b-hyve 4+

I use this app on the Orbit B-Hyve XR and it works as it should for daily watering but the interval watering does not work. I set the unit up to water my trees every two weeks and when the time to water comes, nothing happens. I contacted Ortbit customer service and they said I needed to set the “interval start date.” Well in the app that I have, there is no interval start date. There is a “program start date” but apparently that’s not the same thing. So then they directed me to my online account where I could set the interval start date. The online account is not easy to navigate and I feel turned off at this point anyway because this should be in the app, but I digress. Once I set the start date and go back to the app to finish setup and try to set enter start time, the app crashes (every time). So I think maybe I can put the start time in the online account, makes sense right? Well there is no place in the online account to enter the start time. At this point, I am ready to pull my hair out. I have 32 trees in my yard and because I can’t do interval watering, this unit is useless to me. The customer service person said they would submit a bug report but how long is that going to take to fix? Unless I can do interval watering I am going to have to return this unit. App developers, please fix this problem!!

Works great and setup went flawlessly. Had an Orbit brand installed on this house when I bought it, but something went wrong and it needed replacing. Went to Lowe’s to pick up a new one and saw this WiFi version. Since my home is rather “connected”, i.e. we bugged ourselves with Alexa, smart plugs, smart lights, etc, I thought it appropriate to make my irrigation system smart too. Very glad I did. Once we had it wired correctly (5 zones), setup of the timer to our home network (via WiFi) was super-simple and programming the 5 zones was a breeze. Took less than 5 minutes to connect it to my network, test the zones, and program 5 zones. If you’re used to using apps, the common app interface makes it super-simple to navigate and use - way easier than programming an irrigation timer using the LCD screen and buttons on the timer itself. Plus you can do a rain delay right in the app (not necessary if you have a rain sensor...I do not). There are 4 “Programs”, so you can program the same zones on multiple programs and toggle them on/off with a slider. Useful if your zones are treated differently for different seasons, for example. The only thing that’s not 100% clear during setup is any Alexa compatibility. I’m going to research that now. So far, the timer works great and I love the easy app interface, setup, and programming. Great job, Orbit!

My previous controller stopped providing free remote access in favor of a $2 per month charge. Then the power supply failed so I made the switch to the B-Hyve 6 station. Despite what some reviewers have stated I found the set up using the app on my phone to be simple. The program walks you through the process which only takes a few minutes. Adding the photographs for each zone is a nice touch. Smart watering is very effective based on local weather and evapotranspiration. I wasn’t clear on how to manual water, but the FAQ had it all spelled out. There are collection cups that can be purchased and added to the system to enhance water management, but I haven’t put any on my system. The transformer for the power cord is in the control box which is a nice touch, but there is only one place to hang the box from, a center screw slot. The weight of the transformer makes the controller tilt on the wall unless you add the second crew (provided) to the lower right inside the box (this is not pre-punched out I used a 1/4” drill bit through the plastic). I would have appreciated a bubble level in the box and a full set of paper instructions, as opposed to the quick start/mounting leaflet provided. Otherwise, this unit is awesome for the price! Great job Orbit.