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Rachio WiFi Smart Lawn Sprinkler Controller, Works with Alexa, 8-Zone (2nd Generation) (8ZULW-B)
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Brand | Rachio |
Product Dimensions | 9.25"L x 1.5"W x 5.5"H |
Material | Plastic |
Item Weight | 2.5 Pounds |
About this item
- 5-STAR RATINGS. Amazon’s most- and highest-rated Wi-Fi sprinkler controller.
- Avoid watering in the rain. Exclusive weather intelligence automatically skips unnecessary watering with features like rain skip, wind skip, freeze skip, and more.
- Control from anywhere with the easy-to-use app. Run sprinklers, view upcoming schedules, and observe your estimated outdoor water usage.
- Experience fast DIY installation. Rachio Smart sprinkler controllers replace 99% of existing sprinkler controllers. Install in 30 minutes or less with no special tools needed. Our in-app installation tutorial helps you get online and watering in no time!
- Deliver all the water your plants need; no more, No less. Rachio creates tailored Smart schedules based on the specific needs of your lawn, including plant type, soil type, sun exposure, and more.
- Power source type: Corded Electric. No Hub Required for Voice Control
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From the manufacturer
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Product Description
Take the guesswork out of watering with a Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller. The easy-to-use mobile app lets you manage your sprinklers without running back and forth to the controller, while automatic weather adjustments mean no more watering in the rain. Get peace of mind - Rachio knows just how much water your yard needs. Control your sprinklers using a smartphone or with category-leading smart home integrations, including Amazon Alexa and more. Master Valve-Compatible with master valve, pump relay, or indexing valve. Wi-Fi Connection - Wi-Fi (2.4GHz) required. Supports dedicated 2.4GHz and dual-band networks. Cannot operate on 5 GHz only networks. Sensors Rain Sensor - Wired & Wireless Normally Closed (NC) sensors, Soil Sensor - Wired & Wireless Normally Closed (NC) sensors, Wired Flow Sensors
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Product information
Product Dimensions | 9.25 x 1.5 x 5.5 inches |
---|---|
Item Weight | 2.5 pounds |
Department | Lawn and Garden |
Manufacturer | Rachio |
ASIN | B01D1NMLJU |
Item model number | 8ZULW-B |
Customer Reviews |
4.6 out of 5 stars |
Best Sellers Rank | #213,893 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden) #186 in Automatic Irrigation Controllers |
Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
Warranty & Support
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This Item Rachio WiFi Smart Lawn Sprinkler Controller, Works with Alexa, 8-Zone (2nd Generation) (8ZULW-B) | Recommendations | dummy | dummy | dummy | dummy | |
Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | Try again! Added to Cart | |
Price | -16% $168.00$168.00 List: $199.99 | $119.99$119.99 | -34% $99.00$99.00 List: $149.99 | $249.99$249.99 | -18% $140.00$140.00 New Price: $171.47 | -21% $132.90$132.90 List: $167.99 |
Delivery | Get it Apr 2 - 4 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 | — | Get it as soon as Tuesday, Apr 2 |
Customer Ratings | ||||||
Smart Features | 4.6 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.8 | 4.3 | 4.2 |
User interface | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 4.7 | 3.8 | 4.1 |
WiFi signal | 4.6 | 4.6 | 4.4 | 5.0 | 5.0 | — |
Alexa integration | 4.4 | 3.6 | 4.1 | — | 4.0 | 3.9 |
Easy to install | 4.7 | — | 4.7 | 4.8 | — | 4.2 |
Sold By | Onlinellc | Netro Inc | Amazon.com | ImoLaza | nok Store | Amazon.com |
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers like the ease of setup, quality and ease of use of the controller. For example, they mention it's flawless, impressive and easy to use. Customers are also impresseded with the smart features and ability to control everything with their phone. That said, they appreciate the adjustability.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
Customers find the controller easy to setup and use. They say the app is intuitive and well thought out, making it simple to set up and use the controller. They also mention that the wiring is straightforward and the UI is intuitive. Customers say the controller connects right away and the commands are logical.
"...We did test it out, though, and it's flawless and the commands are logical.What I'd like improved:1. Help links are broken...." Read more
"...The Rachio Gen2 (8 Station) is a wonderful product. It is very easy to install and it is truly Smart...." Read more
"...The basic install is easy my case 6 zones ten wires two not used, and two of the ten black wires for return circuit connected to the c. Then there..." Read more
"...It was actually pretty straight-forward to figure it out. We just picked 3 cables and wired 1 to the 8 station and 2 to the 16 station controller...." Read more
Customers are satisfied with the quality of the controller. They mention that it works great, is exceptionally impressive, and is well thought out. They also appreciate the good design, easy installation, and connectivity. Customers also mention that the controller pulls in signal very well.
