OT: Garden Watering Timers

[stephec]

Has anyone ever used one of these. I bought a cheap one from Lidl last year to keep my geenhouse watered while I was away for a week. Once I had it connected to the tap, and the times programmed, I turned the tap on and straight away water peed out from the connector between the tap and the timer. Back it went to Lidl, and the one I exchanged it for did exactly the same thing.

I got myself one of this years Lidl version again today, this time the leak is down to a tiny trickle, but over a week will probably be quite a bit.

Does anyone use a more reputable brand eg Hozelock, and if you do is it leak free?

Is this another case of you get what you pay for? Buy cheap, buy twice!

 

[summerdays]

Hmm.. we used a bag system last year (from TwoWest I think), and it worked but only for a day or two ... good adjustable drips or sprayers but the bag drained in a couple of days. He did buy the lidl ones this year but found the things leaked ... but is going to set it up to water the potatoes in tubs anyway.

This year Mr Summerdays is getting carried away (as a mad inventor)... earlier in the year he installed guttering on the inside of the greenhouse... fitted a water but outside, and now has some kind of pump to get the water to the guttering to feed the drips...

As yet nothing in the greenhouse is big enough to need watering on this scale so I can't comment on how well the system will work in the long run.

 

[stephec]

Hmm.. we used a bag system last year (from TwoWest I think), and it worked but only for a day or two ... good adjustable drips or sprayers but the bag drained in a couple of days. He did buy the lidl ones this year but found the things leaked ... but is going to set it up to water the potatoes in tubs anyway.

This year Mr Summerdays is getting carried away (as a mad inventor)... earlier in the year he installed guttering on the inside of the greenhouse... fitted a water but outside, and now has some kind of pump to get the water to the guttering to feed the drips...

As yet nothing in the greenhouse is big enough to need watering on this scale so I can't comment on how well the system will work in the long run.

That sounds like something the A Team would build to geet themselves out of a tight spot!

 

[summerdays]

He's just woken up this morning and realised he hasn't considered the veg plot which isn't near the greenhouse/water butt. I think a neighbour would be the easiest answer

And I've been corrected that the system is now up and working watering our tomato plants (about 4 inches high, transferred into their final big pots - so hardly needing much watering).

 

[Aperitif]

I have used a Hozelock for five years without problem - easy to operate and overide etc It is the rudimentary / earlier version of this. After renewing all the house plumbing a couple of months ago, I haven't got around to refitting the unit and it is a 'pain in the butt' turning the hose tap off manually! (Warning: encourages laziness!)
Runs on a PP3 battery

 

[Headgardener]

I used to have a Hozelock one back at our last house, didn't leak at all. In the chaos of moving it and the manifold that it was attached to got left behind but as we don't have an outside tap at the flat it is not missed.