Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer
by Orbit
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List Price: Our Price: $34.33 You Save: $5.66 (14%) Availability: Usually ships in 4-5 business days Buy Used: from $33.43 (click here) Category: Lawn & Patio See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Orbit 62001 Lawn and Garden Digital Watering Timer
Customer Review: The good and not so good
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
Customer Review: I am now the proud owner of three Orbit 62001 timers
Summary: 5 Stars
This timer uses 2 9v batteries. I just think people need to know that so they can have the correct batteries on hand when they get the timer. Hopefully Amazon.com will use my edit on their info page and add that information. :) It's like getting a new battery operated toy at Christmas and not having the correct batteries so you can play with it. NOT GOOD. The 9v batteries are very easy to install. Remove 2 phillips head screws on the back and pop the batteries in...NO SNAPS TO CONNECT. Very easy install.
I, again, had to replace 3 timers this year (seems to be a yearly occurrence) and after purchasing a cheap, poorly made Gilmore timer I decided to try the Orbit. I purchased my first one in the Spring and it has worked very well all season. Since it continued to do its job, a few months ago I purchased a second one and today I received my third one.
The timer is a no brainer as far as programming it goes. It's very simple and the basics are on the lid that covers the program panel. It does come with a book with more indepth instructions though. You can program it to water Monday-Sunday.....choosing any particular days you wish to water. Or you can choose every 2 days or every 3 days to water. It has the capability to water 4 times a day if you so choose. You can water manually by pushing the manual button and setting a length of time to water at that time and then it shuts off automatically and goes back to "auto run" which is your programmed settings. You can cancel a watering for 24 hours by hitting the "clear" button. After that, it goes back to "auto run". You can stop the watering indefinitely by pushing the "off" button which cancels the "auto run", but that will not cancel out your programmed settings. To use your programmed settings again, just hit "auto run" and you're good to go. The timer seems to be sturdy and reliable. *knock on wood* The timer I purchased this Spring is still using the original 9v batteries too and I water every morning.
So far, I love this timer. IF it should fail next season, I will update my review. I use to be able to buy a timer and use it for years and years, but in recent years it seems I can only get one summer out of them...if I'm lucky. I always bring my timers in the house for the winter and remove the batteries before storing them, but the last 4 timers (before the Orbits) I bought all died after one season of use. A Gilmore piece of junk I bought this Spring lasted only weeks and wouldn't shut off.
I can recommend this timer, highly, with the caveat....I've only had mine for one Spring and Summer. Only time will tell if it lasts for years. I can only hope. If it fails to work next Spring, I will let you know.
Customer Review: Multiple units have all lasted about a year for me before breaking
Summary: 2 Stars
So far I've purchased two of the Orbit 62001 Lawn Timers, but I've gone through about four of them with Amazon and the local mega-mart. The first 62001 I purchased in 2008 died (and it was my fault) when I left it out for a day during a freeze (note: I live in southern Texas, and by "freeze" I meant - it hit 30 for about two hours at night). The digital portion worked fine but the actual physical housing which rotated the open-and-close water flow restrictor would simply no longer operate. I replaced this unit with another from Amazon and it worked fine for the following summer. Having learned my lesson, I unhooked the timer for the next winter and left it in a dry, insulated, garage. The garage would hit a low of around 40 versus the outdoor temperature of 30 or less. The garage never hit freezing temperatures and the batteries were out of the unit until the following spring. When spring came, the same problem occurred - the digital portion worked fine, the physical water restrictor would no longer move. I ordered replacement #3 from Amazon and this time straight out of the clamshell the unit would not work - same exact issue. I returned the unit to Amazon and grabbed a replacement from the local mega mart - again, same exact issue.
Now, I should state that I live in an area with hard water and yes I can see that being a possible issue. Perhaps gunking up the the inner-workings of these timers and restricting the mechanics from moving about properly. However with my two "mostly-broken" units I've torn them apart and found no calcium build up on the regulator or even evidence of rust or circuit corrosion (I am not an engineer but when comparing a working to non-working unit, it all looked the same). I should also note that I have a Orbit 62032 Yard Watering System in my backyard and it has been working fine for three years running. After multiple tries with the 62001, I've stepped down to the slightly less functionally robust Orbit 62061N Single-Dial Water Timer in hopes that it might last longer than a year.
I've given these units two stars (instead of one) because there is the slightest chance that I simply might have been unlucky with my four units. When these worked, they worked flawlessly day-after-day. Multiple timers and day-to-day nuances made watering during drought restrictions a breeze. I just wish they would last.
Customer Review: User-friendly, reliable and versatile
Summary: 5 Stars
I've only had this timer for a few weeks, but I've found it fairly easy to program and completely dependable for watering exactly when I tell it to water.
I like that the functioning buttons are beneath a flip-up cover that PICTURES the exact configuration, making it easy to make a quick adjustment. For a more complete change, I love that the timer can be removed so that I can take it inside to program it in the comfort of an easy chair rather than removing the whole thing from the faucet or kneeling in the ivy!
I like that there are all kinds of variations in watering days and watering times available. In this case, I only wanted to be sure my newly-seeded lawn was watered once or twice a day in order to keep the area moist for seed germination--even when I was away for a couple of weeks. With the drought we had this summer, I wish I had had this timer a few months earlier; if I had, I might never have NEEDED a newly-seeded lawn.
I've used the "CLEAR" function to halt watering when it's raining; this stops the Auto-Run function for 24 hours, after which watering resumes at the time(s) I've previously scheduled. For rainy weather, I can use "OFF," which stops the automatic watering but keeps the program until I again press "AUTO RUN."
The User's Guide has detailed instructions for off-season storage and maintenance, which I will follow fully; I don't want to damage this great timer through my own negligence!
The Amazon price is right and if this timer remains as dependable as it has been so far, I'll get another for the backyard faucet so that I can water newly-planted trees, especially when I'm away for a period of time. If it fails, I'll be back to report.
Customer Review: Super Timer. Easy to use. Some things to consider tho...
Summary: 5 Stars
This timer is as good as everyone says it is. It worked well for me (sort of... I'll explain). Very easy to configure and fun. When I received it i was shortly dis-appointed but there is a logical reason:
1. Leaking: I was about to give a bad rating till I did some research online and discovered not all tap threads are the same. There's NPT (American), and BPS (British)... not sure how many others there are. So before you pull you hair out when it leaks at the tap connection, get some 'thread seal tape' and wrap around a few times. This should seal it. NPT and BSP have a small difference in angle of the pipe thread, so it creates a small channel where water flows freely. With some thread seal tape it was solved.
2. Cut the flow of my Gravity fed drip irrigation: When the manufacturer recommends minimum 10PSI, they mean it. Don't use this with anything less. The timers uses a Solenoid Valve which uses a rubber um... not sure what to call it. But this requires pressure for water to pass through. So minimum means minimum.
So from coming close to rating it ZERO, I rate it 5 star. It didn't meet my need ( so I have it in my store room), but having learnt what was 'different' not wrong, I now rate it highly.
If you need to automate anything Gravity fed, try the Holmans Low Pressure Timer. It uses a small ball valve, so not restriction of water flow.