Orbit 57896 6-Station Outdoor Swing Panel Sprinkler System Timer, Green

My Rainbird timer has been slowly dying and I needed to replace it. I was looking for a timer for an outdoor location without a lot of bells and whistles to control my 6 zone sprinkler system. Oh yeah...and I didn't want to pay a lot for it. The Orbit 57896 seemed to cover everything I needed to do and the price was very reasonable.My old timer was hardwired, but the Orbit comes with an attached cord and plug. What to do? I could have cut the plug off and hardwired it, but there was a problem with that idea. The conduit holes (one for power, one for the low voltage valve wires) in the old timer box were a different spacing than the Orbit, so I would have had to re-do the conduit. I also liked the idea of having an outdoor outlet box in the area where the timer was located, so that tipped the decision.I discovered that the circuit breaker supplying power to the timer was not a GFCI breaker. Since the location is outside, I had to either replace the circuit breaker or use a GFCI outlet. I decided that the safest approach was to replace the breaker. I cut the PVC conduit and replaced the old junction box with an exterior outlet box with a weather proof cover. The one thing I don't like about the design of the Orbit timer is that the line cord is not sealed where it exits the box. I sealed it with caulk to prevent water entering the box in a windy rain storm.I number of reviewers have dinged this timer because of programming issues. I found the instruction manual to be very understandable and the unit easy to program (YMMV). Setting the time is a little annoying, but I should only have to do that once a year when replacing the battery. Here's a tip: before I installed the timer outside, I programed it sitting comfortably at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee. Plug the unit in, pull the strip that activates the battery and you're ready to program. When you unplug the unit and install it outside, the battery allows it to remember the program. Once you hang it and connect the wires, just turn the dial to "Automatic" and you're good to go.You will have to decide how often you want to run your system. Conveniently, the Orbit 57896 allows 3 different options for this: by the day of the week, by a fixed interval or by odd or even days. Once the unit is programmed and set to "Automatic", the display alternately shows the current date and time and then the day and time of the "Next Start", so you will always know where you are in the cycle.Pro: Rugged design; easy to install; easy to program; big, east to read display; can be used either indoors or outdoors; great priceCon: Box not sealed around the power cord

I wanted a sprinkler timer that's simple to use and works great. My other one lasted 40 years. I noticed this new one was a bit faster moving from screen to screen. I don't need the new "fancy" ones that tie into my phone, etc. Has 6 stations, and 3 programs so you can set different days and length at your whim.

Very good value. Easy to program and gives me all the zone flexibility that I want. I bought this to replace an identical three zone timer that has been serving reliably for more than 5 years.

Easy set up and it works great.

I used this for my irrigation system with 6 zones. It was very easy to use and set up.

Orbit works perfectly

With 3 programable schedules, A as your primary leaves B and C to do as you wish like, water an area more frequently like flowers but with use less water each time.The display is big but not lit. This timer uses a replaceable (not rechargeable) CR2032 button battery, so you can program your timer before installing it. Depending on your local power failure rate, check and or replace the battery accordingly.I didn't do this but I would recommend to practice installing a wire before installing the timer so you can better see what you are doing. The spring loaded tabs to hold open the wire gripper so the wire can be inserted can be a bit frustrating. All the wires insert from the bottom of a terminal strip so it is impossible to see the wire being inserted. I have installed plenty of components with this type connection, this one was more difficult.When I installed my 6 zone sprinkler system I included a master valve this time, the other two I did not. I have had a seeping zone valve all summer, I will replace it now that it has cooled off. With out a master valve, a seeping valve would leak 24-7, wasting water until I replaced it.It's mentioned in the manual where to install the master valve hot wire, at the pump connection but easy to miss if in a hurry to get the timer installed.

It’s an improved version of an earlier model that failed after 15 years. This one has more zone control and watering control.