Brunton 440 rangefinder-$99. at CT. mini review**edited to add new info**

[Forcedair]

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I had a surplus of Canadian Tire money so I couldn't resist this price.
First of all, it doesn't come with a battery, and no wonder. The oddball battery came to $20 at The Source.
I bought it late in the afternoon, so it's fading light, overcast and rainy. So far so good. It worked through the car windshield. It gave readings on cars,trees, houses and cement lamposts. I can't get a reading on anything closer than 16 yards. ( it switches from meters to yards and back with the push of a button). In my urban yard, the farthest object from my doorstep is 94 yards. No problem getting that reading. I'll have to wait to try it on an animal and at long range and then add the info to this post. 440 yards is the maximum for this unit.
New Information: I've now used it up to 380 yards on a building at dusk. It works indoors where I've obtained readings from 16 yards to 116 yards. It works through most glass most of the time.
Note though, it does freeze up. Sometimes on it's own, or definitely when you push the two bottons at the same time. Also, occasionally, it just refuses to give a reading on some objects. I aim at a car & it refuses to give a reading. The next car in line gets reading. Put it down until it times out, and it will give a reading. All in all, for the price, I'm happy with it.

 

[drop the hammer]

I was thinking about picking one up as well. I'm looking forward to hearing more.

 

[Levi Garrett]

looks like a great unit, if the same folks that make the compass , their great, got the circle over circle unit, sweet.

 

[Breaker61]

Missus bought one for me last xmas when they were on sale for $99.00. Great little unit for the price.

 

[TheTooner]

I like mine, which I got at that price in a sale earlier this year. I haven't tested it at it's claimed extreme range, but it seems to work well enough. Probably the best value per $ in a laser range finder you can get without spending more than twice as much.

 

[lone-wolf]

First of all, it doesn't come with a battery, and no wonder. The oddball battery came to $20 at The Source.

Is the CR2 3V battery different than the CR123a?

 

[diemaco]

nevermind

 

[Juster]

+1 what Forcedair said. I'm going to see if I can modify another battery to fit. Even stack some loonie store watch batteries. $29 for 2 at Best Buy.
Beats guessing or mildot ranging anyway.
I think it is cheap because it crashes when you press both buttons at once.

Edit: Loonie store laser cut to length 2x1.5V, 1 battery taped around the sides for insulation, ballbearing on +ve top. It's a fine line between stupid and clever.

 

[Forcedair]

Is the CR2 3V battery different than the CR123a?

YES! The clerk at The Source sold me the CR123a. Fortunately , I had the rangefinder in the car to try it out. The CR123a is too thick and won't fit. So I brought the unit into the store to show them it wouldn't fit. Got a refund and bought the correct battery. I guess the clerk thought they were the same because the CR2 was right there and it would have been just as easy to sell me that one. The CR2 is also close to double the price of the CR123.

 

[Grizzlypeg]

I'm surprised you got any reading at all through glass. I've tried that with a Nikon, and it doesn't work. What is the furthest you've been able to get a reading on? And on what sort of surface?

 

[lone-wolf]

Be nice if it used the cr123a.

 

[tank9c1]

Wonder how long those batteries will last?

 

[Forcedair]

I'm surprised you got any reading at all through glass. I've tried that with a Nikon, and it doesn't work. What is the furthest you've been able to get a reading on? And on what sort of surface?

I just got a reading on a house 145 yards away through my house double pane window. Through the same window, I just got a 22 yard reading on the neighbor's Jack Russel Terrier. It's bright and sunny out. The farthest reading I have so far is 380 yards which was an unobstructed view of a building at dusk. The absolute closest reading it will give is 16 yards. I have used it successfully indoors in a warehouse, where it gave readings on cement walls, steel pillars, stacks of pallets , product and people.
One thing to note and I'm going to edit my original post. It just refuses to give a reading on some objects. I aim at a car & it refuses to give a reading. The next car in line gets reading. Put it down until it times out, and it wil give a reading. It also freezes up. It goes blank and the battery has to be disconnected to reset it. For the price, I'm still happy with it.