"...We did test it out, though, and it's flawless and the commands are logical.What I'd like improved:1. Help links are broken...." Read more
"...It is very easy to install and it is truly Smart. It configures itself for optimal performance, based on the inputs one provides - soil type, plant..." Read more
"...The Quality of the unit, I think the unit is fairly well built my only real grip is the push in clips for the wires and no on unit menu...." Read more
"...-Still works when Wi-Fi goes down. I had an instance when my internet went down for a day...." Read more
Customers like the ease of use of the controller. They mention that the app is very user friendly, intuitive, and convenient. They also appreciate the attractive interface and the clear, concise website. Overall, customers are happy with the product's ease of usage.
"...Here's why:1. The app! The Rachio's app is among the very best we've seen among ALL the smart home vendors - it's intuitive, easy-yet-..." Read more
"...App is great even tells you based on selections how much water you used...." Read more
"...The app is great. The community is great. Their support (I had a question about shrubs) is great and quick, too...." Read more
"...They did not work. The App indicated that they should be working but the weren't...." Read more
Customers like the control of the product. They mention that the functionality of the controller is so-so, they love the smart features, and that they are able to control everything with their phone. They also appreciate the extensive control features of the Rachio, such as being able set the soil type, slope, and remotely control their sprinkler system.
"...3. Level of control. The app gives you a fantastic level of control, so you can indicate soil type, amount of sunlight, type of plants, etc...." Read more
"...So I bought a Gen 2 and fired it up. It was fantastic. It has a great phone App, which offers numerous Smart watering features that I can easily..." Read more
"...The great thing about this controller is that it is Wi-Fi and can be controlled from your phone anywhere your phone has a signal...." Read more
"...-Access to the controller 'virtually' anywhere. Since this is connected via Wi-Fi, I can control it from my phone and/or computer...." Read more
Customers are happy with the adjustability of the controller. They say it allows full control of watering schedule, using local weather to automatically adjust to it. They also appreciate the ability to make sprinkler adjustments using the app on their phone. They mention there are several options to choose from when scheduling, and it adjusts the time to the appropriate amount. They like that they could easily make adjustments without trying to figure out a timer. They appreciate the different configuration modes, from full automation to full control.
"...Pros, you can set any zone to water anytime without impacting other zones. App is great even tells you based on selections how much water you used...." Read more
"...Although the Rachio has a super sophisticated watering system that automatically checks weather maps and soil conditions for our area via Wifi, it's..." Read more
"...-Everything is adjustable. While the Rachio will offer recommended settings based on your lawn, soil type, coverage area, etc.,..." Read more
"...extremely easy to operate for a basic user while being unbelievably capable of fine-tuning for specific needs and advanced users...." Read more
Customers like the water conservation features of the controller. They say it adjusts set programs to effectively and efficiently water their yard. Customers also appreciate the intelligent use of water without constant manual. They mention that it has saved them thousands of gallons of water.
"...First time I watered I was amazed that I had almost no water run off even though I live on a hill." Read more
"...rain sensors and weather station data to predict rain and save from unnecessary water use.Customer service is great!Cons:..." Read more
"...I am saving money and conserving water...." Read more
"...3. Water budgeting could use some improvement...." Read more
Customers appreciate the value of the controller. They say it's well worth the cost, has no additional costs associated with the service, and looks like a million bucks. Some customers also mention that it'll prove to be a reliable device. Overall, customers are happy with their purchase and recommend it to others.
"...4. Scheduling, water budgeting, and management. Basically, it does everything it claims, and it does it very well...." Read more
"...is 'smart' enough to skip the watering schedule for that day, saving money and avoiding the possibility of overwatering...." Read more
"...Mobile App and Website interface- No additional costs associated with the service!-..." Read more
"...This controller is top notch. A great investment. If it merely allowed me to remotely manage my watering schedules, that would have been good enough...." Read more
Customers like the weather intelligence of the controller. They mention that it connects to the local weather forecast, monitors the weather, and adjusts according to the forecast. Some appreciate the ability to monitor rainfall in the area and shift watering schedules. They also mention that the controller reads data from local weather stations to prevent watering if there will be a rain delay.
