Anyone have any experience with this tool? I can't tell if it uses IR or something else to read the temp . . .

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=91778

I am basically looking for a tool to get a true reading of my car's temperature off the water neck, and it will have very limited use after that, so I am hoping to find something relatively cheap.

 

That'll work OK for you. Shoot the radiator hose just above the thermostat housing, not the housing itself; shiny surfaces will give an incorrect reading.

 

Maybe you'll have better luck than I, but I ordered this unit a few weeks ago after one of our fellow Forum members posted a thread about it.

Yesterday, I received a post card from Harbor Freight informing me that it was back ordered and that I'd receive one at some unspecified point in the future!

I'm not holding my breath!

 

there is a store just down from me. i bought one last week when they were on sale. so far so good. it works for what i have used it. quality is fine for 30 or so bucks, give it a shot you cant lose at that price.

 

I ordered one a few weeks back and received a note saying it was back ordered until mid April. Right after that I receieved 20 emails about all kinds of sales and 'other' stuff I should be buying...

 

Ditto!

 

Eastwood has them. I Use one for checking temperatures when powdercoating, among other things.

 

Same here. Almost immediately after placing my order on line, the email "sale" alerts started arriving .

I won't buy anything from Harbor Freight until the unit I ordered initially actually materializes .

 

Backordered until 24 April as of 4/13/06

 

Thanks guys, there is a store in my area and they say they have 17 in stock but could not find them in the store. They did write me a rain check so I'll call again on Monday and see if they have been "found"

 

yea, my store had some trouble, they are in a locked case near the welding area. the people they hire are not the best, hence the prices being so low. look in that area. if anyone wants me to check and see if there are some left i will. perhaps i can mail you guys some. if you cannot wait let me know and ill just charge you shipping and what it costs.

 

Appreciate your offer. I'll wait to see what ships next week and go from there. It's not like I really need one at this minute, but it would nice to have at times.

 

I always joke about Harbor Freight and the crap they sell. Yet, for some reason when I do go in there, I never seem to come out empty handed. I have used the high end (expensive) versions of these things at work for years. I decided for under $40, it was worth a shot for the home garage. Since I got it last month, I have used it for even more than I thought I ever would. Already got my money's worth. I checked it against some other thermometers I have and it seems pretty accurate. It uses a 9volt battery.
In Las Vegas, they have a bunch in stock, locked up with the digital micrometers and similar stuff. If you get on their mailing list, they send you these coupons almost every week

---------------------------COUPON------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Print Out This E-Mail and bring it to your local
Harbor Freight Tools Retail Store!

Save 20% off Any Single Item!

ID=78015855603
Coupon# 69728871
Coupon Expires April 19, 2006

This coupon must be completed and presented for redemption

Name____________________________________ _______
Address_________________________________ _______
City________________ State_______ Zip__________

One coupon per customer. Coupons cannot be used with any other Discount or
Coupons. Coupons not valid on prior purchase or the purchase of gift cards
or purchase of extended service plans. Offer good on in-stock merchandise
only. Savings discount percentage off Harbor Freight Tools current prices,
including current sale prices. Coupon only valid if completely filled out.

Price- Although we make every effort to assure that our prices, products,
and coupons are advertised as accurately as possible, we are only human,
and in the event an error is made, we reserve the right to correct it.

Non-Transferable Coupon
VALID ONLY AT HARBOR FREIGHT RETAIL STORES
---------------------------COUPON------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

Is there another way to check temp. for those of us without an I.R. gun ? You know us frugal types (which one of you just called me a cheap SOB ? ) I hate to plunk down $40.00 for something that I KNOW I will only use once.

Thanks.

 

Try taping a meat thermometer to the underside of the upper radiator hose. $5 + duct tape.

 

Got my IR Thermometer last week from Harbor. Not bad, just 10 weeks wait! Temp gauge is off, reads 180*, but at the rad hose above the thermostat housing reads 165*. Money well spent!

 

I bought one on my last trip to HF and it works great. Check back for some earlier postings on this thermometer. There was a posting of a form you fill out and get 10% off of anything from HF. I printed it out, took it over there (I live about a mile from them) and it worked great.

 

Yep .. Once you buy something from HF you get on their mailing list. Those guys won't leave you alone! ..

 

Tip for using I/R guns:
The cheaper the gun is, the shorter the 'spot to distance' ratio is. In other words, you need to be CLOSE to get them to work right. Don't shoot something from afar and expect to get a good reading. 'Far' is relative to 'price' of gun. The cheaper guns may not even have this in the instructions. Has to do with strength of laser. (Have many friends that sell several brands of these in A/C & Refrigeration business, no THESE are NOT cheap!)

For surface / probe thermometers:
Taping any thermometer to anything to get it to read. After securing said thermometer 'stem' or 'probe' to said 'object', INSULATE over the contact point of both items with foam tape, or any insulating material.
Get it as TIGHT as possible. Otherwise thermometer will read 1/2 temp of object you are measuring, and 1/2 temp of 'Air' on the other side of thermometer probe, thru duct tape or whatever.

Difference can easily be 20-30% off.

 

The HF device has a scale on the side with distance variations.