It works great, but... | Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer

The good and not so good | Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer

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	• Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer Orbit Orbit average customer review:based on 74 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Leaks too much to keep the water on

After reading a number of glowing reviews about this timer, I bought it hoping to be able to use it for early morning lawn watering before my husband and I are out of bed. Unfortunately, I can't stop it from leaking where the timer connects to the outlet. I tried plumbers tape and using a wrench to tighten it as much as possible but I can't get the water to stop dripping. Because of this, we can't leave the water on and simply set the timer and walk away. Instead, I used it in the evening to water the lawn for a specific amount of time and then go out and turn the water off after the timer shuts off to stop the drip. Otherwise, our water bill will go through the roof!

The timer works very well and can be set a lot of different ways. I like the fact that you can take the timer panel off and set it in the house and then reconnect it. Plus we've had some rain storms and intense heat and the timer has held up well.

If this didn't leak, I would give it 5 stars for sure.

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It works great, but...

I have used the product for few months in my new drip irrigation system, but have enough experience to write this review.

The product is great, it is very reliable, easy to program, and it works. The removable controller feature is really great for ease of programming. However, the manual said that there is an optional remote control (although not wireless) that I can purchase separately so I can control the unit from inside the house. That would have been great. But when I called the manufacturer, they said that it is no longer (or never have been) available. They said that I received a unit with an old outdated manual. That would have been a major convenience for me, and considered returning the product because of it. However, it is working so well, and I did not know about that option until after I read the manual. So, I decided to keep it and gave it a four star. If they made the optional remote unit availabe, I would have given this a five star.

The unit did not appear to be as water proof as I'd like to see it. But, no problem. I just "bagged" the unit using zip lock plastic bag and installed it so that the open side of the zip lock bag is at the bottom. That should make it really waterproof.

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The good and not so good

This unit works reliably as described and being able to remove the programming module is a real benefit, but there are some shortcomings that need to be considered. On the plus side, the thing works. That's important to me as I tried another that wasn't so reliable and since I'm on a well and would be away when the unit is on, having it function correctly ranks very high on my list of required features. Even if the battery runs out (it's suppose to last all season) the unit quits in the off position, so the water is not left running until the well is dry.

A feature that I like very much is that the electronic module slips out of the spigot attachment bar easily so you can see the screen better for programming or reprogramming. Sometimes a spigot is located where visibility is poor and it helps me particularly because the screen is not large and the instructions on the flip up cover are really tiny. The programming would not be intuitive to me, but with the instructions right there, it's easy enough.

Thanks to other reviewers, I had the two 9V batteries on hand, but didn't heed the advice to have a Y connector on hand for a second hose for manual use. I thought I could easily reset the unit to allow that. Well, you can hand water by pushing the button for manual operation, but then you also have to set the number of minutes you intend to be watering manually, after which it resets to auto/run, and you can't just hit the program off button because 'off' doesn't allow water to flow.

The problem is I have no idea how long I'll be using the hose manually. It could be the standard 10'ish minutes of watering the hanging baskets, but I may want to alter that routine for some reason this time or I may be interrupted or maybe the dog bowl needs filling or a trash can needs to be washed or the car. You get the picture. In short, I don't know how many minutes I need and don't want to think about that every time, nor hold the + button for lots of minutes just in case. That's just way more effort than I want to put into using the water for a dozen reasons (especially when it's over 100 outside). Having the Y connector avoids that problem if the timer is to be installed on a frequently used spigot.

The other brand I tried before (that I returned for non-performance) allowed for two hoses so I hadn't considered the extra annoyance of switching repeatedly from the hand-use nozzle to the sprinkler, nor the fact that my main hose is white and doesn't look very good snaked out through the yard to the sprinkler location (normally it's wrapped up after each use on a hose cart). Sigh. I've now ordered a Y connector and have to wait to hook it up. (Yes, I know, why didn't I just drive in town to get one at the hardware store--well, I did, and the dumb thing leaked, so I've ordered a higher quality unit.) Who knew this would be so complicated.

I do wish I could review my watering program as with the other unit, but that isn't an option with this one. It does show the time and day and you can push various buttons to see what you'd set as start time and duration. Speaking of which, you will not want to reset start time very often because the buttons are rather hard to push and you have to hold the + or - button forever while it starts at 12am and moves up or down by the minute (not hour then minute, just minute, all 60 of them each hour) to reach your desired time.

Bottom line, I'm not thrilled with some of this unit's features, but it works and that is the top priority. With a separate hose for other watering activities, I'll be satisfied with this timer to handle my automated watering needs and feel confident while I'm away.

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a great electronic water timer

a wonderful timer, that programs specific days of the week(a township requirement)...i have been waiting for a replacement for a similar, but less robust, melnor product, that was discontinued 6-7 years ago...have tried many others...no luck! so i was happy to find these....my only complaint is that the swivel on the electronic housing has only a 60 or so range...it needs a bit more..

It Works!

Having been dissapointed with less expensive timers, I finally bit the bullet and bought the 62001. I could have saved a lot of money if I had done this to begin with. It works reliably, and is very easy to program. Couldn't be happier.

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Hose Bib Timer & Valve, Easy To Install, Battery Operated, Automatic Water Controller & Valve Combination, Standard 3/4" Hose Thread Connections, Water Resistant Design, Manual On Feature For Quick Temporary Watering.