"...Rachio has a super sophisticated watering system that automatically checks weather maps and soil conditions for our area via Wifi, it's nice that it..." Read more
"...Using this information, the controller locates the closest weather station to assess the weather conditions in your area...." Read more
"...That was a little hard to set up, but other than that, easy. It reads the weather and initiates a rain delay, if required, with no input from me...." Read more
"...Not only does it work with most irrigation systems, it can connect to weather stations in your area to help predict wether or not rain will be..." Read more
Reviews with images
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Top reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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1. The app! The Rachio's app is among the very best we've seen among ALL the smart home vendors - it's intuitive, easy-yet-complete, and looks great (unlike, say, Hue or Wemo). It never crashes, doesn't require constant reinstallation (I'm glaring at you, Abode), and does what it needs to do with minimal fuss. I wish the other smart home manufacturers would study this app and imitate what it does right. They even thought of small things, like allowing you to snap a photo of an area to tag which zone you're watering.
2. Installation. You MUST have a plug nearby, but if you do, it's ridiculously easy to install. We had to have an electrician come to run a wire for us since our old system was low voltage, but that was the only hard part. If you've installed a thermostat (like the Nest), you should be fine with this.
3. Level of control. The app gives you a fantastic level of control, so you can indicate soil type, amount of sunlight, type of plants, etc. See below for a caveat on that, though.
4. Scheduling, water budgeting, and management. Basically, it does everything it claims, and it does it very well. My husband hates fidgeting with our smart home apps, but he seems to enjoy messing with the settings on the Rachios to optimize our watering schedules. He also appreciates the notifications when the sprinklers have run, or when they're on pause from rain.
5. Integration with Alexa and Google Home. For those that care, you're able to turn the sprinklers on and off with your voice. We've got ours scheduled, so I've never bothered doing this, personally. We did test it out, though, and it's flawless and the commands are logical.
What I'd like improved:
1. Help links are broken. Even in the "welcome" email they sent when I registered, the "click here to learn more" links were all broken. If you try to follow a link to learn about pretty much anything anywhere in the app, you get a "not found" page. Fortunately, the help section is easily accessible from a question mark icon at the bottom of the screen. I also assume they'll fix this fairly soon.
2. Needs more help on setting up zones and schedules. Since we inherited our irrigation system from the previous owners, we didn't have control over the sprinkler placement - some guidance from Rachio would have been nice to help us determine the best watering schedules. The help section talks about the basic mechanics of the apps, but they don't have answers to questions like, "Should each type of plant (grass, trees, roses, citrus, shrubs, etc.) be on its own schedule, or will Rachio water each based on its profile, even if they're all scheduled together?" Or "When Rachio says "watering for 123 minutes," does that mean the water is really running for 123 minutes, or is it watering for a few minutes, pausing, etc.?" There is a very handy article on figuring out your soil type, although of course I couldn't get to it from the link when setting up my zones (got the "not found" error). It's worth hunting for it, though.
3. Water budgeting could use some improvement. I love that the Rachio reads the local weather station, but I'm disappointed that it seems to consider a 25% chance of rain a reason not to water. I'd prefer that it only actually not water when there's actual rain, since that 25% means there's a 75% chance it'll be dry. This happened yesterday, when a thunderstorm moved through our area a few miles away. It's the only rain our area has seen in months (and it wasn't even near us or the weather station), so having the Rachio decide not to water was just annoying.
Overall, I'm very happy we invested in our two Rachios, and hope to see them continue to improve on an already-great product. Oh, and our local water utility gave us a substantial rebate, so be sure to look up what's available in your area.
The Product.
The Rachio Gen2 (8 Station) is a wonderful product. It is very easy to install and it is truly Smart. It configures itself for optimal performance, based on the inputs one provides - soil type, plant type, sun, shade, etc. I could have bought a locally supplied controller however some of those brands wanted an annual subscription fee in order to incorporate weather data, which enables to controller to skip watering when it rains, when it's too windy or the ground is saturated, etc. With those local brands, I was ostensibly getting a "Dumb" controller, unless I coughed up an additional $60 p.a. Basically, they wanted me to pay for data which is freely provided by the Bureau of Meteorology and other weather sources. No way! With Weather Intelligence Plus®, Rachio can aggregate 270,000 personal and commercial weather stations worldwide, for extreme accuracy. If you prefer, you can also choose the weather station you want. If it were to go down, Rachio will automatically find and connect to the next nearest and available weather station; that's very cool!
