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Infrared Thermometers???

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Just bought some equipment for the shop

Does anybody have

I'm thinking of buying an Infrared Thermometer for checking differential temps. ,tire & brake temps. , exhaust manifold temps. , etc.



I've done a search on the tool forum and turned up nothing. Even went through all the posts that are available.



Have you guys found a reasonably priced unit & what maximum temp. do you need? I suppose it would have to be pretty high for exhaust temps.



Harbor Frieght has a cheap one on sale for $26. 99 (reg. $39. 99) & there is a 20% off coupon, also. So, it's in the $22. 00 range. Only goes up to 485 degs. , though. That would be ok for things other than exhaust manifold temps.



Anyone have any thoughts or experience with these units?



Thanks.



Joe F. (Buffalo)



PS: I can't believe no one ever asked about these things.
 
I got the Harbor Freight one, although I paid quite a bit more for it. I use it to assess batch temp in vinegar making as well as trouble shooting cat converters, etc. Although it is limited to 485* or so, it can shoot exhaust manifold at idle to determine if 1 cylinder is burning hotter, or cooler than another.



Neat toy.



Dan
 
Bought mine at Schuck's (Kragan/Checker) on sale about two years ago. I paid about $50. I've used it quite a few times for a variety of troubleshooting.
 
I have the Raytek AutoPro. (Father's Day Gift) Awesome Tool

The Raytek AutoPro infrared thermometer is developed specifically with the needs of today’s automotive, diesel and transportation technicians in mind. Rugged, fast, and convienient, this professional tool offers many valuable features for automotive technicians:



* SmartSight™ - bright dual laser sighting system that merges into a single laser point when the unit is at the optimal distance from the object being measured

* Bright illumination flashlight - white LED that conveniently illuminates the work area when the trigger is pulled

* Removable, powerful magnet - attached to the base of the unit for handy, safe storage

* Temperatures up to 535ºC (999ºF)

* 1% accuracy



http://www.raytek-northamerica.com/cat.html?cat_id=2.3.3.3



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I have had the one from Radio Shack for the last year. I use it for tire and rim temps when I tow my 5th wheel. I like the small size as it fits in the small slot in the center seat back/storage.
 
I have a "Mastercool" brand unit I bought thru NAPA - unit works great, and is extremely easy to use. These are great for measuring tire temps on both trucks and RV's - as well as checking brake drum and wheel hub temps (bearings) for balance on trailers. They can also spot uneven cylinder performance by reading exhaust temps right at the beginning of the exhaust manifold for each cylinder - as well as checking overall exhaust temps to verify EGT sensor accuracy.



Quite a long list of uses - they are worth adding to your tool assortment! ;)
 
Noticed two versions in the Sears Craftsman tool catalog yesterday. One was about $150 and would go to 1500 degees and the other was $90 and would go to 1000 degrees. No experience with either.
 
Ive found that accuracy depends on the unit becoming acclimated to the environment in which it is measuring for about 10 minutes. Otherwise it does a good job at relative measurments like a split between a register and an air return.
 
Joe, is the max temp listed for the HF model 485 farenheit or celsius? If it's celsius, that's 900 farenheit.



Ryan
 
I ended up buying the one linked in the #2 post by WDixon27, #91788. It was regularly $79. 99 & on sale for $39. 99. I had a coupon for 20% off from one of their mailers, which they honored. That was an additional $8. 00 off, which, brought the price down to $31. 99+$2. 59 tax=$34. 58. This unit reads measurements from -4 to 518F.



The other unit, #93984 was regularly $36. 99 & on sale fro $26. 99 (less the 20% coupon). That one went to 485F.



The #91788 uses a 9 volt battery & is much larger than the #93984, which, uses a small coin-shaped battery that you might find in a camera. The #93984 is much smaller & would be easier to store.



Thanks for your replys.



Joe F. (Buffalo)
 
Costco had a nice unit a while back. I walked past it on several trips, thinking that it would be cool, but did I really need it? Now they're gone :{ and I haven't seen them again! I like the idea of checking tire and rim temp on the trailer.
 
I use one almost every day in the HVAC industry and they are not that accurate due to shinny metals reflecting the light away and remember that the laser is not what reads the light reflected back, the father away the meter is the larger the diameter of the surface is measured as an average. The light is in a cone shape, so the father away the meter is the larger the diameter of the cone that takes an average of the temperature with in that diameter. If you are trying to measure a part that is 1"X 1" you need to be 1" away and if its shinny, paint it with flat black paint. These are wonderful tools when you know the capabilities of them
 
JasonBrown said:
We use a fluke brand at work. It is pretty accurate, probably pretty expensive as is other fluke equipment.
I use a Fieldpiece meter with the Inferred attachment and it is awesome when conditions are right. If possible I recommend a type K thermocouple (bead type) for it is quick and more accurate. I used this method for measuring my oil temp on the supply line to the radiator from the auto trans, because I replaced my radiator to the V10 model size, to help increase cooling capacity on my 94 2500HD 360 gasser. I was worried my trans would run too cool and cause premature failure from the different tolerances. I could also see if it was overheating on long grades when towing 5VR. The oversized Radiator worked like a champ and fitted rather easily in the front with little modification.
 
Just make sure you understand how things Infrared thermometers work. They are extremely accurate if you know what you're looking at. They only measure a surface temperature, as seen by the model with 2 lasers for sighting there is also a critical focal point, distances makes a big difference on the size spot the sensor is looking at. Last, these things derive temperature based on radiation, to calculate radiant energy the Emissivity of the surface has to be known, this is a difficult number to calculate accurately. A perfect black body (box with a small hole in it) has an Emissivity coefficient of . 95, most dark colored, flat, non-shiny surafaces are very close to that. Most of these thermometers are set up to assume a . 95 Emissivity coefficient. Just figured I'd get some word out on these things, I work with a bunch of people that try to use these all the time and don't understand it, then they can't believe the readings are off by a mile. If you want more temperature measuring info than you can stand, take a look at:



Omega Engineering
 
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