A smart controller that still works like a classic timer: dial programming in a weather-resistant cabinet for indoor or outdoor walls, plus the B-hyve app and weather-based watering.
Updated
- 6 Zones
- 2 years Warranty
- Plug-in transformer Power
- Indoor or outdoor Mounting
Pros
- Full dial-and-button programming at the unit, not just in the app
- Weather-resistant (UL-50) cabinet for indoor or outdoor walls
- Bluetooth pairing, and programs stay in memory through power cuts
- Shows Fault and the zone number when a wire or solenoid shorts
- Two-year warranty that transfers to a later owner
Cons
- 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi only; 5 GHz networks are not supported
- One valve per station and 250 mA per station at most
- Outdoors it needs a GFCI outlet; Orbit advises an electrician for hardwiring
- Clock backup coin cell should be replaced every year
- Best for
- Smaller systems of up to 6 zones, especially where the timer hangs in a garage or on an outside wall and someone may want to use the dial instead of a phone.
- Not for
- Homes with only 5 GHz Wi-Fi, or anyone running two valves from one station terminal.
Our verdict
Orbit’s B-hyve 6-zone is a smart controller that doesn’t depend on its app. Behind the swing door there is a dial with buttons for four programs (A to D) of up to four start times each, a Budget setting that scales every run time from 10 to 200 percent, and a rain delay of 1 to 32 days. The free B-hyve app adds weather-based watering and remote control, and Orbit lists Alexa and Google voice control.
The cabinet is weather-resistant (Orbit cites UL-50), so it can hang in a garage or on an outside wall as long as it stays out of direct sun and running water. Orbit’s manual is unusually thorough for a homeowner controller, with wire gauge by distance, current limits, pump and sensor wiring and a fault table. The catches are Wi-Fi that joins only 2.4 GHz networks, one valve per station, and a CR2032 clock battery that Orbit suggests replacing every year. The same manual covers the 12-station model (57950).
See how it compares with every model in our sprinkler controller comparison, or against the Rachio 3 in Rachio 3 vs Orbit B-hyve.
Wiring and setup
Orbit asks for a spot near an outlet with at least two bars of Wi-Fi and 9 in clear to the left for the door, and rates the timer to work from 32 to 158°F. Use 20 gauge wire for runs under 700 ft and 16 gauge beyond, one valve per station terminal, and no more than 250 mA per station or 500 mA for the whole timer. A master valve or pump start relay goes on the Pump and Common terminals, and a pump also needs its own relay. Setup pairs the timer with the app over Bluetooth, then joins Wi-Fi. Programs live in non-volatile memory, and if they are ever lost, a fail-safe program runs each station for 10 minutes a day until you reprogram.
Safety: outdoors, plug the timer into a GFCI outlet; Orbit advises an electrician for hardwiring. The CR2032 coin cell can cause severe internal burns if swallowed, so keep spare batteries away from children.
What owners report
Owners we read on a deal forum describe four to five years without trouble, and one runs three units at three houses with no problems. On the other side, a rental owner had a unit fail within a year and its replacement within seven months. Orbit’s own store reviews are all recent, and we left out the ones badged as earning the reviewer a discount, so the sample says more about setup than about long-term wear.
In Canada, Orbit sells a 6-zone timer as part 91946 rather than 57946. It links the same manual, but Orbit doesn’t say the two are identical, so check the model number before you buy there; Orbit’s Canadian store also charges in US dollars.
Orbit B-hyve Smart 6-Zone Indoor/Outdoor Controller specs
- 6 Zones
- 2 years Warranty
- Plug-in transformer Power
Control
| Zones | 6 |
|---|---|
| Zones with expansion | not listed |
| Wi-Fi app | Yes |
| Weather-based scheduling | Yes |
| Controls on the unit | Yes |
| Rain or soil sensor input | Yes |
| Flow sensor support | not listed |
| Master valve or pump start | Yes |
| Bluetooth app | Yes |
Install
| EPA WaterSense labeled | Yes |
|---|---|
| Mounting | Indoor or outdoor |
| Power | Plug-in transformer |
Support
| Warranty | 2 years |
|---|
Manufacturer figures, checked 2 Nov 2026. — means not listed.
Where to buy the Orbit B-hyve Smart 6-Zone Indoor/Outdoor Controller
- Orbit$142.99Go to Orbit (opens in a new tab)
- DripWorks$152.45Go to DripWorks (opens in a new tab)
Prices and stock change; the retailer’s page is always the final word.
No Canada price yet. Switch region in the header for US prices.
What owners say
Owners like the B-hyve 6-zone for a quick install, an easy app and a screen with buttons on the unit, and several report four or five years without trouble. Complaints are scattered: smart watering that under-waters in hot spells, an occasional Wi-Fi drop, a calendar that hides which zone runs, and one rental owner's two early failures.
What owners like
- Quick, simple install, including warranty replacements
- App is easy to use and runs the watering from anywhere
- Several owners report four to five years without trouble
- Screen and buttons on the unit as well as the app
- Support helps with replacements and with programming
Common complaints
- Smart watering can under-water in hot, dry spells
Often mentioned in the 27 we read
- App (mostly positive; 8 of 27)
- Install (mostly positive; 6 of 27)
- Durability (mostly positive; 6 of 27)
- Ease of use (mostly positive; 4 of 27)
- Support (mostly positive; 3 of 27)
- Scheduling (mixed; 3 of 27)
Based on 27 owner reviews and forum posts we read across Orbit and Slickdeals Analysed
Our summary of what we read, in our own words, not quotes. Individual reviews and posts stay on the sites where they were written.
Orbit B-hyve Smart 6-Zone Indoor/Outdoor Controller questions
Will the B-hyve 6-zone connect to 5 GHz Wi-Fi?
No. Orbit’s manual says the timer joins only 2.4 GHz networks, and 5 GHz networks won’t show up in the B-hyve app during setup. Check that your router’s 2.4 GHz band is switched on and reaches the mounting spot with at least two bars. Orbit’s B-hyve XR is the B-hyve controller with dual-band Wi-Fi.
What does Fault and a zone number on the display mean?
The timer has found a short in that zone’s wire or valve solenoid, and it stops powering that terminal until the fault is fixed. Orbit’s help center suggests disconnecting the zone and common wires and measuring the solenoid: 20 to 60 ohms is normal, under 20 points to a bad solenoid and over 60 to a wiring problem.
Can I connect a rain sensor to the B-hyve 6-zone?
Yes. The sensor’s wires go to the Sensor terminals, and holding Rain Delay for five seconds switches the sensor setting on or off. If the setting is on with no sensor connected, the timer won’t water. Orbit sells its own rain and freeze sensor (57069N), and the app’s weather data can also skip watering after rain.
What should I do with the timer over winter?
Orbit says to turn the dial to Off for winter or any other months without watering, and to leave it in Auto during the season; programs stay in memory. Drain or blow out the pipes first, as our winterizing guide explains, and replace the CR2032 clock battery once a year as Orbit recommends.