ZMF-II LED Chess Clocks

Hi all,

I saw these new clocks at the USCF web site, www.uscfsales.com. Has anybody tried them? Do you recomend it?

Mike

I got one from the first production run, preparing a short video review. Stay tuned.

Spoiler: Fantastic price. Best clock for the money.

-Izmet

Thanks, I think they are really cute. They kind of look like the Chronos too.

That it sits upright like a brick instead of tilting back seems very regressive.

edit: I see the II does tilt back.

MikeH76,

I actually bought one of these a week ago and I really like it. I like these color displays much better than the LCD gray displays. And the price is good. You can buy two of these for the price of one Chronos.

MikeH76 wrote:

Patzer-For-Ever, what color display did you buy?

Mike

I bought the one with a red display and a black case. It's fairly easy to program and I like that.

Oh boy, JUST what I need: another chess clock!

What are they made of?  Plastic or metal?  I love my chronos but need to purchase some clocks in bulk for kids and the color and price seems appropriate.  But how sturdy are they?

I've got one too.  They run on 4 c batteries (and no, you don't have to unscrew anything to change them) so the feel is quite substantial.  It's a matte finish instead of shiny plastic so they look good too.  Only problem with kids is they love to use captured pieces to bang buttons and with a touch sensor that won't work.  LEDs should be more durable than LCDs according to what I've read but only time will tell.  I haven't abused mine but it certainly seems sturdy enough.  Cheaper in bulk of course but I'd buy just one to see if you like it first.  They are pretty easy to program which is a plus although you can only have 3 settings at a time in memory.

Kids & touch-sensors.  If the little brats only had clocks with touch-sensors, they'd soon learn NOT to bang on the clock with the pieces, obviously, which would be a good thing.  And while I'm in rant mode, I hate those darned Seitek clocks: the buttons are SO noisy!

I bought a Chronos with the conventional buttons just so I can mash them with captured pieces and I appreciate the armor-like metal build. I don't find it hard to program at all once you get the hang of it which takes all of ten minutes watching the video on YouTube.

I think I would be tempteted to get one of the ZMF clocks if it had regular buttons... seems like a real bargain.

Thanks for feedback.  That didn't occur to me about kids banging with pieces--my kids don't do that, but they *do* try to use one hand to move and one hand to hit the clock--big no-no in fast games.  And some kids I have to tell a zillion times, they do it right and when I am not looking do it again!

So yeah, that is an ADVANTAGE!!! 

There are some other clocks I am contemplating that are a little cheaper and probably inferior.  Curious what you think of them in comparison, if anyone knows:

(A)   DGT Easy Game Timer.  My friend says "$31 at wholesale chess if you buy at least 10."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_Tm-h7n7Rk

(B)  The manufacturer of the clock (Saitek) you have sells another variation via Amazon for $40:

http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-Mephisto-Competition-Game-Clock/dp/B000MR3S64/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_1

    But based on your comments, I'll probably pass

(C)  Wow this one is only $34!  " the first chess clock with a random Chess960 generator."

http://www.chesshouse.com/DGT_960_Digital_Chess_Clock_p/e330.htm
video of guy programing it here:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozrn5_TTShM
product description:  http://shop.chess.co.uk/DGT_960_Digital_Chess_Clock_Black_Red_p/cb04601.htm

(D) Two of the guys in San Francisco had these clocks, but I did not like them nearly as much as my Chronos $45 @ USCF:

http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-clocks-1/digital-chess-clocks/excalibur-game-time-ii-digital-chess-clock.html

This Russian guy in this video is pretty funny!

    http://bestchessmenever.com/blog/files/tag-chess-timer.html

You need to come up with a list of "needed features".  Several of the clocks you mention don't do intervals.  Is that important or not?  You might want to do a "forum search" to check the archives for what other members think.  Of course a lot of folks become emotionally attached to their clocks so you have to take the reviews with a grain of salt.  Not an easy choice for you, good luck.

