Orbit B-Hyve XD 4 Port Bluetooth Tap Timer For Lawns & Gardens

I was skeptical at first as to how well these would work but I had a lot of grass area I needed to water so I gave them a shot. I was very impressed with the capability of these units which allow you through an app to monitor each station and zone where they are installed. Remotely on my phone I can schedule them to run, allow them to run the schedule and then delay running by hours or days if it's raining. They come with many extras to purchase which expand their reach to monitoring ground moisture and even can act as a lead detector and security system. These features require access to a network and WIFI on site but mosts home sites have or can add that element without a lot of expense, and you can take it with you when the job is done to the next location or sell ... MoreI was skeptical at first as to how well these would work but I had a lot of grass area I needed to water so I gave them a shot. I was very impressed with the capability of these units which allow you through an app to monitor each station and zone where they are installed. Remotely on my phone I can schedule them to run, allow them to run the schedule and then delay running by hours or days if it's raining. They come with many extras to purchase which expand their reach to monitoring ground moisture and even can act as a lead detector and security system. These features require access to a network and WIFI on site but mosts home sites have or can add that element without a lot of expense, and you can take it with you when the job is done to the next location or sell it to the new owner and get another.

I find this works best with the bhyve hub rather than just using blue tooth. I've also added a USB cord that connects to dummy batteries and this replaced the bed for switching out aa batteries every month. I've kept the timer in the shade to try to prevent the screen from being bleached. Otherwise I can't really complain, this timer has worked perfectly right out of the box - no leaks, no failure to turn on or off as programmed. The hub, which was an additional purchase, was easy to program/install and I didn't have to do anything for this timer to connect wirelessly to the hub. Put simply, it works flawlessly.

Cheap Product

Pros: easy small scale watering installation. In theory the Bluetooth capability makes an easy activation/deactivation. Cons: Bluetooth connections are weak no matter how close you are. I purchased 2 and both have to reconnect every time you need to use it i.e. once to manually run, again if you change your mind immediately to turn it off. Worst are the plastic male hose attachements that don't seem to be standard thread and become stripped with the slightest error, rendering that connection useless. NOT worth the money for something that can so easily become useless.

Connectivity is not reliable

The Orbit manual 4 hose control worked extremely well. They were easy to program, easy to use, and the batteries lasted an entire year. I have 4 of these bluetooth Sprinklers setup and they eat batteries. The connectivity to the sprinkler via my phone is erratic at best and many times I have to walk out to the sprinkler to get it to connect. When they do connect, it is slow to make changes. I much prefer the old style. I do not recommend these and I am looking for something to replace them.

DO NOT BUY

Purchased this unit and the wifi add on. Set unit up, went on vacation for 7 days, unit stopped working after only 3 days. Lost several plants and the lawn is now brown. I exchanged the unit for another one and it failed after only 1 day. You could hear the unit opening the valve inside however no water would come out while using the manual button on the unit. The wi-fi and app are trash, it will tell you that the unit is on and watering, etc but no water will come out. Even customer service could not get it to work. Spend just a little more money and get a different brand.

Get 2yr warranty

Timer works great manually. APP works okay. I suggest you get the extra warranty on it since it only lasted one full season. Yes! I made sure to store it inside during the winter. Malfunction: Zone 4 never shut off. I did like this product enough that I purchased a second one to replace the broken one. Before deciding to toss the old one, I decided to open up the faulty b-hyve xd to see if there was anyway I could fix it or at least find out what went wrong with it.What I discovered was a cracked part on zone 4. See picture.To the manufacturer i would say please make things to last more than a season.

Great device for your watering needs

This smart watering timer is very convenient for anyone who has one area that needs to be consistently watered. This kit comes with the hub which allows you to control the timer through an app on your phone or android/apple device. Installation is very easy and straightforward. Programming the timer manually on the timer itself is clunky but through the app it's a breeze. Therefore the app is a must have as it also enables many other features that you can't access manually.The Zone Smart Watering allows the controller to receive local weather data and automatically adjusts your controller to deliver the right amount of water to your plants and turf based on the information you input when first. However, that also means it is not as accurate as having a rain sensor ... MoreThis smart watering timer is very convenient for anyone who has one area that needs to be consistently watered. This kit comes with the hub which allows you to control the timer through an app on your phone or android/apple device. Installation is very easy and straightforward. Programming the timer manually on the timer itself is clunky but through the app it's a breeze. Therefore the app is a must have as it also enables many other features that you can't access manually.The Zone Smart Watering allows the controller to receive local weather data and automatically adjusts your controller to deliver the right amount of water to your plants and turf based on the information you input when first. However, that also means it is not as accurate as having a rain sensor on your property as weather data is not always accurate.This watering timer is a much more economical and easier to maintain than an irrigation system and works just as well.Overall, I think this a great device for automating watering on your property. If you have more than one zone that needs watering I recommend getting one with the number of outlets that corresponds to the number of zones you have for ultimate convenience.

