which helps you descend faster, and upgrading the pickaxe to iridium means you can one-shot regular rocks which also helps you to descend faster. After a month's worth of hitting the skull caves you'll have enough iridium to make all the sprinklers you need.

My tips for doing the skull caves
- Cooking. Make foods that give you buffs to attack/defense/speed/luck. In addition to regular foods (e.g. pale broth) just to refill your HP.
- You find the materials to make bombs/mega bombs all over in the skull caves. So use those to wipe out big clusters of rocks and finish off mummies so you can descend faster.
- If you are using bombs you'll get lots of stone too which you can use to make staircases on levels where you can't really use bombs very well.

[Shrub]

you can get the statue if perfection which gives it daily for the green house tho I have 4 iridium sprinkers and 6 quality sprinklers. a few extra for outside crops but they are worth it in the long run, saves on watering too :-)

If you place a tile under the sprinkler then when you hoe the ground etc it will stay there rather then being picked up again.

[Zero Angel (Ocelot)]

I meant to say if you get the band/pick and run the skull caves for a month you'll get all the iridium you'll need to upgrade all your tools and get all the sprinklers you'll need. I usually make 2 ingots worth of iridium on a bad day and 5 on a lucky day (including from omni geodes) if i'm trying to speed run the caves. Those few iridiums you invested in the band/pick become worth it

[Its All Zen]

With the right setup in the greenhouse you can have 116 plantable tiles. It's the best place to use iridium. Outside the greenhouse where you have arguably more space you can generally get away with using quality if you don't have the materials/cash to switch all of them over. Definitely get 6 for your greenhouse though and check the wiki for the ideal placement for the most efficient use of your greenhouse.

[Rawrshark]

Try to get the rusty key to open the sewer. You need to donate 60 items to the museum to get it. Every Friday the vendor, I think his name is Krobos or something, down the sewer sells an iridium sprinkler for 10,000 gold.

[Shrub]

http://images.akamai.steamusercontent.com/ugc/253717829593455767/7CB31ED1EBE34895F095AE4B9281BC786AF802AF/
To give you an idea this is how I set my greenhouse up, 4 iridium sprinklers and 6 quality. waters all the plants. its best use of greenhouse i could come up with