This is the key information I am submitting of my findings to the person who will be buying the clocks for the kids (for about 10-12 kids).  Feel free to give me feedback if you disagree or think I missed alternatives or better prices.

The short answer is, this clock is probably the best choice for the kids, because it is sturdy, a quality product and almost all the reviews are substantially more positive than other cheaper products:

ZMF-II Color Digital Chess Clock LED

Price: $54.95

Great for anyone - fun for kids, classes, and clubs. Modern, bright LED display technology, stainless steel, accurate, touch sense buttons, and durable plastic case made in USA.

This article says red LED's are better:   http://blog.chesshouse.com/review-rons-opinion-of-zmf-ii-chess-clock/
It may need batteries for:   $5
A discount might be possible for buying in bulk from the manufacturer.

One possibility is to buy a handful of these clocks for primary use and a handful of cheaper clocks when we need more for tournaments, etc..  However, I think it would be better if all clocks are the same, in case of defects/failures/problems and having to learn to use them.

MORE INFORMATION AND ALTERNATIVES:

Nearly everyone agrees that the clock I have--the Chronos--is by far the best clock you can get.  It cost me around $100 and apparently is out of stock.  I doubt you would want to spend that much.  There is another clock that appears to be of similar quality and cost I found:  "Duel Timer".

There are analog clocks, but I always hated playing with them because it's hard to tell how much time you have left.  I would avoid them.

Other clocks are of equal price or cheaper than the one I recommend, but most of the cheaper clocks have very negative reviews, always because of durability issues.  I think most or all of these are available at chesshouse.com site you gave me, but I quote lower prices if I found them.

(A)   DGT Easy Game Timer.  $31 at wholesale chess if you buy at least 10.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B_Tm-h7n7Rk

                    The reviews for this manufacturer are the worst of what I read.

(B)  Saitek $50 and $40.

(1)    Saitek III.    $50.
   
     A fellow chess teacher bought this clock in bulk at discount at $32.50 each Feb. 2011.   (12 clocks for $391.03.)  This discount does not appear to be available at the moment.  Fellow teacher was not happy because one of them failed early.

I did not find too many harsh reviews for this clock, but since it the same price as for the ZMF-II I recommend, I think the ZMF-II is a better choice.

(2)   Saitek Mephisto Competition Game Clock.   $40 at amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Saitek-Mephisto-Competition-Game-Clock/dp/B000MR3S64/ref=pd_sim_sbs_t_1

                This looks less sturdy than (1).

(C)  DGT.    $34    "the first chess clock with a random Chess960 generator."

http://www.chesshouse.com/DGT_960_Digital_Chess_Clock_p/e330.htm
video of guy programing it here:   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozrn5_TTShM
product description: http://shop.chess.co.uk/DGT_960_Digital_Chess_Clock_Black_Red_p/cb04601.htm

At first I thought this might be a good option, but on further investigation, like (A), the reviews of the DGT products were the worst I have read.

(D)  Excaliber.    $45

Two of the guys in San Francisco had these clocks, but I did not like them nearly as much as my Chronos:

http://www.uscfsales.com/chess-clocks-1/digital-chess-clocks/excalibur-game-time-ii-digital-chess-clock.html

                The reviews for this were not great either.
--END--

I did more research on the ZMF-II.  It looks like it does not typically come with the 4 C batteries it requires.   On chesshouse.com, they add in $7 if you buy the batteries, but at a regulary office supply store, 2 C-batteries costs $5.  This certainly increases the price and you have to wonder with that much voltage how fast the batteries go...  I don't know why they had to choose LED's over LCD's...

Two points.  You can certainly spend that much on a pair of C cells, but it is absolutely the most expensive way to buy them.  Even without going the Ebay route (a dozen fresh Duracells for $16), batteries will be much cheaper in bulk.  Not that I necessarily trust factory literature but one of the "features" that they point out is increased battery life compared to the competition, 1600 hours of use compared to a typical 600.  That's a lot of hours even if you factor in a little creative overestimation.