Suggestions on IR thermometer?

[albertj03]

I sold my CFM wood stove today and the cash is burning a hole in my pocket. Would like to have an IR thermometer but there are a lot of them out so I'm looking for suggestions in the $40 - $50 range. I've noticed that some of the less expensive ones only go up to 500 - 600 degrees which doesn't helpmme since I'll mostly be using it on my stove top. I did a search but didn't find too much. Any info is much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[velvetfoot]

My HF unit goes higher even though the literature said it didn't.

 

[albertj03]

How high does it go?

 

[Battenkiller]

These are very nice instruments for the money ($49).

http://www.instrumart.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=10228

. Part number LT100
. Manufactured by Sixth Sense
. FREE Rugged nylon holster
. 12:1 D:S ratio
. -76 to 932°F (-60 to 500°C) temperature range
. Built in laser pointer
. Accuracy ±2%, 2°C
. Uses 2 AAA batteries (included)

I have it's brother, the LT300. It is a very rugged unit that has a no-questions asked 1-year warranty. I actually dropped mine several times. It still works, but it has something rattling inside it. I called the company and told them what happened and they said they would fix or replace it anyway. The tech said they sold literally thousands of these a year to the food industry and they couldn't be bothered checking out each one for abuse. Rare these days for a company to stand by its products like that.

Edit: Free phone support for 1 year as well. They have an engineer on staff to answer any technical questions.

 

[firefighterjake]

Here's what I have used for the past two years+ . . . one of the cheaper units . . . but it registers high and is good enough for what I want. I usually have it hanging on my woodbox near the stove.

http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-laser-thermometer-96451.html

 

[DanCorcoran]

Yeah, that Harbor Freight model works well for me...

 

[albertj03]

Does the HF thermometer go into the 800 and 900's? Not that I plan on running my stove that high but by chance that it gets up there I would like to know.

 

[Danno77]

My HF unit goes higher even though the literature said it didn't.

what the heck were you measuring to figure that out?

 

[DanCorcoran]

HF range is -4 F to +968 F.

http://www.harborfreight.com/non-contact-laser-thermometer-96451.html

 

[albertj03]

Just ordered from HF. Not sure why but I thought it only went to 600. Looking forward to checking the temp of the stove and every other item in and around my house!

 

[DanCorcoran]

Yeah, I had fun checking out the refrigerator, freezer, cat and dog inner-ear temps, etc!

 

[firefighterjake]

Yeah, I had fun checking out the refrigerator, freezer, cat and dog inner-ear temps, etc!

And of course at some point you have to point it at your wife and say "According to the infrared thermometer you're smoking hot."

 

[pyper]

If you point it at the window in the stove, does it tell you the temperature of the fire, or the temperature of the glass? If you can tell the temperature of the fire, then it might make sense to get one that reads up to 1200, but if it only reads the surface, then it seems lower range would be just as good.

 

[Battenkiller]

If you point it at the window in the stove, does it tell you the temperature of the fire, or the temperature of the glass? If you can tell the temperature of the fire, then it might make sense to get one that reads up to 1200, but if it only reads the surface, then it seems lower range would be just as good.

Internal temps can and will get higher than 1200º. Mine goes to all the way to 1400º, so I can read the coals themselves (up to that point, after which it just beeps and says, "High"), but when you point it at the glass it is only reading the surface temp of the glass. Glass is opaque to IR radiation. I don't see the point in knowing the internal temp, however, unless it's just idle curiosity.

 

[oldspark]

I really like the one in batten killer's post with the free shipping, one more thing to justify buying one is you can check all your breaker box's and outlets and switches every six months or so.

 

[pyper]

I really like the one in batten killer's post with the free shipping, one more thing to justify buying one is you can check all your breaker box's and outlets and switches every six months or so.

Cool! How warm is a problem?

HF has $3 shipping, so that's a wash. The HF has an 8:1 detection cone while the other is 12:1. The HF senses warmer temperatures; the the other goes colder (not much difference for either, btw). I'm leaning towards the HF because they sell a $12 moisture meter too, and I could use one.

