Ultrak Jumbo Countdown Timer

I had used the "twist" timers and it seemed like I was purchasing a new one every few months. I really researched all of the timers and came up with this one for the following reasons. It is small, but, not too small. It has a magnet on the back so it can attach to the frig or anything metal, doesn't take up any counter space and I won't lose it with it attached to the refrigerator. The features that were most important to me that this product has is IT IS EASY TO USE, EASY TO SEE THE NUMBERS and HAS A VERY LOUD SOUND to alert you when something is finished cooking on the stove. I will probably have it for a while, so, I tossed out all of my old "twist" timers....

The Good:I've used this timer in a couple of tournaments at my fencing club, and it has so far performed quite well. The loud beeping when it reaches zero is just what I need in the loud environment of a tournament. No more worrying about keeping an eye on the action and an eye on the time as well. I hate having to split my attention like that. The small beeps when you press the buttons is welcome too. It's nice to know something is happening without having to make visual confirmation.The large buttons are easy to manipulate, allowing for quick resets between the different time periods of 1 and 3 minutes. I haven't really had any trouble with faulty buttons as I did with my last set of cheap timers.The numbers are large and easy to read. If you can't see these numbers clearly, you have no business being on the strip.I like having a countdown timer. It's perfect for a fencing ref.The small lanyard loop on the back of the timer will make it even more useful when I find lanyards long enough to accommodate some hand gestures. I don't want anyone dropping these things, so a loop around the neck is very handy and necessary.The sort of bad:It might be more useful to have the start/stop on the left side since I hold it in my left hand while reffing. It's a bit of a reach to hit the start/stop when the timer is sitting in my palm, but I can manage it. I am right-handed, so I need my pencil/pen in my right hand in order to write the score.The timer is slightly larger than fits comfortably in most people's hands. It's fine in my hands because I have unusually large ones.Durability:I'll have to wait before I know the answer to this question. All I can say is that I'm hoping they last longer than the cheap junk I bought before.

This is a fairly good timer. Only problems: (1) the start-stop button is a little awkward until you get used to it. (2) the alarm is a sort of strangled chirp, not a loud beep. OTOH, it's easy to attach to almost anything: the back has magnet, hanger and stand-up modes. I'll go on using this, since it's about as good as really cheap timers get.

I should have read the other reviews before purchasing. It was a bit of an impulse purchase, linked by an "anti procrastination" website I had been reading. I figured who cares if it's a POS since it's cheap. It's true I don't care too much, but I also feel compelled to let people know that it's more of a POS than you might ever imagine.1. As others have pointed out, there is no off switch. You have to take the battery out.2. It has the quality feel of an electronic device built in the 1980s.3. The LCD screen angle of view is very strange. Direct-on you can't even see the dial. At an angle of 45 degrees or so the numbers become visible again.4. You can only set the timer's M and S incrementally. So if you want to set it for 58min 55sec you're going to be doing a lot of clicking.The poor viewing angle (#3 above) for the LCD is really what drives me nuts. So, when I set it on my desk, positioned as it was clearly designed with the "pop out" leg in back of the unit (think picture frame) ... I can barely see the numbers. If I lay it flat on my desk, with the numbers facing the ceiling, I can actually see the numbers better. If I put a ball point pen behind the device to angle it slightly towards me, that appears to be the optimal viewing angle.I'm going to keep it in order to show friends and students a clear example of an electronic device that's been poorly designed and built. But I'll be purchasing another device for a timer. Or, I might just suck it up and use my smartphone like the rest of the world. I bought this one because I thought it would be nice to have a dedicated device on my desk to help me time tasks and help me move on to other things. Sadly, this isn't the device to help anyone do that.

The timer works as expected. The numbers are bigger than the other timers I have purchased.The problem is with the rectangular magnet to attach the timer to the fridge, range hood, or in my case to a whiteboard in my classroom. The magnet is mounted vertically instead of horizontally, so that when you press the stop button the timer pops off the fridge, range hood, whiteboard and falls to the floor. The stand isn't so good either.

This was a stocking stuffer for our 13 year old. He was constantly asking us how much longer he had for practicing cello. So we got him a timer. The bonus has been that he also uses it to track his limited screen time, which has cleared up arguments in the house since often he didn't pay enough attention and thought he had more time owed than we thought. It is easy to use, large screen, and it was more useful than even we had envisioned.