"simple" timer from home depot or lowes?

i need a timer soon and i purchased one before from home depot but it was a complicated one because i never got the damn thing to work right. it was a 7 day digital timer and the way it worked was confusing as hell and came with no instructions. i lost the receipt so i junk'd it.

i need a simple 24 hour timer. i just wanna use it for 18/6 (maybe 20/4) and 12/12.

does home depot or lowes carry a simple one i can set (for example: on at 8am and off at 8pm) and the thing will actually work everytime? im weary of timers since my 1st timer purchase 4-5 years ago when i started growing (ever since i been controlling the lights manually and said fuk timers! lol)

Yeah you'll find them all over the place - timers are one of those things you never pay attention to, but when you start looking they're everywhere.

I use a simple one with the little tags that you raise or lower to set the hour the power is on and off etc, very simple. I'd get a decent one of them if I was you, try avoid the super cheapo ones though, purely on general principle (electrics etc).

Digital timers are the best IMO. You just use this thing called Google to find the instructions when you forget how to use it (and I do every time).
I had 2 intermatic mechanical timers fail on me running only a 150w HPS, then I went to a utilitech digital from lowes and it's been great. I think the problem with the intermatics was after a certain number of 'clicks' the plastic teeth on the wheel inside wore down and it wasn't being tripped on or off anymore.

Buy the three prong recepticale type. You dont want to break off the ground pole from your ballasts.

paid $10 for this 2 way at Lowes.I don't know, but I like these ones the best I'm running, 1000w on this.It's a 2 way 20

Yes, HD and Lowes are full of them.

I like what are called 'mechanical time switches'. Simple and exactly what you described. I don't care for digitals, they just overcomplicate the simple.

For my HID's, I use Intermatic T-101. This is the AK-47 of timers. I have one that's been working a yard light for over 40 years and still going. Rated at 40 amps and simple on/off settings. Downside is you have to wire it yourself. Dependable to the max.

A bit cheaper would be a water heater timer. Still plenty heavy duty unless you are running multiple HID's off 1 circuit.

The real cheapos are fine for CFL's, fans and other low power applications, but are a bit light weight for big lights. Christmas tree lights, ok. A 400w+ HID, not so much so.

Wet

well my uses will only be for my 150w HPS (digital) and 1 or maybe 2 fans max. if this makes a difference.

If you have a Harbor Freight in town get them there. They are just like the analog hydrofarm ones that you can change the time for every 15 minutes but they are $5! I have used them for years.

denvermatt said:

If you have a Harbor Freight in town get them there. They are just like the analog hydrofarm ones that you can change the time for every 15 minutes but they are $5! I have used them for years.

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lucky! ive heard of harbor freight but the nearest one is over an hour away and i cant justify driving an hour to buy a $5 timer lol

but thanks for the help either way

another intermatic user, been using 1 for about 3 years for small cfl grows
still going strong, love the simple setup
i have seen that some digital timers may do odd things with fluorescents
a digital timer may leak small amount of charge, enough so that attached fluoro's may strobe a light pulse from time to time
which is not a good thing in your dark period

Digital is better ,if you have a blackout or disconection the timer still keeps working ,with the pushpin you have to reset the clock.

Home depot has 2-outlet 3 prong, analog timers that have 30 minute intervals for like 12 bucks? And 1-outlet 2prong timers with 30minute intervals for like 4$. They're in the electrical. section.

I prefer analog over digital

If you have a blackout or disconnection, the timer reset convienience is the last thing you'll panic about, lol

*BUDS said:

Digital is better ,if you have a blackout or disconection the timer still keeps working ,with the pushpin you have to reset the clock.

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just like anything else in life, they have the good, and the bad.

My friends, D.t, takes a watch battery, and when it was time to come on after a month of use, it didn't go on? because his new timer battery went dead, and he forgets how to set it up???So he spent a week turning it on till he got new battery's and went online to finger out how to set it again.

Well that's my story, why I don't like them after seening my friends' go throw some bs, with one. .