Calculated Industries 4065 Construction Master Pro Advanced Construction Math Calculator

List Price: $79.95 Discount Price: $59.95

Features:

• Financial calculator designed for construction professionals
• Performs common building formulas; area and volume calculations; works in various units, English/metric
• Plastic back, aluminum front, soft rubbed buttons
• Includes 2 3-volt lithium batteries, user guide, quick reference guide, protective slide cover
• 5.6 by 3 by 1/2 inches; display dimensions 0.86 by 2-1/2 inches; 3.2 ounces; 1-year warranty

Customer Reviews:

Great with one small problem [Posted on 2007-01-18]
The calulator was fine, ......after I replaced the batteries which were dead on arrival. Either it was on the shelf for an extended period or a bad batch of batteries. Otherwise it was delivered quickly, does exactly what I wanted and expected it to do and was a nice price. I just bought some batteries from Walmart, figured it was cheaper and less time and effort than trying to return or get an adjustment.

William Swaar

What a nice calculator [Posted on 2007-02-22]
Easy to use and full of useful functions,this is a definite buy.

Increases accuracy and productivity [Posted on 2007-05-12]
Fine Homebuilding recently ran an article about framing a dormer that included step-by-step instructions about how to use this calculator to generate complete measurements to do much of the framing in advance on the ground. After reading the article and watching a framer I sometimes work with use one to run circles around truss manufacturing company representatives, I decided it was time to buy one for my own use.

I have a science background so I initially leaned toward buying the more expensive trig model, but decided on the regular one because it has the following features not available on the trig model: quantity estimators for various sizes of drywall sheets; volume estimators for concrete footers, slabs, & circular piers; and estimators for various sizes of brick and blocks. I carry a Palm Pilot with me that has trig functions in case I need them, but for the remodeling work I do, I haven't needed any trig values now that I no longer manually do trig calculations. The calculator can generate angles, hypotenuse lengths, side lengths, areas, volumes, etc. based on a few known quantities. For example, if two sides of a triangle (can be regular sides or one side and a hypotenuse) are known, it'll give the angle / pitch. Likewise, if the angle and one side are known it'll generate lengths for the other two sides. I've found that I no longer have a need for trig values since blueprints and field measurements only involve lengths and angles / pitches which this calculator is set up to work with.

A different reviewer was bothered that this calculator rounded to the nearest 1/16th of an inch. That's the default factory setting, but it can easily be changed to a different accuracy level all the way down to 1/64th of an inch. I keep mine set to 1/32th of an inch.

I've been using the Construction Master Pro on the job for about a month now and it has really sped up my calculations as well as helped avoid errors, especially when I'm tired. I occasionally use it to determine quantities of shingles and bricks needed for a job or to do complex calculations involving a variety of angles (it has crown molding functions for irregular walls that have replaced the charts I used to carry in my truck), but most of the time I use it for simple calculations like dividing measurements.

Here are two examples: I needed to put in a diagonal brace for a two-piece rack that held trim for a job so I just measured the height of one side of the rack and the horizontal distance between the two supports and the calculator gave me the length and plumb cut angles for my diagonal brace that went from the top of one side to the bottom of the other. This took about 10 seconds and my piece fit perfectly. To determine the number of shingles I needed for a roof, I entered length and width of the area below the roof and the roof's pitch and it calculated the area of the sloped roof as well as the number of squares and bundles of materials.

Other features that I find useful include: stair calculations (with some powerful features including limiting maximum riser heights, specifying various tread lengths, limiting the number of risers, etc.), hip / valley roof framing calculations, estimating the number of studs needed for a job, calculating rake wall stud cut angles and lengths, arc calculations, and squaring calculations (no more need to use multiples of 3-4-5; any numbers will do). Features I probably won't use much include board foot calculations, conical volumes, and tonnage calculations.

This calculator isn't a substitute for good construction knowledge and the ability to visualize the process, but it sure can help take these skills to the next level.

4065 Construction Master Pro [Posted on 2007-09-14]
Product is used by all detailers in our business of pre-fabbed steel buildings. Very good product.

Great Calculator!!! [Posted on 2008-02-06]
Super Great Calculator, it makes my job a lot easier to get the right length of my rafters and hips...
It's very practical.... totally recommended 100%

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