The other thing that I liked when researching Rachio, was that the company appeared to genuinely "love" its product. It had a significant knowledge base and an online forum, with very active and supportive customers. People really like their gardens and they really Rachio!
So I bought a Gen 2 and fired it up. It was fantastic. It has a great phone App, which offers numerous Smart watering features that I can easily control, override. My Rachio Gen 2 is happy to either do everything for me or allow me full manual control over my watering, and every shade in between.
Being a Smart controller, it can be accessed anywhere in the world where there is either a wifi connection or cellular phone access. In February this year, during our hot Australian summer, we travelled to Northern India and then Vietnam. we were away for approximately one month. I had left the garden watering, to Rachio. As it hit 44 C. in Melbourne, while we were away, I has able to allay my paranoia by running some additional, non-scheduled watering from India and Vietnam. It was comforting to get an SMS back from my controller once they started and had completed. Please see the images of the pumpkin plant blocking our gate, on our return home! The Rachio is everything the company claims it to be; it's excellent and it's fun! My brother subsequently bought a Gen 2 as well for his farm and he is delighted with it.
After-sales Service.
Rachio provides first-class service!
My background: I am a Director of an agricultural machinery company. Our point of differentiation is our exceptional pre-sales and after-sales service. We don't just play lip-service to this: we are fully committed to providing great service and building long relationships with our customers. Similarly, Rachio doesn't just talk the talk: it walks the walk. My experience with Rachio customer service follows:
I recently attempted to activate terminals 7 & 8 of my Gen 2 controller. These hadn't been used before and I had some new vegetable beds to water. They did not work. The App indicated that they should be working but the weren't. Having a background in IT, I had experience in fault finding and went about A-B testing by connecting different solenoids to different controller terminals. I was able to rule out faulty solenoids. I subsequently emailed Rachio Support, which responded *promptly and courteously*. There is a significant time difference between the USA and Australia however depending on what time I sent emails, there was either a response that day or first thing, the next morning. To summarize my experience:
1. I was asked to try a potential but it failed.
2. The Support person, Skyler, then advised that he would send me a new controller straight away.
3. I advised Skyler that I wanted to do one more test, before he sent it. That subsequent test failed too.
4. I advised Skyler of this failure and provided delivery details. He responded quickly and said the new unit was on the way.
5. The replacement controller arrived in 4 DAYS!!!! That's from Colorado (I believe) to Melbourne, Australia in 4 days, free of charge! This was an unbelievably good turnaround.
6. The problem with zones 7 & 8 persisted with the new controller. (The fault appeared to have been copied over).
7. A senior technician, Jared, contacted me **without my having to ask**. He was very keen to sort out the problem.
8. He suggested a factory reset and voila! The new unit worked and so did the original controller once it was reset.
At no stage did I think I was a burden... indeed - I was "thanked" on numerous occasions for assisting them with the diagnosis. In the end, I believe the problem was a small glitch in an earlier version of the firmware. The company hadn't seen it before, hence its taking a few days to sort it out.
I reiterate - from timely communication, diagnosis to delivery half way around the world in 4 days of a replacement controller, Rachio's customer service was exceptional. I thoroughly recommend this company and its products to everyone on the planet.
Suggestions for improvement?
Rachio may have attended to this already but if not, I would recommend that the required power supply, depending on your country, is nominated and supplied at the time of the order. I had to purchase a local 230V. power supply (AUD $20) as my original unit came with a 110V P/S. It would just make a great product a little bit better and besides, this product deserves to be sold worldwide, in large volumes because it's so good!
Disclosure: I've written this superlative review for no other reason than those contained in it. Buy with confidence.
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2018
The Product.
The Rachio Gen2 (8 Station) is a wonderful product. It is very easy to install and it is truly Smart. It configures itself for optimal performance, based on the inputs one provides - soil type, plant type, sun, shade, etc. I could have bought a locally supplied controller however some of those brands wanted an annual subscription fee in order to incorporate weather data, which enables to controller to skip watering when it rains, when it's too windy or the ground is saturated, etc. With those local brands, I was ostensibly getting a "Dumb" controller, unless I coughed up an additional $60 p.a. Basically, they wanted me to pay for data which is freely provided by the Bureau of Meteorology and other weather sources. No way! With Weather Intelligence Plus®, Rachio can aggregate 270,000 personal and commercial weather stations worldwide, for extreme accuracy. If you prefer, you can also choose the weather station you want. If it were to go down, Rachio will automatically find and connect to the next nearest and available weather station; that's very cool!
