Customer Reviews
Not watertight 
2008-07-20
What amazes me about this OUTDOOR water timer is their warning: "Use only in upright position to keep water out of the battery compartment". Given that it is used OUTSIDE in the RAIN, and is attached to a hose bib (all of which leak), one might think they would make a battery compartment that has a rubber sealing gasket and screws on tight to keep the internal mechanism dry. Instead, they have a cheap plastic snap on cover for the battery that doesn't come close to sealing tightly to keep the water out.
Would you buy an umbrella with holes? If not, why buy this timer? It would take about 50 cents to design the battery compartment correctly. I already sent mine back after the first rainstorm flooded it. It is incredible how thoughtless in design some companies can be. An outdoor electronic mechanism should be watertight. It really is that simple.
Excellent Water Timer 
2008-06-30
I've had this unit now for about a week, its up and running, and everything seems fine. Other reviewers have said that to program this unit you really need to keep the instruction manual handy, and I agree with this. Had the folks at Gardena used a different color scale for each of the four timing stages, instead of a black/grey scale for all four timing sequences programing would have been a snap. For example why not use a red scale was for the time of day, a blue for duration of the on cycle, etc., then no reference to the manual would have been necessary.
Other than the initial programming issue, this seems to be a well built unit which I look forward to using.
Best water timer I've ever seen. 
2008-06-28
Best water timer I've ever seen. Well designed, energy efficient and simple to set up.
Poor Man's Sprinkler System 2008-06-24
Between the heat in Houston and the urine from my two dogs, my grass has always been an atrocity. I have known that water was the answer, but rarely got in a routine of sprinkling the grass regularly. The only alternative I knew of was a sprinkler system, but I haven't felt the need to invest. I live in a townhome and have a pretty small yard.
The other day my wife's aunt turned me on to a low cost solution - the Gardena 3-Cycle Electronic Water Timer. All you do is connect it to your faucet on one end and a hose on the bottom. This thing is real easy to schedule.
I ended up buying a two channel water distributor and connected it to the bottom of the timer, which let me hook up two hoses that come on during the scheduled time so I could water my whole lawn.
I have the "system" set for 25 minutes in the morning and afternoon. After two weeks, the grass looks better than it ever has before.
Great for just one year 
2008-06-14
This is the third timer that I've bought to water my garden (in 3 years).
PROS: It workED wonderful. I required it on 3 times per day and going in two directions, one to a soaker hose & the other with a regular hose 120 feet from the house. We don't have good water pressure and I found it DID maintain enough for both directions without a problem. There was a little leaking at the connection but with a little turn it fixed it (this may be due to our hoses, not the Gardena water timer). It worked in temps as low as 40 degrees (I didn't attempt anything lower so it wouldn't be damaged) and as high as 90 degrees.
CONS: It's a solid product. However, at the end of the season, the display was worn off and even with new batteries, it doesn't light up anymore, rendering it useless (even with it being on the south side of the house with lots of shade most the time. Without the ability to program it I need to throw $$ into the trash (ouch!) It's was too expensive to have for just one year.
Maybe it was one of a kind but after 3 years of frustration, I'm searching for one that will be automatic and not a digital display. I cannot afford to be going through that price every year for timers that do not work. I was really hooked on it and wish it would have lasted longer. I'm going for "turn the dial" now.
pricey, but sturdy - limited features 2008-06-12
Durable and made to last, the Gardena three-cycle electronic water timer keeps your lawn or garden irrigated, even during the hot summer months. This compact and dependable timer waters up to three times per day (from 1 to 180 minutes) and features an automatic on/off feature and quick connect for added convenience.
Gardena 3-Cycle Electronic Water Timer 2008-06-05
Product works great. The Melnor products I had before did not last. This product works on the old batteries from the Melnor. Another great feature is you can remove the programmer from the rest of the device without disconnecting anything for hard to reach areas.
Works perfect! 2008-05-27
This water timer works great. It is very easy to set the program and you wont even need the instruction manual after you set it the first time. I have it running 2-3 times a day and it is holding up perfectly, doesn't leak and runs like clockwork.
Good Product 2008-05-27
I've had this item for several days. So far it seems to work as stated. Fiancee programmed it pretty easily. We set it to 30 minutes of watering, and even when you just switch it to "on" it seems it will water for only 30 minutes before it shuts off, which is good because we're forgetful people, just not what we expected. Hooks up easily to the outdoor faucet and doesn't leak, which is impressive as when the valve is left open with only a hose attached it definitely leaks.
Greatly Improved 2008-05-15
I've been a fan of Gardena timers for many years but they've made the interface on this one much friendlier. It's very easy to reset and much more intuitive than their former models. I use them at our home to control the watering for all of our containers, as well as at client's homes for the same purpose.
