Customer Reviews

Calculated Industries 8525 ProjectCalc Plus Calculator

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

Hello Everyone,

I purchased this little gem after my Radio Shack EC-317 went south for the winter, summer, spring and fall.(I guess after 12 years of service, it has a right to kick-off)I had one heck of a time finding SOMEONE, that could tell me what this Material Calculator could actually do. Calculated Industries makes several models to choose from, including this model (ProjectCalc Plus)which range in price from [money amount]. I chose the ProjectCalc Plus because, what I was looking for was, a calculator that would convert decimals to fractions and then back again. Mind you ALL the Calculated Industries models will do this BUT, the ADVERTISING on the packaging isn't CLEAR ON THIS!!! The biggest problem I had, was just finding out EXACTLY what this little unit would or wouldn't do.

After all is said and done, I think this unit is a great deal for the price([money amount]). Mind you, it won't find run and rise for stair treads but, it does just about everything else. If I have anything negative to say about the unit, it's this, my tired old eyes have one heck of a hard time reading all the writing around the buttons on it. Perhaps someone from Calculated Industries will read this review, and put this problem before the design team for an improved version?! So, do you need to spend [money amount] for a calculator, perhaps, but I DIDN'T and I'll bet that MOST folks won't have to either.

To conclude, it's a good unit at a fair price.

Ciao!!

I am an avid do-it-yourselfer and do a variety of projects around the house. I found this little gem in the local hardware store and had a great time playing with it, so I bought it. I, of course, had no intention of trusting it implicitly but that soon changed. I have owned this thing for 2.5 years now and have used it on several large projects. Now I rely upon it for all sorts of things. It makes it so easy to estimate exactly what I am going to need, with confidence, even when I am not entirely sure what it is that I am doing.

Recently, I was purchasing crushed granite (gravel) to make a walkway that my wife felt she needed. I had to call a local rockery and get them to deliver it. It was critical that I had a very good estimate. Too little and I would need to pay another delivery charge, too much and I would be stuck with a bunch of extra gravel. I was quickly able to estimate the job and came up with an exact figure in both cu-yds and tons. I was very pleased with the result. One dump and no left overs. It paid for itself that day.

Another time, I re-roofed our shed and had no idea how to estimate bundles of shingles, no matter, I entered it into the calculator, got my answer and nailed it in one shot.

I highly recommend it. Sorry for the overly glowing review but I really like this thing. It could be the best $20 that I have ever spent.

I find ProjectCalc Plus to be one of the handiest tools in my shop. I generaly have no problem dealing with fractions, 1/8" + 3/16", but ProjectCalc sure makes it easier and more accurate. Board feet calculations are greatly simplified as well. There are lots of capabilities I have not gotton to yet but look forward to many years of constant usage.

Very easy to use- great for a contractor or do-it-yourselfer. Very helpful from the smallest craft project to home renovation.

I bought this calculator last year for my husband for Father's Day. Needless to say, it is hardly out of arm's reach for him--he is constantly using it for all of his different projects.

When we decided to paint our livingroom, we measured our walls and we could convert that number into how many gallons of paint were needed.

We've also used it to figure how much gravel we needed, how many bundles of sheetrock (or whatever you call them--I'm obviously not the expert here), and how many bricks needed to make a retaining wall. All in all, INCREDIBLY handy and we use it all the time. Definitely worth the money.

The calculator is easy to use and has a multitude of applications. The availability of the many features has enabled me to maximize the accuracy and efficiency of my projects. I do a great deal of financial and scientific research with which the calculator is invaluable. I appreciate the solidity of the product and speed with which it was shipped.

Do not buy this from Polsteins Home & Beyond (They are the default)! They don't even carry them, but instead try and slip you the far inferior model 8510 Home Project Calc. They then promise to e-mail you a return label, and then don't do anything at all. I have just reported this company to the FTC for fraud. If you have been scammed by Polsteins Home & Beyond, either by the old Bait and Switch, or another unethical and illegal business practice, report them to the FTC at: www.ftc.gov. Be aware of your rights, the FTC says that if they send you something other than what you ordered YOU DON"T HAVE TO RETURN IT! They must still refund your money.

I received it as a gift and it was great for laying out the footings for my house. A few months later when I went to use it again, there was a big black blotch on the display making it unusable. I emailed Calculated Industries and they told me the only way that could happen was if I abused it or it froze. Neither was the case. They didn't even offer the courtesy of letting me send it in so they could look at it. It still looks brand new except for the blotch on the display. By comparison I have an HP that has literally traveled around the world with me for 14 years and still works great. I wish HP made project calculators!
I would not buy anything made by Calculated Industries. Their products don't last and the warranty is absolutely worthless.

I do a lot of projects, i have even built a lot of my own furniture, including all my office furniture. I need fractions,this thing does fractions. I had another brand, but you had to push 400 buttons to get it to do fractions. This brand is marvelous, simply mahvelous! a couple of extra buttons and you have your fraction. also great for other types of planning and it slips into a pocket easily. If you want a good carpenter calculator you can't do better that I know of.

This little calculator can give you the fractional or decimal answer without making you recover your 5th grade arthmetic skills. It handles a wide range of woodworking and carpentry calculations. The same company makes a wide range of calculators, including more robust ones for use at job sites. This one is probably best used in a workshop or inside. It's in a light weight bright yellow plastic case that doesn't feel like it would handle a lot of abuse. But it's easy to use, the instruction manual is clear and the inside cover even has printed instructions for the most common uses. Four stars rather than 5 because of the cheesey case, but it's still a great way to reduce errors and save pencil lead.