Howdy Robar, I own the big dog Pro timer which is a little awkward. So I bought the CED 7000 which I love. It is light weight, has a lot of add on accessories: rubber bootie like a cell phone has, spare battery, car charger, arm band holder, and more. If you get the RF series(radio frequency), then it can be used in conjunction with a big score board if a club uses one.
I use all of the different brands of timers during the month, except for the 8000 series, and they all good. Obviously I prefer the 7000 since I bought one.
The 8000 is intriquing. It sounds nice. The hinge display seems a little confusing to me for application. I would like to see one in use.
Good Luck, Please let us know what you ended up with.