I agree with @taylorjg. I could have bought a connected sprinkler controller for less than half the price of the Rachio which would have performed to the same standard - But I wanted HomeKit for the same reasons @taylorjg mentioned. I work on my sprinklers a lot and the ability to have Siri turn them on and off from my watch was the killer feature I was willing to pay a (hefty) premium for.
Living here in Colorado the weather related features are pretty much useless except for seasonal shift. The weather is just too erratic for it to actually work. If it rains in Denver it certainly doesn’t here in Castle Pines, so I would never rely on those features.
In short I paid the premium for a premium sprinkler controller, but ended up with a run of the mill product with advertised features that are completely missing.
Anyone reading this thread looking for advice before purchasing - Just buy the cheapest alternative and skip the Rachio headache.