I'm thinking about installing an automatic system in my garden, which is about 200 square meters, but I'm not sure if it's worth it economically. I've heard about these kits with soil moisture sensors that you can find on Amazon too, like Gardena or Raindrip, but I don't understand if they really save water and time compared to watering manually with a sprinkler.
It depends on how much time you have available and what your garden is like - if it's all flat and gets good sun exposure, a kit with a sensor really does save you water and effort, but the costs only pay for themselves if you use it for at least 3-4 years without problems. Put yourself in the shoes of people who've installed these systems: lots of them say it works, but others end up with tubes that rot or control units that break, so before you spend real money start with one of the basic kits from Amazon, see if you can manage it well and if your garden is suited for it, then maybe after one season you can decide whether to upgrade to something more serious.
An automatic system with a sensor makes sense if your garden is large and your climate is dry or variable. With 200 square meters it's not a huge expense - basic kits cost a fair amount - but the real advantage isn't just financial, it's practical. Watering manually every day in summer is a pain, and the sensor really does prevent waste when it rains or humidity is already high. As for people saying it pays for itself right away, that depends on your current water use: if you already use little because you're careful, the water savings will be smaller.
The problem is that basic kits like the ones you find online work fine, but they still need maintenance - cleaning the drip lines, seasonal checks. If you're lazy and forget it in the garage after a month, you lose the point. But if you have the kind of garden that really needs constant irrigation (maybe with plants that love humidity or spots with direct sun), then the system pays for itself in just a couple of summers, because you use less water and less time.
Try to calculate: how much do you spend on your water bill in summer? If you water a lot, a system with a humidity sensor easily cuts consumption in half. Then yes, it's worth it. But if you already water little and rationally, the gain is more about convenience than money.
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