AcuRite 5" Capacity Easy-to-Read Magnifying Acrylic, Blue (00850A3) Rain Gauge

As described, very easy to see and definitely recommend this.

After only a few months the paint started coming off. It was just mounted stationary, no movement.

I know that I could put empty tin cans in the yard to measure rainfall, but that’s so cumbersome. First you have to find a tall straight-walled can, tall enough that the rain doesn’t splash out. Then you have to stick a ruler in the can to measure the depth of water. That’s not very accurate compared to this because in this rain gauge the smaller amounts are amplified by the tapered walls so a small amount of rainfall is magnified to be more easily read. And if it’s still raining, you don’t have to go out in the rain because if you place it where it can be seen from a window you can probably read the level with your bare eyes (if you have good eyes and it’s not too far away). Or, grab a pair of binoculars. Be sure to place the rain gauge in the open, away from interference by tree canopies. I measure the total rainfall for each weather event coming through, then reset the gauge – don’t forget to reset the gauge (pour the water out). I have always wanted a rain gauge and finally sat down to evaluate what was available. This one was priced attractively, looked like it would be easy to read from a distance (it is), and would probably last a few years. I was concerned that the plastic spike would easily break off, so I had planned to use two screws in a narrow piece of sharpened board driven into the ground so I could attach the gauge to the board and remove it easily to dump the water, but I never did that and the plastic spike hasn’t broken off yet. I do try to be careful when sticking it in the ground, however. My only complaint is that it measures only 5 inches, which may not be enough (see my experience below). But I can’t down rate it for that unusual situation, and it does everything else right. I bought this exactly one year ago and the plastic is still clear, but I assume ultraviolet light will eventually take its toll. This a great purchase. In fact, I’ve enjoyed having it so much that I plan to give out this rain gauge as Christmas presents. It’s always difficult to find a present which most people don’t have, but could use and would enjoy having. I think this will make a great, and fairly unusual gift. Thoughtful, yet inexpensive. The weatherman always reports how much rain fell at this airport, that airport, etc. But I know that the sky could fall at my brother's house just a few miles away, and we get not a drop. So I've always wanted to have a way to know exactly how much rain WE got. The only time I really, really wanted to know was during the deluge we got in South Carolina (remember the 1000+ year flood of Oct 2015?). Two measurements taken the first day, added together, totaled 6.5 inches. I dumped the water out just before going to bed, then woke up early the next morning to check the gauge. It had been raining heavily all night and I wanted to know exactly how much we got, but was astonished and disappointed to see that the water was flowing over the brim of the rain gauge while it was continuing to rain heavily. We were supposedly in an area that got some of the heaviest rainfall. We're on a hill so were in no danger of flooding, but sadly I'll never know the exact total amount of the rain we got at our house. I guess you could say the historic rainfall "broke" my rain gauge.

Good product. Easy to read. Sturdy. Happy with purchase.

It's good