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Tools & Hardware : Gardena 3-Cycle Electronic Water Timer #31825-25In association with Amazon.comRating:  - Time will tellSo far I like this timer. It does take a little figuring out to set it up, but the other ones did too. I like it that you can remove the programming portion of the unit so you can set it up when you are comfortably seated somewhere, rather than leaning over the unit when it is in place. I use mine to water my tomato plants, and the containers on the deck. I set it to come on every morning about 7:30 am for 3 minutes, and now the plants are bigger, I bumped it up to 5 minutes. This ability to set it for short periods of time like this is important for the way I do things here. I do not use the settings for running it more than once per day, so can't report on how that works. I have had other battery operated water timers, and have been lucky if I ever get more than one season out of them, or part of a 2nd season before they go belly up. That is usually what happens to me. Timers go belly up in the middle of the season, and seem to do this about the time I plan to go away for a few days. (ie: at the most critical moment) These past experiences with other brands have left me very skeptical. I would give this unit a higher rating if I knew it would hold up. I have only had it a couple months, and I have no complaints so far. Ask me if it is still working by the end of the summer season in 2010. If it lasts, and continues to work as well as it is now. I will give it 5 stars. Rating:  - Not watertightWhat amazes me about this OUTDOOR water timer is their warning: "Use only in upright position to keep water out of the battery compartment". Given that it is used OUTSIDE in the RAIN, and is attached to a hose bib (all of which leak), one might think they would make a battery compartment that has a rubber sealing gasket and screws on tight to keep the internal mechanism dry. Instead, they have a cheap plastic snap on cover for the battery that doesn't come close to sealing tightly to keep the water out. Would you buy an umbrella with holes? If not, why buy this timer? It would take about 50 cents to design the battery compartment correctly. I already sent mine back after the first rainstorm flooded it. It is incredible how thoughtless in design some companies can be. An outdoor electronic mechanism should be watertight. It really is that simple. Rating:  - Excellent Water TimerI've had this unit now for about a week, its up and running, and everything seems fine. Other reviewers have said that to program this unit you really need to keep the instruction manual handy, and I agree with this. Had the folks at Gardena used a different color scale for each of the four timing stages, instead of a black/grey scale for all four timing sequences programing would have been a snap. For example why not use a red scale was for the time of day, a blue for duration of the on cycle, etc., then no reference to the manual would have been necessary. Other than the initial programming issue, this seems to be a well built unit which I look forward to using. Rating:  - Best water timer I've ever seen. Best water timer I've ever seen. Well designed, energy efficient and simple to set up. Rating: - Poor Man's Sprinkler SystemBetween the heat in Houston and the urine from my two dogs, my grass has always been an atrocity. I have known that water was the answer, but rarely got in a routine of sprinkling the grass regularly. The only alternative I knew of was a sprinkler system, but I haven't felt the need to invest. I live in a townhome and have a pretty small yard. The other day my wife's aunt turned me on to a low cost solution - the Gardena 3-Cycle Electronic Water Timer. All you do is connect it to your faucet on one end and a hose on the bottom. This thing is real easy to schedule. I ended up buying a two channel water distributor and connected it to the bottom of the timer, which let me hook up two hoses that come on during the scheduled time so I could water my whole lawn. I have the "system" set for 25 minutes in the morning and afternoon. After two weeks, the grass looks better than it ever has before. |
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