Great if you want to water 24 hours

First off I hate the watering options on this timer. There is an option to water every 1 hour. Why would you ever want to water every hour? When setting timer for the first time, especially in the sun when you see the 1 you assume it's every 1 day. I went away for a long weekend thinking it would water 40 minutes once a day but instead it watered 40 minutes every hour. I am luck my well did not run dry. Then after 1 month of use I noticed my berry plants with a drip hose were watering all day. This zone valve was now stuck open so I had to buy a screw on cap to close off that valve which now made my 4 zone timer a 3 zone timer. 1 month later another zone was watering all day and same thing another valve was stuck open. If you want to kill your garden or whatever ... MoreFirst off I hate the watering options on this timer. There is an option to water every 1 hour. Why would you ever want to water every hour? When setting timer for the first time, especially in the sun when you see the 1 you assume it's every 1 day. I went away for a long weekend thinking it would water 40 minutes once a day but instead it watered 40 minutes every hour. I am luck my well did not run dry. Then after 1 month of use I noticed my berry plants with a drip hose were watering all day. This zone valve was now stuck open so I had to buy a screw on cap to close off that valve which now made my 4 zone timer a 3 zone timer. 1 month later another zone was watering all day and same thing another valve was stuck open. If you want to kill your garden or whatever else you are using this for go ahead and buy this useless timer. I now have to go through the hassle of coming up with a receipt so I can get a warranty replacement I am not even sure I want.

Make sure you install the hub first!

The B-hyve XD watering timer seems to be a quality item with more features then most people will likely ever use. Inside the box you'll find the Wi-Fi hub, watering timer, and instruction manual. 2 AA batteries are required and not included. Everything was well packaged without excess materials. I followed the instructions in order, and started by plugging in the Wi-Fi hub. This is my first B-Hyve product, so I then downloaded the app from Google Play. I opened the app and created an account, so far so good! I followed the in-app instructions and installed the timer, followed by the Wi-Fi hub. It seemed like everything was good to go, except I then started getting getting connection problems. I could get the timer to work over Bluetooth, but not Wi-Fi, which defeats ... MoreThe B-hyve XD watering timer seems to be a quality item with more features then most people will likely ever use. Inside the box you'll find the Wi-Fi hub, watering timer, and instruction manual. 2 AA batteries are required and not included. Everything was well packaged without excess materials. I followed the instructions in order, and started by plugging in the Wi-Fi hub. This is my first B-Hyve product, so I then downloaded the app from Google Play. I opened the app and created an account, so far so good! I followed the in-app instructions and installed the timer, followed by the Wi-Fi hub. It seemed like everything was good to go, except I then started getting getting connection problems. I could get the timer to work over Bluetooth, but not Wi-Fi, which defeats the purpose of this unit. After a frustrating amount of time troubleshooting I decided to uninstall and reset the timer, and then add it back in...voila, it worked fine. I'm guessing the key is to make sure the hub is the first thing you add to the app, then move on to any timers, etc. Unfortunately this was not stated in the instructions or in-app instructions which is why I'm deducting a star. Now that it's set up it seems to be working great. I'll continue to play with settings and schedules, but for my purposes of watering a vegetable garden this seems like it'll work out well.

No more forgetting to turn off the sprinklers!!!

This 4-port hose time is a winner! No leaks. Should this change, I'll update my review. But let's hope it doesn't come to that. Great days in the morning! In the past, I've used 4-port timers by a competing brand and like clockwork they would leak every year. I appreciate the Wi-Fi (and Bluetooth) connectivity feature that this timer offers as I prefer to control the timer remotely via Wi-Fi since I can control it from anywhere as long as I am connected to the Internet. That said, to configure it as such, it requires downloading the Orbit B-Hyve app to your Apple or Android device. Within the app you can add devices (hose timers, Wi-Fi Hubs, etc.) to your heart's content.