Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

Have used this timer for several years - still on the first one - because we can't afford an in-ground system.
The only thing I dislike about this is that it's not digital. In order to run one zone from 3A to 4A and then the other from 4A to 5A I have to get up at 3A to set the first cycle and then stay up to set the 2nd cycle. Hate getting up at that hour of the morning!!

Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

To set the timer to the time that you would like to start watering is not that easily understood using the directions. It takes a while to get the hang of it.

Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

Have used this product for several years and it works great. Easy to use, set up and operate. the batteries last all summer. Would recommend. I use this in a garden w/a drip pipe and water 2 separate stations with no problems several days a week from spring to fall.

Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

I have a couple of acres -- veggies, flower gardens (think Monet) -- I have everything on drip and have tried every timer made (I think) this one has been the best. I have six of them and they click on and off to best use water and water pressure on our property -- this has allowed me to greatly expand the areas used on our land.

We are in an area with moderate freezes (frost you can count on, surface freezes, no frozen ground). I disconnect and drain my system in late fall and do not re-connect until we are pretty sure that we have seen the last of the frost.

I keep my timers clean (do clean the little filters in them a couple of times a year if you are on well water like we are. I spray a little WD-40 in the 'gates' inside and have had better longevity.

BUT at the prices these things cost, I have not found one that I can depend on lasting more than six months.

For instance today one of my units failed -- I cleaned, changed batteries and lubricated it and got one side to work -- the other side failed and I left it in the "off" position for the rest of the season.

I will be better at keeping receipts next season - and then the huge price and longevity of the units will not bother me so much!

Happy gardening to you all!

Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

The timer is great while it lasts. It saves so much time it would take to manually water all my gardens. It works just as advertsed. Unfortunately, it doesn't last. Annually I need 6 timers to cover all my gardens. Over the 5 years since I discovered the timer, Melnor has replace 3 which were still under warranty. Another, not under warranty, failed last year. Today another broke and it was a replacement. The timers are properly cared for. I take the timers in every year at the end of the watering season and remove the batteries. The timers made caring for the gardens so much easier but I don't think I'll buy another. Wish I could find another two zone timer.

Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

I have had two of these timers for several years, since they first came out: one for the front, and one for the back. They are the only multi-zone timers using batteries I have ever found and have been great, especially when I go on vacation (I live in a desert area). I have had to replace them occasionally (e.g., if left outside in freezing temperatures, residue water can freeze and crack the plastic, allowing water to get with the batteries). Also, set the devices in a dry place and don't let water splash them repeatedly on the outside. The original instructions that came with the first timers I bought had instructions for HOW TO DELAY/CHANGE THE START TIME. I relay them here to help others who buy these. When you insert the batteries, that becomes the start time. If I put the batteries in at 8:00 am and set the frequency to 24 hours (once per day), the timer will come on at 8:00 am the next day. But what if I want it to come on at 10:00 am each day? I can either wait to reinsert the batteries at 10:00 am, or I can use the Delay/Change Start Time feature (creating a new program will not change the start time: it only changes the duration and frequency). Above the words "Zone 1" and "Zone 2" is a small, mysterious, black button. The button is what is used to delay the start time. To do so, press the button once for each hour you want to delay the start time. If you put the batteries in at 8:00 am but want each daily cycle to begin at 10:00 am, then press the button for that zone two times (8+2=10). If you later decide you actually wanted the start time to be 11:00 am, then press the button for that zone one more time (up to eleven times: at twelve times you are back at your original start time). This feature has a second benefit: you can have a DIFFERENT START TIME FOR EACH ZONE, and with only one valve open at a time, you have greater water pressure to cover more area in each zone. I have low water pressure, so I set my start time for the second zone two hours later than the first, then I can water each zone for up to two hours with maximum coverage without any overlap and loss of pressure. So that is the added feature many of you will want to use. I just wish they would put these instructions back with the operating instructions you now receive!

Comments about GARDENA Melnor® Dual Hose End Water Timer (3100):

We used this timer for several years before we forgot it outside during fall freezes and cracked to housing. We used it for early morning (4am-8am) watering which took care of plant diseases and drought conditions (i.e. use forgetting to water). Works great with soaker hoses, too.