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Once configured, setup continues much like the more affordable Aiper Regrin Apps: You can create a zone, then use the app to define its boundaries. Similar to the systems mentioned above, Oto sprinklers are designed for precision irrigation, where water is released in a beam in one direction rather than in a broad spray. However, Otto’s spray is relatively narrow, only reaching one specific patch rather than producing a 2D curtain of water like Irrigreen’s “aqueous printing” system. You can get a good preview of this as you set the boundaries of your garden.
Like its competitors, Oto lets you designate each area as a point (perhaps for watering a single tree), a line (for a flower bed), or a 2D area (for a yard). I tested all of these modes but spent most of my time working with zone areas, which are the most complex option. When zoning an area, I found the Oto system to be almost identical to the Irrigreen and Aiper, although it is a little slower in responding to commands. However, it is very easy to use: the simple interface allows you to drop points around the sprinkler to define the boundaries of the area. When you have made a complete circle around the sprinkler, the area is complete.
Once configured, you can set a schedule for each zone, with abundant options around watering days (odd days, even days, select days of the week, every day), and set a start time (although there’s no time tied to sunset or sunrise). Each schedule also gets a weekly watering limit (in inches of depth), which you will then analyze at watering intervals for each week. Weather intelligence features let you choose to skip watering if your ZIP code is receiving measurable rain or if winds are high (both based on internet reports); The user can adjust the amount of rain and wind speed needed to trigger skipping. The app records your last 20 runs and includes a calendar detailing upcoming events.
When watering an area, Oto takes a new approach to covering the lawn, first moving in circular arcs directly around the sprinkler, then slowly increasing its range with each successive pass. When finished, it performs additional “cleaning” operations to hit any areas that the initial irrigation arcs did not reach. The speed is slow enough and the size of the water beam is large enough that the resulting coverage is solid. After a test run, I found the yard to be plenty wet throughout the entire area, with no dry spots.
As with all sprinklers, changes in water pressure can cause accidental overspraying or flooding of underwater areas, but I found this to be a minor issue when using the Oto. However, when irrigating at the end of the Otto range, the energy needed to throw water that far can result in forceful runoff, which can erode soil or damage more sensitive plants.
Oto also has a ‘Run Mode’ option that lets you use the sprinkler in a water chase game or a random ‘Start Mark’ mode, also known as ‘Try to Avoid Being Watered’. Pro tip: It’s impossible not to get hit.