இ Fuzzy Wuzzy's Summary:ѾѾѾѾѾ Highly recommended with warm fuzzies!► Packaging, Style, Appearance: ѾѾѾѾѾ Excellent 5-fuzzies rating► Construction & Build Quality: ѾѾѾѾ Good 4-fuzzies rating► Installation & Setup: ѾѾѾѾ Good 4-fuzzies rating► Design & Features: ѾѾѾѾѾ Excellent 5-fuzzies rating► Ergonomics, Usability & Ease of Use: ѾѾѾѾ Good 4-fuzzies rating► Performance, Durability, Reliability: ѾѾѾѾ Good 4-fuzzies rating► Competitive Pricing & Value: ѾѾѾѾ Good 4-fuzzies ratingI have also previously used (and I still have) several plug-in timers that utilize 4 to 6 plastic clips to mechanically stop a rotating timer wheel. While the mechanical timers are less expensive, quicker and easier to program, and reliable, for use as a security timer to turn on/off lights while I am away, this Intermatic digital timer is MUCH more flexible and powerful with its timer settings and ability to switch lights on/off without making it look too obvious that the lights are being timer-switched based on a preset pattern of times.The switch is rated for 15 amps of output for 102-132 VAC input. It plugs into a wall outlet via a three-prong plug and it has two grounded receptacles for plugging in two separate electrical devices that are simultaneously controlled by the timer. Even though many people will use this timer to control some kind of lighting, you can use this timer to control various kinds of electrical devices and appliances. On the included "Installation and User Instructions", Intermatic states that this timer (and any plug-in timer, in general) should not be used with devices that could have dangerous consequences due to inaccurate timer settings, such as sun lamps, saunas, heaters, crock pots, etc. This timer is only for indoor use and cannot be used outdoors.The programming of this timer can be set up to be either fairly simple or very complex. You can program up to 28 "event" settings per week, where an event constitutes either turning on or turning off the lights or other electrical device. An "event" is not a paired on-off cycle; a single timer event either turns the light/lamp/device on or turns it off. So a maximum of 28 event settings basically means that you can program up to 14 on-off pairs per week, set to whatever times and/or days that you prefer, since each "on" event would usually need a separate "off" event. For each "on" or "off" event, you can either set the time to a specific time or an "astronomic" time that is based on the country/state that you live in, Daylight Saving Time, and Dawn/Dusk settings that you configure during initial setup of the timer. When setting an on/off event to be based on your area's Dawn/Dusk time, this timer can automatically adjust for the changing times of sunrise and sunset throughout the year, which is quite nifty and clever. For each on/off event setting, where specific on/off time settings can be mixed with astronomic on/off time settings, you can also specify whether the setting should be applied to all days, weekdays only, weekends only, or just one specific day of the week. With such flexibility of programming, setting up a complex series of up to 28 timer events can have the potential problem of creating timing conflicts that clash with each other, creating unexpected sequences where the timer remains on when you expected it to turn off, or where the timer does not turn on when you expected it to. So if you want to set up more complex timer event sequences, it may help to first sequentially list all of the desired on/off time settings from Monday through Sunday on paper first before proceeding to program the timer.After you have set and saved all of the on/off time settings, you can run the timer either in "AUTO" mode, which uses the timer settings that were programmed, "RANDom" mode, which varies your on/off time settings by +/- 30 minutes, or "MANual" mode, which basically makes the timer switch work like a manually-operated switch with no timer-controlled on/off switching.When using this timer to switch lamps on/off and give your home a "lived-in look" while you are away from home, if you want to maximize the variability in the timer's on/off switching of lights, I suggest programming all 28 events on this timer using individually-set varying on/off times, instead of using the dusk/dawn astronomic settings, and run the timer in "RANDom" mode. Programming just one on/off pair of time events to use on all days of the week, or setting only one on/off time for weekdays and one on/off time for weekends, makes the lighting pattern look too predictable, and to your neighbors or any potential burglars trying to case/watch your house, it looks more like the lights are being controlled by a mechanical timer or photoelectric light sensor timer. And if you just program the lights to turn on at dusk and turn off at dawn every day, to a burglar trying to see if your house is unoccupied, that lighting pattern may also look like no one is at home unless you always leave the inside lamps turned on throughout the night even when you are at home.Here is an example 28-event timer schedule that will turn lamp lights on/off twice every night at different times:Event #1: Monday-On: 6:30PMEvent #2: Monday-Off: 8:30PMEvent #3: Monday-On: 10:30PMEvent #4: Tuesday-Off: 12:30AMEvent #5: Tuesday-On: 7:00PMEvent #6: Tuesday-Off: 9:00PMEvent #7: Tuesday-On: 11:00PMEvent #8: Wednesday-Off: 1:00AMEvent #9: Wednesday-On: 6:00PMEvent #10: Wednesday-Off: 8:30PMEvent #11: Wednesday-On: 11:30PMEvent #12: Thursday-Off: 2:00AMEvent #13: Thursday-On: 7:00PMEvent #14: Thursday-Off: 9:00PMEvent #15: Thursday-On: 11:00PMEvent #16: Friday-Off: 1:00AMEvent #17: Friday-On: 6:30PMEvent #18: Friday-Off: 9:00PMEvent #19: Friday-On: 11:00PMEvent #20: Saturday-Off: 2:30AMEvent #21: Saturday-On: 7:00PMEvent #22: Saturday-Off: 9:30PMEvent #23: Saturday-On: 11:00PMEvent #24: Sunday-Off: 2:30AMEvent #25: Sunday-On: 6:00PMEvent #26: Sunday-Off: 8:00PMEvent #27: Sunday-On: 9:30PMEvent #28: Monday-Off: 1:30AMWhen the above timer schedule is run in "RANDom" mode, the lights will turn on during Monday randomly between 6:00PM and 7:00PM, then turn off between 8:00PM and 9:00PM, turn on again on Monday evening between 10:00PM and 11:00PM, turn off between 12:00AM and 1:00AM on the following Tuesday morning, turn on again between 6:30PM and 7:30PM on Tuesday evening, etc.When running the timer with various programmed on/off times in random mode, which randomly varies the time settings by +/- 30 minutes, throughout the week, the above example timer settings would turn the lights on at night as early as 5:30PM, have a variable duration of being left on, have a varying during of darkness