Intermatic TB121C Digital Tabletop Lamp and Appliance Timer
by Intermatic
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List Price: Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Intermatic TB121C Digital Tabletop Lamp and Appliance Timer
Customer Review: Nifty timer and lamp control
Summary: 4 Stars
Ever have a lamp on one of those dial timers in the wall that you wanted to turn on when the timer wasn't set to turn on? Shove some furniture around did you? Or perhaps you wanted to change when the timer went on or off? Find the little plastic pins did ya? Well this nifty timer beats those problems for you.
The timer plugs into the wall and your lamp plugs into the back of the timers wall plug. You wind up with this control pod that you can set in a convenient place for operating the timer, say the table next to the lamp. It has an oversized on-off button so you can easily turn the lamp on whenever you want to. Programming it can also be done from this convenient location. We have five of these now scattered about the house.
Two opportunities for improvement cost it 1 star (I'm a hard grader). The plug in the back of a plug is a bit tall so it can stick out from the wall more than usual. Behind a piece of furniture this isn't really a big deal, and it's not that much thicker than the boxy dial type timers. Also, to activate the batteries you have to pull a little tape out of the back. This worked on several of our units, but on a few I had to open the door and shuffle the batteries around to get it to work. Small point but something that could be better. Overall very pleased and would recommend this timer.
Customer Review: Bought two, both DOA
Summary: 1 Stars
I bought two of these. I pulled the little tab out of the battery compartment to activate the battery. Immediately, it started flashing "Lo" and about 30 seconds later the display goes blank... and according to the instructions "Lo" means just what you'd expect -- low battery. I JUST bought it so why's the battery dead already?
Apparently not learning from my mistakes, I opened the second timer, and the same thing happened with it!
Not leaving well enough alone, I decided to check the battery of one of them... the tiny cover for the battery is difficult to remove without breaking it, and I cracked the little cover despite my trying to carefully pry it off. Batteries tested fine though; the device itself simply refuses to believe that a good battery is a good battery.
I returned both of them.
Over the last 5 years, I've bought 6 other Intermatic timers (different models), and all of them have also failed, all due to battery issues that can't be fixed by replacing the batteries. This brand is JUNK. Its a shame that they have practically no competition in all the local hardware stores.
Customer Review: Easy to use, has battery problems.
Summary: 3 Stars
I wanted a simple timer for on/off in a single day. That's what this does. No weekly programming, or fancy stuff.
Some have mentioned it chews up batteries, and having battery "Lo" flashing. It's all true, but I found the fix. The batteries aren't really low, as I tested them with my voltmeter.
It's just the firmware seems to get confused. So I pulled the batteries, unplugged the unit and left it for several minutes, like a 'reboot'. Then put it back together and the error message went away.
The guy who coded the firmware messed up, or the electronics are poor. But knowing the solution, it works fine, for now.
I wish it was three prong, that lamps could plug into the unit (instead of down at the jack) and that I didn't have to suffer through the "battery Lo" issue.
I ordered a TB121C but on the bottom it says TB121. Maybe I got an old unit?
Customer Review: Excellent form factor
Summary: 5 Stars
This unit solves two problems. Firstly it's an on/off timer for light loads with two ons and two offs per day. Secondly it provides a very useful remote on/off switch for things like the Indus-Tool TT Toasty Toes Ergonomic Heated Footrest. It's very easy to set the time and change the timers and it clearly indicates whether power is flowing to the controlled appliance.
The on and off timers can be programmed independently which makes this unit particularly useful if you want to use it to make sure that an appliance is not left turned on (like the heated footrest mentioned above). Just set a couple of "off" times without any "on" times and the appliance wont be left turned on for more than a few hours.
Customer Review: Controls Internet for Kids
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this timer to control my wireless internet in the house. The kids need to go to sleep sometime and they seemed to play on the computers forever, now the router turns off at 10:00 and is back on for my wife at 5:30. If it is the weekend I just hit the "on/off" button to let them play or talk longer. If I am mad at one for not carring out the trash while absorbed by the internet I just hit the same button and its off until the preset time or I hit the button again. Lovely
Oh! one more thing, the plug is piggy-backed by your appliance plug, so both plugs are at the outlet and the timer cord by itself then extends about 3 feet to allow it to lie on top of my desk, no clutter. Its Great