Buying a used Labradar, what do I need to know before I buy

Add the following to the equation -- the Garmin is much smaller, more portable, and since its so much smaller, wind will not blow it over as easily. The Labradar size is relatively huge and you will need more than a tripod to keep it safe in any sort of wind. I built a base using a 10lb round dumbell.

No longer needing to lug the Labradar and heavy base around "priceless" as they say...... My Labradar went for under $300 on ebay. Good riddance.

It doesn't blow over that easy with this plate & ball head.

It is eight years this month since I bought my LabRadar. Since then I have fired several thousand rounds and I could count the number of missed shots on the fingers of one hand. My LabRadar has not missed a beat and I won't be replacing it anytime soon.

DartonJager said:

Thanks for all the great responses. Will save for the garmin.
I have never seen a LR actually in use. But 5-6 times now at least seen guys at my private gun club use the Garmin and they loved it and I saw 1st hand how well it worked with everything from 22lr to HG's to high powered rifles.
Was impressed and surprised just how well it would pick up 22lr ammo.

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Most of us went through a learning curve using the LR, some more painful than others. Like @lancetkenyon, I will keep mine until I am ready to upgrade. Even though I currently have funds, I cannot justify it. Who knows, something else better might come up by then.

My best advice is to get what you need and not keep up with the Joneses.

M1A1ABRAMS said:

It doesn't blow over that easy with this plate & ball head. View attachment 606269

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At the time (2020), there was a starter quad pod kit for $65 IIRC, plus materials for the legs. When I costed it out, it was ~$100. There was also a custom-built one, $200+, made of aluminum. It was nicely done, but I cannot justify it either way. So, I built one with an $18 saw horse from Home Depot. A few LRH and LRO members followed suit.

If you are a member of GOVX, they will save you some coin on the purchase of a new Garmin.

cdherman said:

Add the following to the equation -- the Garmin is much smaller, more portable, and since its so much smaller, wind will not blow it over as easily. The Labradar size is relatively huge and you will need more than a tripod to keep it safe in any sort of wind. I built a base using a 10lb round dumbell.

No longer needing to lug the Labradar and heavy base around "priceless" as they say...... My Labradar went for under $300 on ebay. Good riddance.

Click to expand...

Mine has never tipped/blown over. Either off a tripod or the LR plate. In winds strong enough to snap off 2x2 target frame legs. In 400+ trips to a range.
And yet, a couple buddies have already blown their Garmins off the bench from both muzzle blast and high winds.

I went from Magneto to Garmin and loving it. I carry enough stuff to the range and didn't need a small suitcase for the LR. Love how the Garmin allows editing on my phone to input load data for that session. Hopefully they will edit software to upload photos with a particular group. Best part is that when I'm finished I can put both the Garmin and stand in my pocket and go.

The Con's, Size is a big downer. I have a external trigger on mine and never lost a shot,( small velcro patch on barrel that holds the external trigger) I also bought a sight reference on the top to help aim it and after doing this I never missed a read on mine. I use a small battery pack to run it when I'm shooting and it works great.
I would be glad to sell you everything I have for $300, but as many have said the Garmin is hard to beat, but if you can only buy what you can afford I'll sell you what I have.

I think you should ask yourself how much are you going use it and what makes you "happy"? Some folks like the latest great of anything, some folks enjoy being practical and efficient with their resources including their finances.

I have a friend who has a Labradar and he went and bought a Pelican case and special battery pack for it. I wrap mine in old towel and put it in a daypack along with the plywood base I made for it and I use auxiliary cell phone power source.

Are you going to take the chrono to the range every time?
Are you going to record every shot?
Does it matter if your chrono misses 5% of its shots? (not saying my Labradar does, probably fails to record 1 in 50 for 1 reason or another). But so what, is your analysis going to be any different because your sample size is 1 less here or there.

I personally only use my LR during load development, drop validation, and then here and there when I start a new 8lb jug of powder.

Best of luck in whatever you decide, enjoy your new chrono.

If it's what you can afford, a used LR will probably get the job done. I wasn't impressed with mine. Had it for 6 months. Sold it for the Garmin and haven't looked back. Way more convenient, small form factor, actually works as it should, pairs with my phone, etc.

Been shooting a long time. Went from an optical to a Magnetospeed (better) to a Garmin.(best)
Skipped the Labrador due to complaints I read here. Save your money for the Garmin.
Compact, light, easy to use, never misses a shot, etc.

Having owned both the Labradar and now Garmin I totally agree with those who suggest saving your money and buying the Garmin. The Garmin is a MUCH better unit.

I bought a new Labradar about 6 months before the Garmin was known. While the Garmin sounds like an awesome product I decided to keep using the Labradar. Once I learned how to properly use it, it has been 100% reliable when using the recoil trigger.

If you think you'll buy a used one, find out about warranty transfer and Labradar's willingness to repair.

It seems to me there is a price point that the used Labradar fits into.