The house I bought in 1987 already had a pool. It's probably 40 years old by now. The two Intermatic mechanical timers are getting harder to find. They do wear out and if I turn them off for the winter, the gear train gets rusty and strips a gear in the motor. This timer is the equivalent of three mechanical ones for the cost of six, but I'm expecting it to last way longer and eliminate my maintenance concerns.
One drawback is that this timer only switches one of the two phases in a 208V motor. The mechanical Intermatics had switches for both phases. I researched this and the code requires circuit breakers to open up both phases for safety. This is not a requirement for a motor timer like this. However, this means the installation has to account for a wire with that second phase voltage.
I am pleased that this unit is designed to fit into my Intermatic control center. The replacement of my failed mechanical timer was easily accomplished.