Toro Ecxtra 6-to-8-Zone Sprinkler Timer with Software and Module #53787

List Price: $104.99 Discount Price: $79.95

Features:

• 6-to-8-zone sprinkler timer with software and module takes the mystery out of watering your landscape
• Saves water and improves the health and beauty of your landscape
• User-friendly, interactive software application creates custom watering schedules and manages sprinkler timer automatically
• Features programmable pump start/master valve connection, valve failure detection, non-volatile memory, 3 programs, 4 start times, seasonal adjust, snap-in wire connectors, and rain delay
• Compatible with other brand irrigation systems

Customer Reviews:

Be careful of Toro products!!! [Posted on 2007-07-29]
I purchased a TORO ECXTRA lawn sprinkler timer model 53787. After installing it exactly as instructed by their written instructions, and using their computer program I set up the automatic timer to water my lawn on only those days that my town allowed; (Sundays and Thursdays from 12:00 Midnight to 8:00 AM in the morning.

After some time I received a summons from the town for watering on days not permitted.
I checked this timer and found that it was watering on days and times that it was never programmed to water on. I called the Toro Customer Service Office and explained the problem.

Their customer service department said that they know about this problem and that it was being caused by a bad manufactured program Pod, and they knew about it for several months. They did not have any corrected Pods manufactured and that they would send a new Pod to me as soon as they get them. 6 weeks now I am still waiting for this new Program Pod.

If the Toro Company knows that they have a defective Program Pod then why do they continue to sell this defective product? Why haven't they recalled all of these units to prevent what happened to me, from happening to others?

Now I have to pay a fine and I am left with a product that is totally useless. I think that the Toro Company should pay my fine and refund my money for the purchase.

UPDATE: As of August 22, 2007; Talked to TORO Customer Supervisor Grace Kelly, Toro refuses to replace this defective product, after several calls to their customer service office. How can the TORO Company continue to knowingly sell defective products, and get away with it? They say they do not have any new programming Pods in stock to replace the defective ones, but they continue to supply stores such as HOME DEPOT with new systems to sell to their customers, but Toro does not have any to replace the defective product they sold to other customers. Why?

A use-to-be Toro Customer,

Fort Myers, Florida

Works Fine [Posted on 2007-11-28]
I purchased this product recently and was a bit concerned by all the other reviews. So far I have had only one problem with it, and that one was already mentioned by a previous post. It is true, the software that is included with the timepod does NOT do three independent programs. I went to Ecxtra's forum website and found that they had a new version that was being beta tested that did DO the programs "A", "B", and "C". Once I downloaded the newer version the software did what I needed it to do.

Other than that one mis-step, I haven't had any issues with the product. I will try to update this post if anything changes.

Good Timer Horrid Timepod software [Posted on 2008-03-31]
I have to admit that I actually bought the EXCTRA timer and Software separately. The timer is well made and pretty well thought out. I really like that the circuitry is protected by a solid state fuse system so that you just get an error message if one of the zones is shorted rather than having to replace a fuse. Manually setting up the timer is pretty easy, but some of the user interface is pretty non-intuitive-- like the fact that the days you would like to be excluded from your watering schedule are the ones NOT displayed when you select the exclusion function. However, I would, in the strongest terms possible, urge everyone to avoid purchasing the Scheduling Advisor Software and Time Pod Transport module. The idea of being able to use your local weather information to create a schedule for your watering system is great, but the implementation is terrible. When you start the program, it asks you if you'd like to check for a software update and when you say "yes" it incorrectly tells you that you are not connected to the internet. Then after setting up and describing your different zones, it glibly downloads the program to the timepod module which you take out to the unit and upload so that the days that you have specified as exclusionary days are the only days on which your timer will sprinkle. Upgrading to the new version of the software is rumored to fix this "feature" but I don't know since I cannot get the web based support guy to give me an authorization code. I guess they really don't care that this product is destroying what was a pretty good reputation.

A Sprinkler Timer [Posted on 2008-06-04]
Since the first reviews where written about this little Sprinkler Timer, Toro has made improvements and bug fixes to the timer software that makes programming it a snap. When I got home from the hardware store; I installed the timer, went to their forum (forum.ecxtra.com) and downloaded the latest software (beta version at time of writing), when thru the software steps, transferred the settings, turned the timer to auto to get my system up and running.

The timer hardware is built solid, and installs very easily. I really like the wall mount because you easily screw the mounting plate to the wall then slide the timer on it. Other timers I have had in the past you have to "picture frame hang" them on one or two screws which leaves them to easily fall off the wall. The wire terminals are fast and easy to use. All the valve wires just slip into the hole and you flick the little switch to lock them in place. I did have a small concern that there was only one common connection, but to the two common wires I had for my setup fit in the single hole and when I flicked the lock they locked in tight.

The software is simple and easy to use. It looks up the weather information from weather.com for your zip code and uses it to help with length of time for each irrigation zone. When I did my first pass I used the software in auto mode to generate a general program for my irrigation setup, and then switched over to the software manual mode to tweak some of the settings to my liking. I did turn off voice narration annoying thing, because I did not need this type of hand-holding.

I like that it has THREE (A, B, C) programs. This is handy for the user that wants three groups; lawn sprinklers, tree/shrub drippers, and patio potted plants. And the manual mode is simple to use too which helps when you just want to bump the button and run the water. The slide switch for selecting which program to access is also a nice way to work with the separate programs.

The Ecxtra Toro products must have had a couple of growing pains early in its life to get the bummer reviews, but now I think that most of the bugs have been worked out of the computer software this it a great little product.

Software Nightmare!! [Posted on 2008-06-19]
I was excited about the concept (program on your computer) but I was cautious of buying this product after reading some online reviews. I decided to go ahead and purchase it anyway because I thought to myself..."hay you are a college computer instructor, how hard can it be to it make run?". Well I am here to tell you, this software is one of the worst examples of lame programming that I have ever encountered. It is totally undisciplined. It leaves code burried in strange places. It causes all kinds of system issues. And the online upgrade just complicates the problems by confusing the registry entries. Other than the screen interface which is actually functional and attractive, the scheduling advisor is an afront to good coding practices. Sorry Toro, great concept but horrible delivery!

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