in the middle of the evening, and turn the lights back on again at various times later in the evening. It looks less predictable this way and looks more like someone inside the house is manually turning the lights on/off. You can adjust the above schedule to suit your preferences.This digital timer is not that hard to program if you carefully follow the numbered steps listed in each section of the included "Installation and User Instructions" sheet. Some people may not need to read the included instruction sheet, but most people should not encounter any setup issues if they carefully read the entire set of instructions step by step. By comparison, the plug-in timers that use 4 to 6 plastic clips to mechanically stop a rotating timer wheel is easier to set up and easier to visualize what is happening - the rotating timer wheel on these mechanical plug-in timers just rotates until it hits an "on" or "off" plastic clip that you insert in a groove somewhere around the rotating wheel. But this digital timer's added complexity is due to its added flexibility.One key area of potential confusion with setting up this timer is that two of the four buttons on this timer are labeled [OK] and [PROG]. Both of these [OK] and [PROG] buttons function as confirmations to accept a setting. But you must remember that the [OK] button is used to confirm and save your setting of the timer's clock time, date, and location, whereas the [PROG] button is only used to confirm and save the day, hour, minute, and dawn/dusk settings for each timer event to be programmed. So the [OK] button is for confirming the settings of the timer's main clock and NOT for confirming the programming of an event's setting. You press the [PROG] button to both program each timer event setting, and you also press [PROG] to review your previously programmed timer events. When you are reviewing your previously programmed timer events, you then press [OK] to return the timer back to its normal operation mode.I have used various digital clocks on alarm clocks, thermostats, and ovens where adjusting the time requires pressing and holding either a [Forward] or [Backward] button to increment the time/hour/minute/date settings. This DT620 timer has a handy selector knob that lets me quickly dial in all time settings such as the year, month, date, and time of the timer's clock, and all timer event settings.This DT620 timer comes with a "Limited Lifetime Warranty".If you like how this plug-in timer timer works after using it, Intermatic also manufacturers a similar wall switch timer, the , that can be installed inside a wall-mounted light switch plate to control either outdoor lights or indoor lights to further give your house a lived-in look. The ST01 wall switch timer uses similar circuitry and is programmed in a similar way like this DT620 plug-in timer, with similar Auto/Random/Manual operation, and either explicit time or astronomic/dawn/dusk programming for each of its events. The ST01 wall switch timer mainly differs from this DT620 plug-in timer in that it can be programmed for up to 40 events, compared to this DT620's 28 maximum events.This plug-in digital timer is supplied with two pre-installed "LR44" batteries that serve to power the clock, store the programmed settings, and retain the time and settings in case of a power outage. Since I also use Intermatic's ST01 wall switch timer, which uses a "CR2" lithium battery to maintain its clock and timer settings through a power outage, I really wished that Intermatic would have designed all of their digital timers to just use the same widely-available CR2 batteries, instead of having this DT620 use two LR44 batteries while their ST01 timer uses one CR2 battery.Because this digital timer's setup and programming may not be entirely intuitive, especially if you only set up this timer infrequently, you should save the included instruction sheet. In the 'Comments' section of this review, I list the URL Web address of Intermatic's Web site where you can download PDF versions of the instructions in case you lose the included printed instruction sheet.

May 30, 2012. So far I like this product and ordered two more. Once you figure out how to program this then it is easy to use. I have been playing around with it for several hours just seeing what it will do and won't do and it is amazing how it works. To get the batteries out I just use a butter knife. Taking the batteries out and holding the on/off button and pushing the reset till it said clear still didn't delete any info I had put into it. The only thing I would like to see is a backlight so we could see the screen when it is dark. You have to program it to turn on and program it to turn off, just like a light, on and off. Don't wait until you need it to try and figure out how it works, learn how to do it before you need it and practice using it to turn something on and off and what I like is I can set it to turn on and off all week, each day or just on the weekends, try doing that with the rotary pushpin timers. You won't be disappointed using this timer, I'm not.UPDATE...I received the two ordered and both work as they should and I haven't had any problems with the first one. As I said once you figure out how to program these they are easy to use and I will buy more when needed. You can use these to turn a radio on to use as an alarm or to turn lights on and off or anywhere you need a good timer that will come on when you want it to.Jan 26, 2018. UPDATE...Still going. I haven't had any problems with them yet. As said they are hard to figure out but once you do you will like the way they operate. Make sure when you set the clock to make sure it is the correct AM or PM time or no setting will operate as you want them to.August 29, 2021 Update: I am still using these and love them. I use them for running the two distillers that I have, little one gallon distillers, I can run both on the same timer, I don't want them to run dry and burn the bottom of the pot. I use a little 5 volt fan to keep the timers cool, running two distillers it warms up, now I have both on their own timer.The two little button batteries are not need but if the electric goes off the timer has to be reset and the batteries will keep the setting for three months if the timer is not plugged into a socket.They are still working great and I hope they last lots longer as they are not cheap. Just pay attention to how you set them up as it will take some doing. Enjoy your timer.Update 7/6/2023: I am still using my timers with my distiller, they are still working great and have had no problems with them yet. I wish my distillers lasted as long as these timers.