When I was approached by TecTecTec to check out one of their hottest selling range fingers in their line-up, the VPRO DLX, I genuinely thought I already had the best distance tracking tool, and this would just be another form. See I am a bit of a watch nerd off the golf course, so naturally, on the golf course, I am the guy with the GPS watch. To me, it always made sense to have it as a wearable for a few reasons. First of all, you don’t have to carry it around. You can’t leave it in the cart on accident. My logic goes on and on.

Often in life, I justify my decisions on matters based on price. If I had the urge to drop $500 on some golf gear, the consumer in me has always found more value in buying some new clubs or apparel vs. a rangefinder. So when I understood it to be true that TecTecTec was the number 1 rangefinder seller, while boasting it to be the budget rangefinder, I was all in.

The TecTecTec VPRO DLX

The model I received was the VPRO DLX, which in an already affordable line of products, falls right in the middle. This model has multiple modes depending on what you are shooting from hole to hole, except for identifying distance utilizing slope. The casing is offered in four different colors; white, black, red and silver. If you are an active reader, you already know what color I requested. If you are just joining us for the first time in this very post, I am a big fan of red. Worth mentioning though is if you are OCD like me, then you will find those four colors to compliment most bags pretty nicely. If you are aren’t OCD, well then consider yourself lucky. Moving right along.

I wasn’t all that sure what to expect from a “budget” rangefinder. Let’s go over some examples. I would not want a “budget hotel room” with white tape on the floor of the last homicide, nor would I want “budget seafood buffet.” So why is it ok to have a tool, that’s entire purpose, is to give accurate distances on the course for you to gauge the best play possible? Certainly, the distance could not be what they are referencing when offering a budget rangefinder, right? I mean what would that look like on the course?

You walk up to the ball and shoot your target at 105 yards. Your buddy with a non-budget range finder shoots 184 yards! They just couldn’t do it. So where did they cut cost? At this point, I am getting kind of excited to receive the product because maybe the packaging is where they shed some cost. Maybe it will show up in of those annoying clear hard plastics that you need your sharpest knife and welding gloves, so you don’t pierce your skin when it cracks open. Maybe a ziplock bag labeled “cheap yards.” I was going to get to the bottom of this budget rangefinder and was confident it was in packaging.

Fast forward a week or so after I selected my Ferrari Red rangefinder.

The TecTecTec arrives at my house via UPS, and not a stork, so no budget cuts there. I open the packaging, and it reveals a sharp box. Not sharp as in dangerous hard to open plastic mentioned above but sharp as in the product box was attractive. Think iPhone box. I open the box to find various contents. A sticker, a lens cleaning cloth, instruction manual, lanyard attachment and last but not least a warranty extension.

I’m going to sit on this one for a minute because the marketer in me thinks this is brilliant. A small piece of paper saying “Thank you” Opens up to be a warranty extension if you merely subscribe and register on the TecTecTec website. I very seldom register any product I buy because I just don’t care enough. But for an extra year of warranty, absolutely! The ranger finder itself came enclosed in soft shell zip case, think of how a nice pair of activewear sunglasses would come. The case itself has a location for you attach to your golf bag if you wish, nice touch.

Well, sad to say at this point I have eliminated delivery via stork, and crappy packaging- so what gives? Is the rangefinder that matches my bag so nicely, really going to be the budget part of this deal? In hand, the VPRO DLX feels incredible. The top and the bottom portion of the casing is a rubberized texture for comfort grip.

The rest displays the color you chose, in this example red. The top is simplistic with power or shoot button and a mode button in front of that. It is not heavy, and it is not light. It truly feels great. The diopter adjustment is a nice touch (think the focus on a camera). The product so far is nothing short of impressive. So in my mind now, I have lost the curiosity to find the budget aspect of the VPRO, and I just want to get it out on the golf course.

Out on the golf course.

I noticed right away that this thing locks fast. Think Jimmy Johns; it’s freaky fast. Coming from looking down at my watch and taking an educated guess at splitting three distances given, this was a real upgrade. Everything I locked in on gave an almost instant result, and once locked in would display the number until I pressed the power button again to re-shoot. This lock feature was and is still, my most impressive aspect of the VPRO DLX. It was a beautiful sunny day out, and I was getting used to having the extra confidence in my yardage.

I was ready to explore other options within the VPRO, so on my first Par 5 hole of the day, I put it in continuous scan mode.

The scan mode gave me the ability to get yardage of hazards going down the hole, and also gave me realistic yardages of my target area. Scanning was a fun feature to utilize as this hole had multiple bunkers lining the right side, and I needed to know the proper club selection to clear them or the worse case where a mishit would leave me.

The next mode utilized was the first target priority.

Living in the Woodlands, TX, our courses are covered, and I mean covered, in woods. Many approach shots can be hard to lock in the pin versus locking in on a skinny tree right behind the hole. The first target allows you to grasp yardage of overlapping targets. First Target Priority mode displays the distance of the closest subject, helpful when measuring the distance to the golf flag on a green with woods in the background. Finally, Pinseeker mode lets you accurately measure overlapping targets, perfect for measuring the distance to the pin and wooded areas giving you confidence in your distance.  So three different variations to use the VPRO DLX, other than just point and shoot.

I have put about ten rounds into the VPRO DLX,

I can honestly say I just don’t understand the budget part. The VPRO DLX is a great product, manufactured well, packaged well, and produces excellent on course feedback. At this point, the only budget rangefinder that makes sense to me is to the consumer. I am all for finding great products that don’t break the bank. I think everyone is. This product retails at $179, or roughly two golf shirts at your local pro shop. It’s impressive. And it makes sense why they have been so successful in a marketplace like Amazon. Consumers hold nothing back on Amazon, and if your product is whack, you will know about it very quickly. This product is well done and priced right. I continue to enjoy it every weekend I use it.

Look for TecTecTec products on their website or Amazon. They have a strong product line of rangefinders with all different features and price points. If you are looking for angle-compensated distance, the pin slope technology is probably for you and is an option in a couple of their other models. Either way, I give the product two thumbs up. If you are tired of your old ratty rangefinder, or you had one too many Coors Latte’s and forgot it (Buttsy reference) and find yourself in the market for some new yardage awesomeness be sure to give TecTecTec a look.

The TecTecTec VPRO DLX Stats:

• No need to second-guess the distance with VPRO DLX.  Our waterproof laser golf rangefinder measures up to 600 yards within +/- 1 yard, helping you find the right distance to golf flags, trees, or hazards.  After one look through our premium, ultra-clear, multilayered optical lens, you’ll have a complete picture so you can take your golf game to the next level.
• It measures distances correctly thanks to its crystal-clear 6x magnification and multilayer coating.  Our diopter adjustment functionality will always guarantee you a clear view whether you’re nearsighted or farsighted.  Being able to see the object you measure with clarity and pinpoint distance accuracy will only help improve your golf game.
• Three Different Modes: Pin Sensor Technology, Continuous Scan Mode, First Target Priority
• The VPRO DLX is extremely lightweight weighing at 0.41lbs and measures 4.1w x 2.8h x 1.6d inches making it very portable.
• The shock-resistant case safeguards your rangefinder against impact and poor weather and a flashy, high visibility; the yellow design lets you quickly spot it when you need it.2-year Warranty: We stand behind our quality.
• Total 2-year warranty.
• 12 additional months optional if registered
• Color options: Red, white, silver, black