Orbit57925 B-hyve 8-Zone Smart Indoor Sprinkler ControllerWaterSense

This is an early review. I've only had it for one day, and so far so good! I replaced an older controller failed on me and worked well initially. The one I replaced was a rain machine. Eventually that failed and connectivity was abysmal.My next step was a rachio 3 controller. I tried two of them and I could not get them to connect to my wi-fi. I am using a deco mesh Network 6E.Moving on to this unit. There are definitely some improvements they can make, but the fact that I got it connected within 10 minutes, was great! I became so frustrated with the last attempt from the other brand that I was starting to give up and getting ready to go back to a manual controller.I only have two zones. I used to have about six zones but I found out that I didn't need them. So I consolidated them to two zones and I decided to get the four zone controller.Can activity was a breeze. I had to wait about 5 to 10 minutes for a firmware update. Please be patient and make sure you do not turn the power off while you are doing the firmware update.I haven't used any of the automated features yet. I just simply wanted to control these from my phone I achieve this within minutes.Some of the things that I wish this thing had. The screw down terminals would be better if they were just spring clips. This is not a deal breaker but if you are working in a tight space it could make things a little bit more difficult. Since I was working in a tight space, it didn't help but wasn't the end of the world.The build quality seems fair, but the cable management could also improve. Not really sure what the purpose of the ring clip at the bottom is for.The app seems really easy to use. Based on the reviews in the app store, I don't see it being an issue.If you're hesitating, get one

I'm surprised this wifi connected controller is so inexpensive. This is my second B-Hyve ... I was an early adopter and got the first one they released for the sprinkler system in my front yard and now have this one for the valves in the back. It's easy to connect and more importantly, easy to see when it's disconnected which is why I replaced my old controller ... it had lost power from the outlet and all my plants were struggling. The dead plants were my first hint the sprinklers weren't going on !I added this to the same app that gets my front yard and I can set it up to water when conditions warrant, or a set schedule. Better yet, if I suspect something is wrong, I can look on the app and see how much watering has been done and when, and turn on the system remotely from wherever we are.Just a tip: it's nearly impossible to loosen the tiny screws to connect the wires. I got one unscrewed no problem but then the rest were jammed and way past where you'd think they're supposed to be. I actually started a support chat to see if this was a common problem and got nowhere; I ordered another unit immediately to see if it was a fluke and it had the same problem but two of the screws I was able to budge. I ended up getting a pair of thick rubber kitchen gloves for super grip on the tiny screwdriver, and cramming the unit into a leather sofa cushion to keep it steady, then putting all my weight on the screwdriver to pop the screws out of the stuck position. I was able to get two of the 4 valves on one of them loosened, plus the AC ones and the Comm and since I only have two valves out there that was sufficient. Just know it's not you! Try HARD before you give up and send it back.

Love it. Was so easy to install and set up. I'm using the Smart Watering Program and was super easy. After I programed it by answering some easy questions the app said it wouldn't water for five days. That's because it sees we are getting rain via the internet the next few days so no need to water. If it doesn't rain and I want to water it's just one tap in the app to manually water. I highly recommend this product.

I bought the b-hyve to replace a controller which had gone bad. I was hesitant to buy a smart controller and although I've only owned it a short time, so far so good. The most difficult part of the installation was loosening the screws for the electrical leads. The included screwdriver was useless and the screws were so tight I wound up having to use WD-40 to get them to budge. App set up was straight forward although the App didn't save my initial zone set up so I had to go in and re-enter all the zone data a second time which was not difficult but a little time consuming.I like the smart watering feature and am using that rather than programs I create myself. The best part of the app for me is the watering history feature which tells me when my zones turned on and off. My previous controller's timer was unreliable and I was always wondering when and for how long my lawn was being watered.4 stars for the issue with the lead screws.

Easy to set up, as long as your wifi reaches your garage (where the unit is located). Android app is okay. It uses bluetooth to connect while you are home. Only con: The "b" in the center is a blue LED...it's crazy bright at night. I put a piece of tape over it. This unit replaced my working Rainbird unit, because it did not have wifi.

Quick and easy to setup. Works fine. Software seems stable and free of glitches. The manual setup has plenty of flexibility to adjust each zone. I haven't tried the automatic "smart watering" feature.