The other thing that I liked when researching Rachio, was that the company appeared to genuinely "love" its product. It had a significant knowledge base and an online forum, with very active and supportive customers. People really like their gardens and they really Rachio!
So I bought a Gen 2 and fired it up. It was fantastic. It has a great phone App, which offers numerous Smart watering features that I can easily control, override. My Rachio Gen 2 is happy to either do everything for me or allow me full manual control over my watering, and every shade in between.
Being a Smart controller, it can be accessed anywhere in the world where there is either a wifi connection or cellular phone access. In February this year, during our hot Australian summer, we travelled to Northern India and then Vietnam. we were away for approximately one month. I had left the garden watering, to Rachio. As it hit 44 C. in Melbourne, while we were away, I has able to allay my paranoia by running some additional, non-scheduled watering from India and Vietnam. It was comforting to get an SMS back from my controller once they started and had completed. Please see the images of the pumpkin plant blocking our gate, on our return home! The Rachio is everything the company claims it to be; it's excellent and it's fun! My brother subsequently bought a Gen 2 as well for his farm and he is delighted with it.
After-sales Service.
Rachio provides first-class service!
My background: I am a Director of an agricultural machinery company. Our point of differentiation is our exceptional pre-sales and after-sales service. We don't just play lip-service to this: we are fully committed to providing great service and building long relationships with our customers. Similarly, Rachio doesn't just talk the talk: it walks the walk. My experience with Rachio customer service follows:
I recently attempted to activate terminals 7 & 8 of my Gen 2 controller. These hadn't been used before and I had some new vegetable beds to water. They did not work. The App indicated that they should be working but the weren't. Having a background in IT, I had experience in fault finding and went about A-B testing by connecting different solenoids to different controller terminals. I was able to rule out faulty solenoids. I subsequently emailed Rachio Support, which responded *promptly and courteously*. There is a significant time difference between the USA and Australia however depending on what time I sent emails, there was either a response that day or first thing, the next morning. To summarize my experience:
1. I was asked to try a potential but it failed.
2. The Support person, Skyler, then advised that he would send me a new controller straight away.
3. I advised Skyler that I wanted to do one more test, before he sent it. That subsequent test failed too.
4. I advised Skyler of this failure and provided delivery details. He responded quickly and said the new unit was on the way.
5. The replacement controller arrived in 4 DAYS!!!! That's from Colorado (I believe) to Melbourne, Australia in 4 days, free of charge! This was an unbelievably good turnaround.
6. The problem with zones 7 & 8 persisted with the new controller. (The fault appeared to have been copied over).
7. A senior technician, Jared, contacted me **without my having to ask**. He was very keen to sort out the problem.
8. He suggested a factory reset and voila! The new unit worked and so did the original controller once it was reset.
At no stage did I think I was a burden... indeed - I was "thanked" on numerous occasions for assisting them with the diagnosis. In the end, I believe the problem was a small glitch in an earlier version of the firmware. The company hadn't seen it before, hence its taking a few days to sort it out.
I reiterate - from timely communication, diagnosis to delivery half way around the world in 4 days of a replacement controller, Rachio's customer service was exceptional. I thoroughly recommend this company and its products to everyone on the planet.
Suggestions for improvement?
Rachio may have attended to this already but if not, I would recommend that the required power supply, depending on your country, is nominated and supplied at the time of the order. I had to purchase a local 230V. power supply (AUD $20) as my original unit came with a 110V P/S. It would just make a great product a little bit better and besides, this product deserves to be sold worldwide, in large volumes because it's so good!
Disclosure: I've written this superlative review for no other reason than those contained in it. Buy with confidence.
Top reviews from other countries
Extremely easy install and a short learning curve for basic operation. Now I will study up on yhe advanced control features to see ow and which ones apply.
I had thought to add a flow meter to the main irrigation line but they appear quite pricey and seems there's a limited number of supported meter for thr Rachio. Still looking
My Rachio is in the garage and connecting to wifi was also very easy (I am using a wifi range extender).
The Rachio app is very intuitive, thus easy to setup and use. Zones are easy to reference as the app allows pictures and description. It is now so much easier controlling the sprinklers with my phone from any place and at any time instead of being restricted to when I am in the garage.
The app itself is well-designed, and I found it easy to use.
The main reason I bought this was that my old controller was beginning to give me issues (the programming keypad was failing). Using this unit, I am able to perform manual watering when I am away from home (this is especially beneficial for our garden).
