Over the course of many years I have used and gone thru many timers, digital and wind-up. about 3 years ago I bought this timer for I believe $7 at Walmart. It has been dropped from the stove fan onto the stove and then to the floor many times. It just kept on timing. Like the old Timex watch commercial, it just goes on ticking. This time though when it fell on the floor I accidentally stepped on it. Strange though, I can still punch in the minutes and it will time but the display doesn't work.
It is time for a new one.
All of the other timers seem to have a short life, not from falling too many times but they just aren't made as well as this Acurite Timer. For the $7 I spent a few years ago, I have to say it was probably the best $7 I've spent for any gadget.
I've looked for them on the Walmart, JC Penny, Macy's and Sears online sites but no one had it. I saw a few of the others that I've used and didn't last at 2-5 times the cost.
Acurite you really should get this back into the stores because like I and from reading the other comments it is a great lasting timer.
The price has gone up a little but it is worth it, even with the shipping, it is a bargain because you know it is going to work for you and won't have to replace it every 3-6 months, unless you step on it (Posted on 3/20/13)

I had purchased this timer at a liquidation store a while back and it works great. LARGE, easy to read numbers and definitely the strong magnet is a huge plus. Keep up the good work AcuRite :) (Posted on 11/20/12)

Due to nerve damage in my neck, I'm the ultimate "Mrs. Butterfingers," and I dropped my new timer enough times that the stand on this one broke off. Like the other one that broke, this one still works as a timer; it just doesn't stand up because the tripod stand broke off from too many drops (my fault, not the company's) So I ordered a new Acu-Rite. This was my third Acu-Rite. The sound on this particular timer was truly anemic. I called the company to tell them of the problem, and within a week I had a new (loud) timer. They didn't even require me to send them the defective timer. If I break my newest Acu-Rite by dropping it (a probable scenario, given the worsening weakness in my extremities), I'll buy another with confidence. Happily, I've discovered that when there is a problem with quality control, the Acu-Rite company stands behind their product.
(Posted on 11/12/12)

"I love this timer because it not only counts down the time but it beeps for a full minute when it reaches the set time. It continues to count (up) if you do not clear the time so you will know how long it has gone past your set time--which is nice. I like the magnet on the back, although my magnet fell off after a few years and when it dropped, the timer still worked but didn't beep. Not too good for a timer. I ordered another one and it is loud and great. The person that said it is quiet should have contacted the seller b/c it might have been a problem with the ones she had.
I really like mine and actually bought four, one for me and three for others. GREAT TIMER!"
(Posted on 7/11/12)

I had one of these timers for two years, and after countless bumps, falls and water splashes (working through all the mishaps), the tripod stand on the back finally broke off. I had tried other brand timers before this one, and this one lasted about 1 year and 11 months longer than the others. While it still works like a dream, it was a hassle, not being able to stand it up so I could see it.

Before buying this, I noticed that another reviewer said the new Acurite timer was not as loud as the one she previously owned (same brand and model), so I was a bit apprehensive about ordering it. However, I loved my old one so much, I decided to bite the bullet and try it despite the negative review. I believe the other reviewer must have got a defective unit, because my new Acurite is every bit as loud as my old one. Yes, I did a side-by-side comparison of my old and new units.

Okay, now for the features that made me fall in love with this timer more than two years ago... The numbers and buttons are HUGE! I don't even have to wear my glasses to see it across the room. The magnet is very strong AND sturdy. I can set (and start) the timer while it's on the fridge, and it doesn't wobble (not even a little). This means it doesn't fall or drop as often as the previous timers I had. The thing I like best about this timer? It can take a lot of abuse! Even with the strong magnet on the back, there are inevitable falls and drops (like when I'm carrying it from one room to the next with wet hands). Even accidently splashing water on this timer hasn't killed it. With my previous timers, even getting a couple drops of water on them would cause them to die. Not so with this timer. Of course, I'm not recommending that one abuse his/her timer, but when you experience inevitable timer mishaps, it's not a tragedy.

Like I said, even with all the abuse my two-year old timer took, it still works as good as when it was new. I'm keeping it as a spare (for those times I forget where I put the new one). (Posted on 6/20/12)

Love this timer but alas we have dropped it so many times that we broke the back and the sound has become much weaker. It had a real strong beeping sound and could here it in any room. I liked that you could just set hours by just punching 1 time and then add minutes as necessary. Hate that I cannot find it at Walmart anymore! (Posted on 1/12/12)

If this timer were still avalable, I WOULDN'T BUY ANY OTHER TIMER!
There's no need for glasses. Most important, unlike most timers out there, this alarm is Loud & Strong. Memory button makes repetitive jobs a breeze. Construction - Solid, I've dropped mine many times & stills looks & works like new. Why did they stop making this one? (Posted on 1/10/12)

I have used these timers for several years for cooking out. We bought them originally during a hurricane when our power was out. They have enough time on them that they could be used as alarm clocks. My mother and father-in-law liked the big size of the readout. I will be getting one for each of them for Christmas this year. I couldn't find them in Wal-mart when I check - but you can buy anything online! (Posted on 11/23/11)

I've purchased many timers over the years, and got this timer as a gift a few years ago. I love it. I need glasses for reading, but not for reading this timer. It's been dropped a few times but keeps on working. Got to this site because I want to order more and can't find them locally. (Posted on 10/20/11)