Temperature Gun

NDevon

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Jan 22, 2016
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North Devon, UK
I'm looking for one of the digital temperature guns you point at parts of the enclosure to get a reading, I've found them pretty cheap, but are they any good? It's not a bargain if it only lasts a month, but at the same time there is no point spending a load of money if I don't have to or if even they don't last long.

How accurate are they these days? I used one several years ago to measure fridge and freezer temperatures when I owned a club and he one I tried was just awful, out by 15 degrees Celsius if I remember! I ought it was wierd that my fridge was freezing everything yet it read as 5 degrees Celsius....

So yea, I want to get one as many on here say they are great, but I don't want to make a bad purchase. Any advice?
 

Tort1419

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Jan 17, 2015
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Get one, temp guns are great. Do not get the plastic dials they sell at pet stores they are inaccurate
 

Anyfoot

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I'm looking for one of the digital temperature guns you point at parts of the enclosure to get a reading, I've found them pretty cheap, but are they any good? It's not a bargain if it only lasts a month, but at the same time there is no point spending a load of money if I don't have to or if even they don't last long.

How accurate are they these days? I used one several years ago to measure fridge and freezer temperatures when I owned a club and he one I tried was just awful, out by 15 degrees Celsius if I remember! I ought it was wierd that my fridge was freezing everything yet it read as 5 degrees Celsius....

So yea, I want to get one as many on here say they are great, but I don't want to make a bad purchase. Any advice?
I think they are all pretty accurate. Aim for middle of the road. The one I've got is what we use at work. Raytemp 38. About £180. But we need to check high temps in furnace, upto 1000°c, also its capable of recording the readings and all sorts of other sh_t nobody is ever going to use.
Around £50 seem to go up to 300/500°c. I think that is one of the main reasons you see such a vast price difference, its range.
The expensive guns are for use on an industrial level. Not needed for pets. Personally I'd get one between £30/£50 mark.
 

Rue

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I picked mine up on sale at Canadian Tire...for $50 CDN :D. I had never heard of them before! Not sure why...seems handy as a general household tool. Oh yes...and when I asked the clerk to direct me towards the aisle that had the 'temperature guns' she gave me a blank look...I thought she was taking a moment to prepare herself to humour me - and then call the asylum. Apparently it's called a digital temperature reader in our neck of the woods.

From my bit of playing around it seems fairly accurate and consistent. I did read something about being careful of the distance you hold it at when taking a temperature - various models have different ranges (D:S, distance to spot ratio). The range should be on the instruction sheet...but I can't find it on my model...so I stay within an inch or so of the surface. Others seem to use it from 8" or so to check on their animals' habitats.

And don't point it at glass or reflective surfaces...
 

NDevon

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Thanks for all the advice, I will do some searching. Any brand suggestions?

And I hope I won't need to measure up to 1000 degrees, if I do we can safely say the thermostat has malfunctioned!
 

Markw84

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ZEROPILOT

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I've never spent more than $26 U.S. for the three I've purchased. (One for myself that works great and two for gifts to other members.)
Here at work we have a very expensive one that has dual lasers, etc. It is very pinpoint accurate. This is helpful in finding a particular wire with a short in it for example. (I'm a mechanic)
The ones I have purchased myself can measure the temps in an area about the size of a penny. More than good enough for our hobby!
 

NDevon

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I had a good search for these, I found the Etekcity under a different brand for under $17 in the UK but reading reviews although most people love here things many say they are as innacurate as I found them. One example was a guy who had temperatures ranging over 15 degrees centigrade on a shelf in a freezer within seconds of each reading. Just not possible. I know the surface reflection can have an effect, but people are finding that water is boiling at 80 degrees centigrade - errrr nope!

They are not expensive so I may get one, just wondering if it will cause me more hassle and stress than it's worth. Maybe a I need to spend big money to get a good one, maybe it's just luck of the draw and some units are just not as accurate as others from the same range, no idea what to think!

Thanks for your advice anyway people, really appreciated, I'm not ignoring it I just don't want to buy something that will frustrate me :)
 

KaijuEmily

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Mar 5, 2016
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Oregon Coast
Yeah, im looking for a "temp gun" now myself. I thought my friends each already have one i could check out to test , but they both managed to break right around the same time. They are boat mechanics.
So i guess just going to have to get one for myself.
 

NDevon

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Jan 22, 2016
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North Devon, UK
It would be interesting to get 3 different guns together and compare temperatures. I may look at some that accept returns and do just that!
 
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