I predict that this will also make my fall maintenance easier, in that I won't have to physically go to the controller to manually advance the irrigation zones while evacuating the water lines.
Since I am a building contractor, installing the Rachio controller in my home was not a problem. The controller looks as though it is hardwired however it is not. A nice clean look is very important to me. I was able to modify the wall which accepts the controller. Installation of the controller was pretty straightforward. Here are a few of the pros and cons:
Pros: The ability to control most aspects of the irrigation through my phone or computer is certainly beneficial. The Rachio Gen 2 controller uses local weather or PWS's for irrigation times. There are a couple of sensor options on the controller as well. (rain, flow) I can also manually water each zone, anytime, anywhere, if I want, thru my phone. I can also change schedules through my phone or computer. This is a very convenient feature for myself and potentially for my clients. I haven't had to use the one 800 number yet and the updates are relatively frequent. The engineers at Rachio seem to be making slight changes to the product with some improvements. So far...so good. (That's encouragement btw)
Cons: since the Rachio product is reliant on local weather stations to preform at its best, availability of good local or personal weather stations in my area is critical. The Rachio app allows you to choose local weather stations however these are limited to a few. My closes pws is 4.5 km away and the reliability is questionable. Having the WU (weather underground) as an option could be benificial to me and to Rachio. Personal weather stations in my area afiliated with the weather underground appear to be more reliant. Rachio does provide a work-a-round to the WU, but you must have a Mac ($1000-$2000). There are other option too but the price just goes up. ( special router, your own PWS $$$).
Power. An option to hardwire the product. I don't want to see the wires.
Start/Stop. I see the option to start irrigation at a specific time within the app but...I don't see the option to stop irrigation at a specific time. I need to stop at 9am. C'mon!
Generally the Rachio Gen 2 product is fairly good. The updates and improvements seem slow in coming but I hold out hope that they will eventually arrive. I'll use the Rachio and watch the updates but I will keep the Rainbird ESP-ME on hand just in case.
Update; April 2017, I've been using the Gen2 Rachio for almost a year now. No glitches at all. Updates are regular and the controller preformed as advertised. Other irrigation controllers are late to the table (smart features) or too bulky. I would give this controller 4 1/2 to 5 stars (ability to hardwire and weather station).
So far...very good.
Reviewed in Canada on July 4, 2016
Since I am a building contractor, installing the Rachio controller in my home was not a problem. The controller looks as though it is hardwired however it is not. A nice clean look is very important to me. I was able to modify the wall which accepts the controller. Installation of the controller was pretty straightforward. Here are a few of the pros and cons:
Pros: The ability to control most aspects of the irrigation through my phone or computer is certainly beneficial. The Rachio Gen 2 controller uses local weather or PWS's for irrigation times. There are a couple of sensor options on the controller as well. (rain, flow) I can also manually water each zone, anytime, anywhere, if I want, thru my phone. I can also change schedules through my phone or computer. This is a very convenient feature for myself and potentially for my clients. I haven't had to use the one 800 number yet and the updates are relatively frequent. The engineers at Rachio seem to be making slight changes to the product with some improvements. So far...so good. (That's encouragement btw)
Cons: since the Rachio product is reliant on local weather stations to preform at its best, availability of good local or personal weather stations in my area is critical. The Rachio app allows you to choose local weather stations however these are limited to a few. My closes pws is 4.5 km away and the reliability is questionable. Having the WU (weather underground) as an option could be benificial to me and to Rachio. Personal weather stations in my area afiliated with the weather underground appear to be more reliant. Rachio does provide a work-a-round to the WU, but you must have a Mac ($1000-$2000). There are other option too but the price just goes up. ( special router, your own PWS $$$).
Power. An option to hardwire the product. I don't want to see the wires.
Start/Stop. I see the option to start irrigation at a specific time within the app but...I don't see the option to stop irrigation at a specific time. I need to stop at 9am. C'mon!
Generally the Rachio Gen 2 product is fairly good. The updates and improvements seem slow in coming but I hold out hope that they will eventually arrive. I'll use the Rachio and watch the updates but I will keep the Rainbird ESP-ME on hand just in case.
Update; April 2017, I've been using the Gen2 Rachio for almost a year now. No glitches at all. Updates are regular and the controller preformed as advertised. Other irrigation controllers are late to the table (smart features) or too bulky. I would give this controller 4 1/2 to 5 stars (ability to hardwire and weather station).
So far...very good.