I tried another Y connector that leaked (and I returned). This one is better for a several reasons. For one thing, it doesn't leak. That's important. For another, the on/off switches are easier to turn and it's easy to tell if they are in the on or off positions because there is a marker in brass. When you have a timer on one side, you wouldn't necessarily know if the water was on or off to that hose when it's not time to sprinkle per your program. On the other side, I have a hose with a hand-spray nozzle that doesn't let water flow except when the trigger is squeezed so I can't tell if water is flowing to that hose either. I want to know that the water is on to the timer side, and off to the other, unless I'm using it, and with the raised brass markings, I can, plus I don't need to worry about the markings wearing off.My timer attaches to one side of this connector well, leaving just enough space for me to remove the programming module when I need to and then slide it back into place. Another huge benefit is that I've had other connectors that caused noise in the water line when an extension or a timer was added to one side and the water left on to that side. This one does not do that.I'm not phobic about plastic. As long as it works, I'm happy and so far, this does for me just fine. I've had other hose connectors with plastic shut off tabs that have worked well for years even when left out over the winter. For the price of this item, I'm very satisfied and recommend it.