Rachio 4ZULW-C 3rd Generation: Smart, 4 Zone Sprinkler Controller, Works with Alexa

Physical install and wifi setup super easy,Zone setup, the app is a little opposite to how you think it would work , everything else has been great. Times schedules with the sunrise, temperatures, season,And the best part, I can test my zones with my phone! No more running back and forth.Works with home security system as well as its own app.

I just replaced an older Orbit model 27896 irrigation controller today with this Rachio 3 4-Zone Irrigation Controller (made 8/2022), and the entire process took less than 10 minutes, including most of the time spent removing the old unit and affixing the new. Here are my Pros and Cons:PROS:1 - Unit is small and if installed indoors (like mine) it takes very little wall space.2 - The Rachio iOS App is very easy and simple to setup and use. Has great features and allows for a lot of customizations, down to the irrigation nozzle type (dripper, bubbler, spray head, emitter, mister, etc...)3 - Great weather integration based on your specified address, with customizable Rain, Wind & Freeze delays.4 - Interfaces with & works seamlessly with the expensive Tempest Weather System by WeatherFlow (get Rachio sync code from Tempest support).5 - Surprisingly HomeKit integration IS supported in the Rachio App and works great! (just write down and save you sync code)6 - Zone Programming is a breeze & supports zone pictures for easy identification of zones as well as marking both zones and irrigation type on an aerial map.7 - Supports WiFi in both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands (a lot more flexible than most 2.4 GHz only devices) - Mine connected at 5GHz and has amazing -50 bBm signal strength.CONS:1 - No LCD display, just a 4-way button and sectional LED bar that is not very easy to read/identity the active zone on. You'll find yourself controlling it using the App 99% of the time due to this.2 - Outdoor weatherized housing is sold separately (tho not very expensive at around $30)3 - Faceplate is magnetic and while it attaches easily it does not do so very securely.4 - Unlike the Orbit model 27896 I replaced, the Rachio 3 does not seem to have an internal/backup battery.5 - Irrigation schedules need ability to just choose start & end months instead of exact dates, so that the system can operate on different schedules on an ongoing basis.For me the lack of LCD & battery as well as the months without dates are the biggest gripes, and I think this is where Rachio could improve, but aside from that, I am VERY pleased with my new Irrigation Controller.

Great product. Second purchase. Easy to setup and use.

So simple from the app. Can adjust anywhere, anytime!

This controller was so easy to install and set up! The whole process probably took a half hour. Using a picture of the old timer that it replaced, wiring the new one only took a minute. From there I downloaded the app, created an account with Rachio, and then simply answered questions in the app to connect to wifi and complete the setup.There were no problems whatsoever - probably the easiest wifi-related setup I have ever experienced! The user interface is easy to use and contains all of the info needed to monitor sprinkler activity. The app is super flexible, allowing any watering pattern you can imagine. So far, the controller has worked flawlessly. I couldn't be happier with both hardware and software!