Nxeco NX8 Smart Irrigation Controller - Compatible with Alexa

This is controller and associated cellphone app are a terrific example of how properly designed hardware and software can be integrated into a truly useful, convenient, and highly functional capability. It is also priced at a very attractive amount.I used this controller to replace a very old Toro unit that had push-buttons that simply stopped working. Now I can control my system directly from my cell phone without having to actually go to the controller. This is a major benefit to me because I have 7 irrigation zones, 2 in front and 5 in back, and my controller is mounted in the garage.This unit is easy to set up and program - but for someone who is not familiar with irrigation control units it might be a bit confusing. To clarify, a "Zone" is the area irrigated by a single sprinkler control valve. The controller simply controls the on/off times for each sprinkler valve/zone.This unit lets you set the "Active Days" and on/off times for each valve/zone. An Active Day is a day on which the valve will be turned on for the specified time. The controller lets you set active days in one of 2 ways: you can pick any/all days of the week, or any/all days of a month. The phone app is very well laid out and makes it easy to set/update both Active Days and on/ff times.A major but very beneficial (and obscure) feature of the controller is that it stores it's programming information in it's own internal storage. That means that if there is a power outage, the unit will retain it's program and not have to be re-programmed after power is restored. This feature helped me a lot when I was copying my settings from the old controller to this new one because I had only one power outlet that was convenient to use.Of course you have to locate the controller in a place where it can get your home's Wi-Fi signal, but this should not be a problem unless you are dealing with out-buildings or something like that.I made the following suggestions to the manufacturer which I think would make the controller even more useful:1. Add an option to the phone app that lets you specify Active Days by interval: like every 2 days or every 4 days.2. Add code to the phone app that makes sure no 2 zones are active at the same time. Right now it is possible to set the start times and run times for 2 (or more) zones to overlap, and this could result in lowering the water pressure in the irrigation pipes enough to prevent proper irrigation. The rep said they would consider updating the phone app to include these capabilities.One more item for improvement would be to use 2 screw holes instead of 1 for hanging the controller on the wall. 1 works OK, but is makes the controller a little tipsy.

I really wanted to like this product (even though the interface was very low-tech), but the first unit completely fried in my garage barely a year after I purchased it (you could smell a strong burning rubber smell before it died). As it was still under the 2 year warranty, I contacted the manufacturer. Customer service was ok; they sent me a new power adapter but that didn't work (as they probably knew it wouldn't, based on other similar reviews that this product is going dead in a year). So then they sent me a "new, thoroughly tested unit". Set the next one up, and guess what? Just a month shy of a year, the unit fried again (same awful burning rubber smell). Only this time customer service REFUSED to honor the warranty as they said my original purchase (in 2019) was 2 days over the 2 year warranty. I tried to explain that the replacement unit (received in 11/2020) should be covered with the same 2 yr warranty but they said no and offered to "repair my unit at a reasonable cost to ME" or give me a "30% discount" on a new one. I declined and instead bought the Orbit 57946 B-hyve Smart 6-Zone Indoor/Outdoor Sprinkler Controller instead. Glad I did; the Orbit controller has a much more advanced digital display and interface...and it cost me the same as the NxEco. Would NOT recommend you waste your time and money with this NxEco product as it is NOT built to last.

The nxeco was not easy to hook up to Alexa...could be an issue with my internet...but it now works as promised. In fact..i love it. The manual override is easy and app simple to follow. So much easier to water now. If you are looking for a sprinkler control in this orice range...do not hesitate to buy this one. Love that it can be manual app or alexa operated. Responsive tech. Support.

This product failed after 2 seasons. It worked fine at first but when I initialized it this year I found that the power supply was not working. I bought a power supply from Nxeco only to find out that the circuit board had also failed. The unit is no longer covered under warranty and I'm now forced to purchase a new one. Look at the reviews before buying Nxeco items. You will note that 46% are 2-star and below. Also, read the 4 and 5-star reviews. You will note that these reviews are written within the first year or so. This product will not last beyond 3 years. Don't waste your hard-earned cash on this sort of China-made junk.

I just installed it today, and setup was easy and pretty user friendly. Have yet to see how it works with the proportional watering percentage based on daily temperatures.Addition to review 8-26-19: We have used it for a month now and noticed a significant decrease in water usage due to the daily adjustment based on local temperatures. Still working well. The history information seems to only track and hold minutes of watering data for the last week. Prior history is not available.April 6, 2020: After a season of use, I am very satisfied with its performance. It is nice to work on sprinklers and test them while looking at the lawns using the manual on feature which can turn on each sprinkler to test them for however long you want a manual on cycle. It has a rain delay up to 72 hours also which overrides the weather report adjustment for that day's water needs. It would be nice if the system averaged the water needs instead of just using that specific day's adjustment because if the one day you water is a hot dry day the water need will adjust to a high percentage even though it has rained for the prior 2 days. Overall I am quite please with the controller.

I initially gave it a great review. Lately, however, the remote app for accessing the controller over wi-fi has failed numerous times. It's not my phone, app, or home wi-fi that are the problem. It is Nxeco and their support is non responsive. Too bad.