7 Smart Irrigation Systems TESTED: Buyers Guide

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[TheHookUp]

I cut this part for time (and because I thought it was boring), but you might be interested in my thoughts on continued cloud service, particularly regarding OpenSprinkler:

How do you protect yourself from being extorted for a monthly fee, or being left with an expensive paperweight attached to your sprinkler system? My advice to you is to go with company reputation, size and market share. Rachio, which was SkyDrop’s initial opponent in the early smart sprinkler system market has earned a huge market share, meaning the company is healthy, products will continue to be sold, and the cloud service will likely remain free and operational for the foreseeable future.

Orbit, is a major player in all types of irrigation systems and has invested significantly in their BHyve line of controllers. The parent company, Orbit, is massive compared to startups like Rachio and Skydrop is not going out of business any time soon. Their significant investment in the BHyve line indicates a commitment to this future technology and that their cloud will continue to be functional and free.

Rainbird is another huge player in the irrigation world, and while I can’t imagine Rainbird pulling the plug on their cloud servers since it would be a PR nightmare, I don’t think the Rainbird product is on par with Rachio and BHyve.

Scotts is a huge company within the fertilizer industry. Due to their size they could easily shoulder the burden of keeping a failing cloud service alive, but their line of sprinklers: Gro, is actually just another startup like Skydrop that needed to be acquired by a larger company to help with ongoing costs. Scotts has no other market share in irrigation, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them cut their losses as sales of the Gro controller line stagnate and costs of maintaining the cloud remain constant.

OpenSprinker seems like the safest option since it’s open source, but unfortunately I think it’s actually one of the worst. OpenSprinkler relies on free cloud services for weather, and as these services inevitably shut down or change their free APIs because they don’t make them any money. Originally the OpensSrinkler used Weather Underground data for weather based adjustments and when that service went away they switched to DarkSky. DarkSky was recently acquired by apple, meaning another modification will soon be needed to keep the open sprinkler functional. I love the concept of open sprinkler, but after using it and doing more research, I think any benefits that are gained by local control, smart home integration and open source software are far outweighed by the need to constantly troubleshoot a system that I just want to install once and never think about again.

[lordgarth]

I went with a RainMachine. Uses the hyperlocal rain forecasts etc but...also fully independent from any internet connection if you want. If their service ever goes away you can still access over the internet.

[ctoforhire]

I love the fact you cut out all the BS at the beginning and state, out of the gate, the one you recommend. Way better format than the path most others are taking!

[jmo]

After using the rainbird for nearly 4 years I switched over to my own custom build. The rainbird worked fine but found it a little sluggish to connect to. I ended up disabling all the scheduling on the rainbird app and handling it via Nodered.

I also wanted to have a completely local setup with Homeassistant. I used an 8 channel solid state relay board with a 24VAC power supply, AC to DC converter board to power an ESP8266. Was all programmed in ESPHome. I also ended up buying an Orbit based off this video for a family member in a new home. They seem to be pretty happy with it. I set it up and it seemed like a much better buy than the rainbird I used to have.

[jperson]

I have a Rainmachine pro 16 and it is amazing. Ethernet or wifi available. No cloud for logic. Connects to weather APIs such as NOAA and Weather Underground for adaptive watering. App is easy to use, but has on unit controls as well.

[DeminicusSCA]

open sprinkler is amazing and can do so much more. including automating more than sprinklers. i use mine to also open and close chicken coop doors based on sunrise and sun set. it also works without the internet just fine.

[juistb]

I've owned both B-Hyve and Rachio and firmly believe the Rachio is the superior product for a number of reasons:
The B-Hyve app has a number of software problems that arise when attempting to modify advanced settings within the app.
The cycle and soak feature on the Rachio is far superior to that of the B-Hyve in that the timings are much more optimal based on the soil type and gradient selected within the app.
The Rachio makes it much easier to take weather and rain data from a personal weather station.
The Rachio allows an external soil moisture meter to be used to determine when to water and how much.
Lastly, ALL of the Rachios smart watering functions can be used while still specifying which days you'd like it to water while the B-Hyve can only use "Smart Watering" where it decides which days to water and how much OR a schedule of certain days and times that can only be skipped or not skipped as opposed to modified automatically by the prevailing weather conditions.

B-Hyve might be the cheaper unit but for those who want more control or a superior/more efficient irrigation system, the Rachio trumps it in all categories except price.

[DrINTJ]

You’re video should be a published standard in effectiveness and efficiency in presentation.

Best review video ever!

[MajorHardware]

Everytime I need a smart home device I come across your videos. Great recommendation, B-hyve 8 was just what I was looking for.

[ammmze]

Nicely done video as always! I'd add that for anyone who is a resident in the Phoenix AZ area and customer of SRP the last couple years at their annual water conservation expo they've had the Rachio units with outdoor enclosures for $50. I got my Rachio 2 that way. This year they had the Rachio 3.

[Pyromonkey]

I'm a bit surprised you didn't include the Hunter Hydrawise system into this video. It's not quite as large as Orbit and RainBird, but they are still quite a large company, and in my opinion their smart controllers such as the Pro-HC are outright unmatched by anyone. I purchased an Orbit B Hyve at my last house, and really liked it, but with our new house our landscaper recommended Hydrawise, and he was bang on with his recommendation. It goes far beyond the B Hyve in both capability and functionality, but admittedly is a little bit more involved to set up. I agree with your recommendation for B Hyve for the average person, but if you really want to take control of your irrigation system and have a great looking lawn without wasting a drop of water, Hydrawise deserves a strong mention.

[brianlogan]

Man this video is the most thorough exploration of this topic I can find. Thank you for all the effort you put into it.

[georgewilliams]

Great timing on your video for me. I've spent all week digging holes in my new yard finding and fixing the abandoned sprinkler system and have been looking at smart controllers for a near future upgrade.

[michaelstarks]

Nice reviews as always. I'd have to disagree with your assessment of Open Sprinkler being risky. Being open source, it's much more likely that a weather service can be replaced, or new ones can be added. And it doesn't require the company to be behind it. This has already happened once. Although you make a fair point about ease of setup.

[jimvonfeldt]

I bought a rain bird st8 and it works great. $80 at menards. Great price and works great.

[TylerTechUTube]

I'd love to see an in-detail review of the Bhyve controllers from you. Keep up the good work!

[Merlin_Shaw]

I want to turn my sprinklers on when the house goes into alarm. Then I can tell the cops "The Bad guys will have wet pants." :)

[MountainJack]

As you know with smart home stuff you are never "done". I got the Rachio 2 years ago and it has been a top performer. I watched the video hoping to see something that may make me want to upgrade but they make good kit. The three is good for anyone who doesn't have the old ones or maybe even the Orbit kit but if you have old Rachio already it's a solid piece of kit.

[bigpickles]

Holy moly. I just finished making something like this from scratch not knowing these even existed! Water shortage here in Auckland so I made a system to harvest the rainwater and water the garden accordingly to soil moisture and weather predictions plus some conditional logic/UI. Looking forward to the video!

[oldsklminitrk]

So you've never been bad on a good review I bought the Orbit BHyve Indoor 8 ...gotta say!....I love it...Was just what I was looking for to replace my old dumb controller and after a few months of use...It does what its suppose to do...Thank you very much!