Hydro Farm Timers ...Beware

[dHetep]

Last night while I was in my flower room the lights went of an hour early.. I went to check the timer and notice that some of the time slots that are pressed down to set the time for light s to come on had poped up stagered allowing the light to go off when it what suposed to on and on at times when it was suposed to be off. I reset the timer thinking that I might have a rodent problem or something. Today I went to check the timer and noticed the same thing and when I attempted to reset some of the time slots popped back up. I have had this timer for about a year.

got a digital timer today.

[anguscr]

Thanks dHetep... weird but a good warnning.

[Guest dfwi]

these timers are cheap made in china re-labeled with Hydro on them to get more $$$ dont buy junk.

[MadMart]

From my past experience's with timers it is not worth buying any mechanical timers even a grasslin because if you look hard enough you can get good digital times cheap. I got a 3 pack of digital timers from argos in the uk for 19.99 and they have worked fine on both cfl's and 250 watt hid sodiums without a timer contactor for over 2 year pritty good going eh? and have never had any problems with it i still have 1 unused one left and i gave my friend one which he has used to good effect on a 600 watt sodium with just a surge protection board between ballast and timer ! at the moment they are 3 for £15 get down argos before the new year and vat increaeses. Just as good as the digital grassalin timers sold in grow shops like growell for in excess of £20 each. Why buy a grasslin digital timer when you can get 3 for the same price or less. That just madness IMO !!!

[Guest superbluehaze]

when you buy digital times make sure they do not have over around 8 amps load others many of them give up the ghost.

many digital times are not made to handle the initial pulse that H.I.D lighting requires.Digital are better though, no doubt about it.happy growingjohn