Orbit26251 B-hyve Sprinkler Catch Cups/Cans 12-Pack

I irrigate about 3/4 acre of lawn. The sun, soil and water conditions vary greatly. During the summer months I fight brown areas where the grass is stressed due to lack of enough water. I inherited a sprinkler system that was not designed properly. There are many different types of heads and some are not appropriate for the areas they cover. Getting an accurate reading of how much water is actually delivered to a given spot is the only way to know how to fix the problem. Some areas can be fixed with additional time during the hot months others have to be fixed by using different heads or different coverage.These orbit sprinkler cups are the right answer. The large mouth at the top collects more water into a tapered cylinder . This is the best way to get an accurate reading of small amounts of water. Because of the wide mouth the 0 .1 inch Mark is about an inch and a half up from the bottom. The yellow rectangular plastic cups you see on Amazon are worthless. The stakes are made of what looks like a nylon type plastic, which is much more durable than styrene plastic, which is brittle. The stakes are separate from the cup so you can pound them into the ground with a hammer if you want. The cup is supported by a ring which plugs into the top of the stake.The advertising message with this product was a little confusing as to what was included. It mentions a one pack and a two pack and it says that the product is a 12 pack. If you buy one item you get 12 stakes and 12 cups if you buy their two pack, you get double this.If you are designing a new irrigation system, this product would be invaluable. Take the time to measure your water pressure and set up each circuit following the manufacturers recommendations. Before you bury the pipe on a circuit put these cups out and run the circuit. You might be surprised to find that you’re not getting the coverage you thought you were. If you’re like me and you’re fighting problems in a pre-existing system, it’s still a great tool for making decisions about moving heads or adding circuits if necessary. Don’t waste your money on the cheap Chinese yellow cups.

This set worked really great for me and the results I had was really telling and useful to make adjustments to my watering time. It's probably a little overpriced for what you get but I wish I would've pulled the trigger and bought them sooner because I wasted a lot of time and some money on other cheaper solutions that gave me poor results. In the end these were worth everything I paid after struggling to properly test my sprinkler zones before. Instructions were clear, easy to use, and punching in the results online was no problem. It was all really kind of fun to use and some of the results were surprising. I know I will make back the money I spent in little time now that I have a better idea how much water is hitting in each area so I can set the proper timing. I got a little mocking from the wife and I'm sure I looked like a fool to the neighbors moving these to different zones around my yard and starting/stopping the sprinklers but whatever, I don't care....it worked and I got the feedback I wanted.

Well made, easy to use, simple product that I got at a great sale price.

I had initially bought a set of those little yellow square sprinkler gauges that one guy in China makes and everyone else sells.. the little yellow 1 inch cube? Those have a hard time catching your sprinklers' output due to how small and "vertical" they are. They're made of brittle styrene, one of mine leaks out any rain that gets in. I already reviewed those and gave them the 2 stars they deserve.These B-Hyves are the exact opposite. 5-star product. They're tall, they've got a generous mouth area that makes it much easier to catch what your sprinkler's putting out and is less affected by wind blowing the water around. The spikes are sturdier. The gauge itself is made of pliant, non-brittle transluscent plastic, akin to the little measuring caps that come with liquid medicines. These shouldn't break just from using them.The only downside is - these cups only go to half an inch. BUT -- they're so much precise than the other kind. And, in sprinkler setup, you're supposed to only run 'em for a half hour and see what you got -- I can't see anyone in this world with a household sprinkler than can dump half an inch in half an hour!If you're an amateur homeowner gardener, get these. If you're a pro you should already have a few boxes of these!

Works great for what it is intended to do

Though these can be helpful in seeing which areas of your yard are getting more or less water and even setting up a plan on how to water more evenly, I just can't see how the price is justified. The plastic makes all the pieces strong and durable, sure, but I think they're extremely overpriced for their intended function and I doubt it cost them more than a buck or two to make. I only bought them as I have multiple members of my family that were interested in them too, but for just one person I can't imagine the price is worth it. I highly doubt that I'll figure out how to save as much money as these cost, which is kinda the entire point of a product such as this. They measure in mL which is important for any Orbit product coordination (I have their Smart Sprinkler system), but I have to wonder why when all other products measure in inches... I assume it's to have you buy their products and ecosystem. I'm disappointed in that... It feels like a cash grab. I only got them as a promotion gave me some credit to help offset the cost that made it feel like a risk worth taking.That being said, they work as intended and are easy to understand and utilize, so I can't give them less than 3 stars. (My stakes were a dull orange color instead of black though.) After a half hour of use you'll think to yourself "well, that was quick, now what?". I guess if you're going to continue to use these for many people the price could be worth it, maybe...

This helped me dial in the run times in my home irrigation so I use just the right amount of water.