Toro 53806 Lawn Master II 6-Zone Landscape Sprinkler System Water Timer

by Toro

Product Features

• 3 Independent watering programs and up to 3 start times per program, with adjustable watering times ranging from 1 minute to 6 hours
• 365 Day calendar water on specific days of the week, odd or even days or day interval, with day exclusion to meet water restrictions
• Perfect for traditional and dip irrigation; seasonal adjust - easily adjust run times as weather or seasons change
• Three modes of operation - automatic, manual station and manual program
• Battery back-up stores programming (9-volt battery needed)

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B0012QI1YI
• Item model number: 53806
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #33,243 in Patio, Lawn & Garden (See Top 100 in Patio, Lawn & Garden)
  • #66 in Patio, Lawn & Garden > Plants & Planting > Watering Equipment > Hose Timers

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

The Toro Lawn Master II landscape timer is easy to program. The toro lawn master II timer has three programs for independent scheduling of lawn, shrubs, ground cover and drip irrigation. Grass will have a very specific watering schedule or program, such as every other day. Planters are watered 3 times a week; and, if trees are planted, they'll need their own program as well. Additionally, 3 start times per program provide flexibility to establish new grass and reduces run-off. Multiple start times per day are sometimes necessary to provide enough water without over-watering. This is especially important when starting a new lawn, irrigating slopes or if there is extreme heat. The Lawn Master II has calendar (specific days of the week: Monday/Wednesday/Friday etc.), interval (every 2nd or 3rd, 4th day etc.) and true 365-day programming capabilities. Season adjust feature allows you to make adjustments to the watering schedule (percentage increase or decrease) by program instead of zone by zone. The Lawn Master II has memory back-up via a 9-Volt battery (not included). In the event of a power failure, the timer will remember the set programs. Pump start relay and rain sensor ports are included which eliminate the hassle of splicing wires and the rain sensor switch gives you an easy way to activate/deactivate your rain sensor. UL-listed.

Product Description

Sold as one unit. (1 unit = each.) 3 independent watering programs. 3 start times. Includes seasonal adjustment. 365 day calendar. Includes pump, start and relay. Includes rain sensor ports . Manufacturer number: 53806. SKU #: 7206410. Country of origin: China. Distributed by Toro Irrigation.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Instruction guide has gross errors, June 4, 2008

By 

Skip L. (Colorado) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toro 53806 Lawn Master II 6-Zone Landscape Sprinkler System Water Timer (Lawn & Patio)

After dealing with two consecutive Rainbird timers which failed for the same reason - the timers were remarked to reflect power ratings of less than half those stated in the manual - I learned the hard way what not to get. Rainbird tech help is virtually non-existent. So I have tried Toro. Simply wanting a basic timer, I got the 53806. Unfortunately, in this digital age where hype and frills seem to dominate the market, something as simple as turning a switch on or off may entail understanding pages of detailed instructions and embedded sequences. Fortunately, this Toro is quite user friendly in this area, and setting the program is very basic and intuitive, especially compared to the nightmare rainbird. Although just installed, and not time tested, the Toro functions as expected. Easy to install, and simple to operate. I would give them 5 stars for getting it right on the basics.

But there are two fatal flaws in the user guide. When I first mounted the timer, and used the included template to drill the mounting holes, I soon discovered that the template does not match up to the actual timer mounting holes. The screw spacing on the template is supposed to be 5", but it actually measures 1/8" under that. Now I have a wall repair thanks to relying on their incorrect template. Beware!

The second, and possibly much worse error, is their "instruction" for running the timer in manual mode. Repeatedly they state to turn the dial SLOWLY from the manual position to the run position. This point is even emphasized in the troubleshooting section where it specifically states that if the timer is not activating in manual mode, the problem may be that the dial is being turned too fast from one position to the other. My timer would not turn on in manual mode. After repeatedly following the instructions to the letter, with no success, I was about to take the timer back. Thru simple logic, and then trial and error, I found the very opposite to be true. To go into manual mode, the dial must be turned QUICKLY from the manual position to the run position. Turning it too slowly allows the manual settings to "time out" before it actually has a chance to run, effectively cancelling the manual run mode. Having operating instructions completely reversed does not create a satisfied customer. Just because error-filled documentation has become the standard for consumer products, that still does not make it acceptable. So if your timer will not turn on in manual mode, just do the opposite of what the manual states and turn the dial RAPIDLY from one setting to the next. You should be up and running. Good luck!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just the basics... done well., February 3, 2010

By 

M. Friese "Rastakins" (Tustin, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Toro 53806 Lawn Master II 6-Zone Landscape Sprinkler System Water Timer (Lawn & Patio)

This is a simple controller at a rock-bottom price. I own both the 4 channel and 6 channel versions.

As mentioned in another review, do NOT use the screw template; it is wrong. Measure 5 inches instead. Also, I would recommend hooking up the unit FIRST to the sprinklers THEN adding the battery and AC power. Seems like you are asking for an RMA if you power up first.

Negatives: Does not allow you to add a pause between zones. This might be necessary if you water from a cistern. The rubbery buttons do not have sufficient debounce, but considering how rarely you need the buttons, this is no big deal. The feature which allows you to seasonally shorten or lengthen the cycles uses integer arithmetic: If you combine a low percentage with a short watering time, the result may be NO watering time at all. The manual modes are not very intuitive; you will have to consult with the booklet.

Positives: the case is nice-looking and sturdy. The display is clear and obvious in its operation. Terminals, though tiny, securely clamp your wires. I like the big function knob that most controllers have adopted. The Toro also will run a master pump relay or a master valve in addition to the six sprinklers.

A note on "programs." It was not explained in the manual and it took me a while to figure out what this might be used for. An example: Let's say you want to water your lawn in the morning and water your hanging plants once in the morning and again in the afternoon. You would use program A to water all zones in the morning and use Program B to water only the hanging plant zones in the afternoon.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Flexible programming like you never seen before, May 29, 2009

By 

Fixer Upper "Rod" (Central Illinois) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Toro 53806 Lawn Master II 6-Zone Landscape Sprinkler System Water Timer (Lawn & Patio)

If you're used to old style programming, you pick days of the week, and minutes per station. This one is so flexible, and the manual too sparse, that I couldn't figure out what programs ABC were for. Also difficult to find help on the web.

If you're wondering too, see the sample watering plan in this pdf
[...]
Each program SHOULD control a different set of solenoid valves.

If you water with all your stations on the same days, just configure Program A, and keep BC set to 0 minutes, or no watering days.

If you screw up like I did, and make programs ABC all the same, it will run "consecutively" and you will have a big water bill. If you notice it running when you don't expect, you may have inadvertently programmed more than just a program A.