Wow, you actually broke through the whole thing.
Kai
I am used to leaving things, and returning to find them in the same condition I left them at work. Unfortunately with kids around the house, that is almost never the case. I broke the whole thing. That said, 37 bucks wasn't bad (I have seen hemocytometers for more than 200 at various scientific supply houses).
Drew, I would advise against purchasing a stereomicroscope for cell counting. Like Kai says, you will have a lower net magnification and probably end up spending more in the long run buying a good optical microscope. I would check Craiglist and ebay for higher quality (Nikon, Zeiss, Leitz, Leica, etc.) used microscopes over new "off-brand" microscopes from cynmar, optics planet, etc.. I watched craigslist for a while and ended up with a research grade Leitz microscope that has outstanding optics for $100. Brand aside, a key requirement for me is having an adjustable condenser below the stage in order to obtain a Kohler alignment. This focuses the light source from below at the sample plane while the objective is focused at the same point from above, and effectively optimizes imaging.