A counter for counting elongate objects having a separating section which vibrates groups of elongate objects in order to separate such elongate objects and move them to a weighing device that determines the average weight of an elongate object in the lot to which this group belongs. Such average weight is then utilized to determine the number of elongate objects that are subsequently placed in a counting basked to be weighed. Optionally, a storage section retains groups of elongate objects and moves them to the separating section. Also optionally, the counting section, which contains the weighing device, is constructed with the capability of moving elongate objects to a delivery section.