The pictures compare the Lion Pro-Line counter to a common generic budget counter made in China. The Lion Pro-Line is below the yellow box and the budget counter is under the white/red box in the pictures. Here is some of what you are getting for the higher price:1. Durability - Lion Office Products states on their website that their Pro-line model is a heavy-duty tally counter that is built with a hardened steel mechanism for durability and years of quality use. On the other hand, the cheaper generic tally counter without the hardened steel parts broke at about 1600 cycles. If you look carefully at it in a couple of the pictures, the 1 in the first column looks a little bit shorter because it is partly covered by a small piece of plastic that broke off inside. It looks like one of the teeth from a gear wheel. I can hear it rattle around when I shake it.2. Better Fit and Finish - If you use your counter for exercise like me, you should opt for the Lion model because it has a much tighter fitting case. There is no gap in the middle of the case to speak of. The case on the cheaper generic tally counter has a slight gap in the middle. I stuck a Post-it note in the gap in two of the pictures so you can see what I am talking about. The Lion Pro-Line also has a brushed stainless steel type of finish that is not as slick as the shiny chrome type of finish on the generic counter.3. Robust Construction - You can see in the pictures that the finger loop on the Lion Pro-Line is thicker and more substantial, and it is attached by a metal fastener. The finger loop on the generic counter is noticeably thinner and held on by a plastic tab.4. Attention to Detail - Lion uses a magnifying lens that makes the numbers larger and easier to read. If you compare the two tally counters side by side, you will notice a slight curvature to the lens on the Lion whereas the generic counter only has a flat plastic lens. The Phillips head screws on the generic model look a little mangled like they were over tightened. The Phillips head screws on the Lion Pro-line look like they were carefully tightened and are undamaged.5. Smoother Operation - Lion's tally counter has a much better feel to it. The clicker action is smoother and silkier, and it requires less thumb pressure to depress than the generic counter. In my opinion, the Lion Pro-line is well worth the extra cost, and it will pay for itself over the long haul.
Rating: [5 of 5 Stars!]