Rachio 3 WiFi Smart Lawn Sprinkler Controller, Compatible with Alexa, 16-Zone

There are over 80 people on the rachio website with bricked rachio 3 because power outage. It happened to me before I even got it set up. They will replace it IF you are in USA, they will ship overseas, but, wont replace unit. I am in UK, Look for a more robust timer

I finally replaced my RainBird system which worked well but was old and outdated. This system was recommended by friends and relatives and it is great! Right out of the box the instructions were very clear and easy to understand. I labeled all the old wires as I took the old system apart which definitely helped with the new installation. The controller is very easy to mount and the wiring is a simple push and lock mechanism. Since it connects to wifi it gathers weather data from numerous sources and seems even more accurate than the local forecast. I've already had it tell me it would "skip" watering and then as the forecast changed it deleted the skip and watered as required. The app is very intuitive and user friendly. Having access anywhere makes watering a breeze with the ability to control everything about all zones (we have 15). I highly recommend this system as a great value for the cost.

I replaced my Rainbird controller. I was tired of the WiFi disconnecting because it only works with 3G. The Rainbird app is very antiquated and runs more like an old DOS program. I setup the Rachio in about a half hour. Very easy. Please note that wiring from an existing system might be difficult to stretch along the much wider Rachio panel. I love the App, and it is real WiFi, not a manual box connected to the internet like Rainbird. My only issue was after walking around and setting up each zone, it calculated watering for over 9 hours. We’d water for 3, maybe 4 hours when we set each station manually. So, I had to go back and manually adjust. So far so good. Rachio is a much more advanced system and technology, and you can also manually water from the box if you choose. It’s also the better value for the price.

I wish I had installed this long ago. I've had a Rain Bird ESP-TM12 controller with wifi module for years and even spent extra money to "upgrade" to their 2nd gen wifi module, but the connection was never reliable, slow, and the app is primitive. My sprinkler maintenance guy only supports Rainbird/Hunter controllers, so he told me I was on my own if I went with Rachio. I'm glad I didn't listen to him! Super easy to replace an existing controller, super easy to set up, with flawless wifi and a great app. I placed it exactly at the same location, and had no wifi issues, so I now I know it was Rainbird's crappy wifi link/link2 modules. The installation guide was great, and took care of any anxiety I had about the wiring. Well worth the money, the peace of mind, with no aggravation. Don't waste money on other controllers.

I am overwhelmingly satisfied with this product. Not only is it a smart system (keeps me from running my sprinkler system in the middle of a rain storm) but it also allows me to water a specific area and control that from a comfortable seat on my deck without having to run down to my basement where the controller is mounted and then run back up to see if I started the right zone. My neighbor told me about this product (and he helped me install it). I don’t often write product reviews and they are typically negative. But I would feel bad if I didn’t give praise where praise is absolutely warranted.

I bought it for the remote control, but it fixed all the problems I had with my old controller. My zones all work better than every (some were flaky - I thought it was wires in the ground) now everything works perfectly... Bonus!!! I love everything about it and .... importantly I did have an install issue and their support was excellent. Both the automated AI part and the human part. I highly recommend this controller - so simply because it is so well done (hardware/software/services)..