My previous lamp timer was digital and I was able to set on/off times for every day of the week. The problem was it was so complicated that it took 15 minutes to change the program. This mechanical timer is so easy pull the tab up, light goes off. Push tab down, light goes on. Spin the dial and set the time of day.
Here are some innovative designs the timer sits on a table so there's no crawling around on the floor to turn the light on. There's a bypass switch and indicator light for manual control and to tell you if the lamp isn't on because the bulb is burned out. It's rated at 15 amps. With this much juice I'm using it to turn on my coffee pot in the morning. Turn any coffee maker into an automatic coffee maker.
Here's the stuff which keeps it from being a perfect design the switched outlet is on the back of the unit rather than on the cord. You would think they'd put the timed outlet at the wall socket and give you an unswitched outlet on the table top? I thought it was backwards, but then again the coffee pot cord is so short it's perfect for me. And, the so-called "decorative protective cover" which "complements any decor while protecting your settings." Yea... ok, it's a nice design but it has the word SYLVANIA in large blazing capital letters on the cover which is not shown in the photo. Functional? Yes. Decorative? No.
Conclusion: It's a great high-quality timer.
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Small timer, easy to use. I especially like the fact that it sits on the table and does not contribute to the mass of wires on the floor.
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It would be so easy to just say that this Sylvania SA105 15 Amp Table Top Lamp Timer works, and leave it at that, as so many of them don't even do that. But my purchase of this product was as a result of frustration, more than anything, and this one is a problem that does what it's supposed to do: It turns lights on and off at whatever times you set it to, simply and reliably.
Here's the issue: I tried one of the good, old fashioned timers like this one, the same kind that many of us have used over the years to turn lights on and off, for use with Christmas trees, and such. In this case, however, the timer had to be placed in an out-of-the way socket, and even that was OK. But timers like this have little red and green plastic tripper clips, the red one for off, and the green one for on. Loose one of these clips and it makes the timer as useful as a brick... it sits there and does nothing. And that's what happened to me one of the little plastic tripper clips was lost behind the furniture somewhere.
A trip to the hardware store resulted in being told that the clips were not in stock; further checking resulted in being informed that the little clips were backordered... but, I was shown a small electronic timer that was "much better" than the "old fashioned kind" as it had no mechanical parts, and since it was on a "special sale" the new, state-of-the-art electronic timer cost little more than the little red and green clips. So I bought it.
Long story to short, that was my second mistake. About the third day that it was plugged in, the unit made a strange high-pitched humming sound. I pulled the furniture out of the way to check it, and watched its little digital LCD display flicker, and a small puff of smoke rose from the unit. Right there in front of my eyes, it died. So back to the store it went for a refund.
Came back home and went online to Amazon to see what was offered, and that's how I ended up with this Sylvania Table Top Lamp Timer. It looks like a rectangular clam with rounded corners, but it works... quietly and efficiently. This timer has no removable clips or pegs that can get lost. It takes just a few seconds to push the pegs in at the times that you want the light to turn on and it does just that. There are 48 of the little grey pins, so each one equals about fifteen minutes. With your fingertip, you gently depress the pins for the 'on' time, and leave them in the up position of the 'off' times. There's a master switch on the left if you want to turn the lamp on, and it has a small red on/off indicator light.
If I had any complaints at all, it is that this came in one of those irritating heat-sealed plastic clamshell packages, the ones that have been responsible for "wrap rage" as identified by Wikipedia. And I'm not alone, as in 2006, Consumer Reports magazine recognized the wrap rage phenomenon when it created the Oyster Awards for the products with the hardest-to-open packaging. I wish that Sylvania would join Amazon's Frustration-Free Packaging initiative. OK, enough on my "wrap rage" rant.
It's curious that the Product Features list this with a 1-year warranty, yet the Product Description (from the manufacturer) says that it has a lifetime warranty, and repeats it in another paragraph. Go figure.
Bottom line: this Sylvania Table Top Lamp Timer does its job and does it quietly and efficiently. It's very easy to set it up once you've removed it from that abominable package. Highly recommended.
8/9/2012
Honest reviews on Sylvania SA105 15 Amp Table Top Lamp Timer
this timer work just fine....but it was slightly (and I mean slightly) confusing to set at first. Other than that its been reliable so cant complain
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Even without an owner's manual, anyone should be able to get this timer up and running in no time. I like the fact that (1) it sits on the table, making adjustments easier than the types that plug directly into the wall outlet and (2) it only takes the space of the plug at the wall makes it easier to access both outlets.