I expect it will be handy for the smoker too -- be able to figure out how much hotter the top shelf is compared to the bottom.

 

[oldspark]

General guide lines are if there is a difference of 27 degrees F between like componets or a temperature of 72 degrees F above ambient temperature than a fix is needed.

 

[Battenkiller]

I expect it will be handy for the smoker too -- be able to figure out how much hotter the top shelf is compared to the bottom.

You'll find all kinds of things that you'll want to measure. I found that even Thermopane windows are quite a bit colder than the wall next to them. Dark objects don't get significantly hotter than light ones when exposed to the stove's radiant heat. Even a small air gap can make a huge difference between the front and back of two pieces of sheet metal. People's skin surface is a lot cooler than their internal (98.6º) temperature. My wife's... never mind, I slept on the couch that night.

Main reason to go with the one from Instrumart is their customer service. Plus, they specialize in high quality electronics for professional use. HF doesn't have a clue about what they are selling. Mine takes K-type probes (comes with a low-temp probe for free), so I could get a thermocouple that reads the internal flue gas temp and get an instantaneous reading accurate to within a few degrees. Worlds better than those magnetic flue probes that aren't even close to being right.

 

[Battenkiller]

General guide lines are if there is a difference of 27 degrees F between like componets or a temperature of 72 degrees F above ambient temperature than a fix is needed.

Well, that's handy to know. You're an electrician I take it?

Another very useful thing is to measure the temp of your saw engine. With some folks here having saws that cost more than their stove, that's a handy thing to know as well.

 

[oldspark]

General guide lines are if there is a difference of 27 degrees F between like componets or a temperature of 72 degrees F above ambient temperature than a fix is needed.

Well, that's handy to know. You're an electrician I take it?

Another very useful thing is to measure the temp of your saw engine. With some folks here having saws that cost more than their stove, that's a handy thing to know as well.

Yes I was I now do audits on wind turbines, I think being an electrician was more fun but the wind turbine thing pays better.

 

[DanCorcoran]

The HF price shown in the link was catalog, plus shipping. I got mine at the local HF retail store for $29.95 on sale, 5% sales tax, but no shipping. Also picked up the moisture meter on sale.

In general, I understand that HF merchandise may not always be the same quality as other brands. But I've never had a problem that required returning something. Once or twice there've been broken or missing parts, but they've sent them immediately (often sending an entire assembly or bag of hardware, instead of just the missing nut or bolt).

My gripe is that many brands are made in China now and are exactly the same quality as HF (most of which is Chinese made), but cost an arm and a leg more. These other brands are trading on their old reputations, but charging more for the same quality. I do a lot of comparison shopping, so I usually know what I'm getting if I choose Harbor Freight (which I don't always do).

 

[velvetfoot]

It would be nice to have a tighter cone.
It's tedious interpolating the stove's temp. readings while on the couch.

 

[vvvv]

dunno if mentioned but IR guns come in different temp ranges

 

[Battenkiller]

It would be nice to have a tighter cone.
It's tedious interpolating the stove's temp. readings while on the couch.

Yeah, don't let that laser dot fool you, it's only an aiming aid. The real spot can't be seen, is much larger and grows with increasing distance. Mine's 20:1 and I still don't think it's accurate from across the room. From 10' away, that's a 6" spot... about as wide as most folks' flue pipes. A D:S ratio of 8:1 has a cone that is 15" wide at the same distance.

Another thing to realize is that no matter what your D:S ratio is, there is a minimum spot size for each instrument. I was excited to get a 20:1 IR gun because that would allow my wife to measure her flameworked beads by getting very close (like 1/4"spot at 5"). Not so. According to the engineer at Instrumart, the minimum spot size on my gun is 1", no matter how close I get. Disappointing, but it's still a very nice thermometer for everything else.

 

[DanCorcoran]

I find that if I get up and walk over to the stove, I get a more accurate reading...and a beer on the way back!