Harbor Freight Ames Professional IR12 Non-Contact Infrared Thermometer Review & Comparison
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 16 ก.ค. 2024
- Here we are reviewing and comparing the new Harbor Freight Ames non-contact infrared thermometer 63985, centech 69465, fluke 61 . .
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Why no *COMPARISON* readings? Isn't that what matters? Isn't that WHY you bought one? Take readings of different surfaces and items with all 3 thermometers and compare the readings/results ... same? ... different? How much difference? Which one is most accurate? What is the reason for buying if you don't know if it's accurate or not?
Just grabbed one for $15 on sale…well worth it.
I thought it was a pretty straight forward review. For those folks who are not quite getting the info you wanted - calibration is compensated via adjusting emissivity. Since this may not be perfectly clear to all, allow me to attempt a very generic interpretation of the physics.
It is about the heat radiated by a particular surface being read as the infrared is absorbed and what gets reflected back. Clear as mud? Go find some videos on laws of thermodynamics and blackbody radiation and reflectors.
For generic calibration, you need a calibrated thermometer or an object with a known temp, adjust your AMES emissivity setting to match that known temp, then go measure away understanding the values will fall within the tolerance. More accuracy requires specialized tools and training. Thats how accurate measurements of any type are made.
so. is it accurate at all? That's all I really want from a thermometer, temperatures. There's your 'no brainer'.
I use the Ames for quick checks of race tires on my track bike Zx10rr after I pull the warmers off. I use a probe when I come back off the track though. The Ames works great for me after setup. Thanks for the video!
It's a good idea to compare the physical contact probe against the infrared just to make sure it's accurate you may have to adjust the admissibility although black tires or an excellent object to measure stainless steel less shiny often times will show a much lower temperature than it actually is and you'll have to adjust admissibility
Jheeze thats a good idea. I've been using a fluke for the last 2 years, absolute toss that piece of kit
!
I have a HT-817 double laser, and, suddenly one laser went dead. Any idea why and can I replace the laser?
Great review!!!! Thanks.
Thanks for the informative video. Just bought this model from Harbor Freight. No instruction manual included, I guess Chy-nah hasn’t figured out the translation to Engrish yet, although they reverse engineer other’s products well.
Just bought one of these a few days ago for still 25 bucks to check engine temps on my motorcycle it works well. The only problem was I wondered why they didn't put any kind of instructions with it and now after watching your video I realized I must have accidently tossed it...lol
Can I check how cold is my car a/c?
Do you have a device above 1700 degrees?
How can I set it for a heat press
How do u turn the beeping sound on?
What calibration number Is best for cooking?
Good job and this review. Dad a bunch of them at my harbor freight almost picked one up I wanted to hear a little review before I made the purchase hands down, you gave a great review. This will be great for what I want to use it for I just bought a Blackstone 36 inch pro series griddle. It's my first griddle so I thought it would be good to have something like this to check surface temperatures. Absolutely next time I'm in the store I'll pick one up. 😎🍺🇺🇲
Thanks for making this video u just saved me $100+ can't thank u enough watched a handful of other reviews that were totally useless or sponsored bs 💪✌
Awesome video what do I calibrate for liquid?
nice presentation, left out how to set the min and max temperatures
I think you just "read" the min and max because the actual temp is an average of the area reading. So by clicking on min/max you get the extremes of the average.
It can't be Amos. Gotta be Ames like James
Thank you for the review.
I bought one to help with my transmission oil change in an Audi. It was insanely inaccurate (showing 221 deg celsius and would fluctuated between 150-221 deg. celsius throughout the fluid change). I was so mad because it was at a critical time when I needed to know the temperature to get the correct fill. I love HF but if you need something dependable go with another unit.
Mine only lasted a couple weeks. It overheated so I had to take the battery out when not in use.
You do know your supposed to hold the select button while you hold the trigger down to calibrate the emecivity aka you have to adjust it for the material your getting a reading on. Its actually surprisingly accurate if you know how to use the settings correctly
I bought mine so I could find a blown fuse, hopefully it works otherwise I will have to pick each one and test with my multimeter. I might use my light probe, which should work without taking each one out.
Thanks for the info
Thank you
It would be much more of a fair comparison to put the A'mes up against the Fluke 62 (which I have)rather than the Fluke 61. The Fluke 62 has all of the same features as the A'mes and can be purchased for $85.
Yes that would have been a better comparison and it is incredibly surprising the fluke 61 retails for so much more than the fluke 62.
How is this for measuring for body temp for checking family for fever
I tested it for my sister in law who has a fever, there's like +- 3 degrees C difference.
@@kenkoy6723 you compared this to a regular thermometer? Much appreciated the time to check. I'm thinking of getting for nurse-wife so she doesn't need to be that close to her patients. Again, much appreciated.
@@rayngrace Yes, I compared it to our Braun Thermoscan, way too low on this IR thermometer, reading on Thermoscan was 100.2F on this tool was 97.9F. I set the emissivity to 0.98 which is the emissivity for human skin/body. I bought it as a tool for checking engine fluid/s temperature and thought maybe my wife can use it to avoid close contact with patient.
Hello,would you like to test our Infrared Thermometer
What would you recommend the emissivity to be set at for a griddle? I am using this for my black stone griddle and hope to be as accurate as possible. Thanks for you help.
Its default setting should be pretty good. you lower than emissivity if you're trying to measure more reflective surfaces
The user manual says the emissivity of Cast Iron is 0.80, Carbon (think carbon steel) is 0.85.
I'd say 0.80 is probably right on to cast iron pots and pans, that's what I'd use. The default emissivity of 0.95 is probably too high for accuracy.
Good video. Thanks.
I getting one to measure banger temp.
I think u and I are the only 1s looking at this video for using or making concentrates that was the kinda review i was actually looking for but this was really good saved me some cash CHEERS 🙏💚✌
Guys.... Im the 3rd one in this boat... Any luck on measurement temps for the banger?? Does this work?
Dustin Dussault
I measure by hovering 1-1.5 inches above it; Move it around very slightly but also keep it steady at times.
I go by the max temp found and that is how I use it. I consider it working great for my application.
The main reason I like it has the max temp memory. It tells me what exactly what i need. I hit it at 610-720 temp on a thick banger. 😝
Depending on what temp of hit I want. Wife likes them at 570-600
@@Ishecotec Sweet deal man!! Good to know its working. Ill be grabbing one after work today.. Been searching for a cheaper enail so to speak and this will suffice im sure! Have you ever had it not read the quartz nail at all? Based off your expierence is this the best way to take the guessing out of the temp range of the quartz nail??
Dustin Dussault
The best way not sure.
I like it better than other methods the enails are expensive. But can enails be accurate and be trusted?
Even if it is inaccurate a the temp gun is few degrees off its fine for what I’m doing with it.
The wrist thing is not good enough.
It also keeps me from overheating the quartz. I don’t unnecessarily get it red hot or super hot unless im cleaning it.
I have a quartz on silicone rig and it works. I know Im happy for now until ronson torch quits.
How do you calibrate it?
Was considering purchasing this model or the General 8:1 model....it is to be used for a griddle....i know the General you can hold the trigger and scan the surface and it will change the temp value as you do this.....most other ones you need to point and press the trigger every time.....does anyone know hoe this particular Ames works ? Any info is appreciated.....was also looking at the Klein....if anyone knows if that one also has this feature?
My friend thinks he takes temp of clouds.. Whats your thoughts
I think his head is in them!
Thank you for the review it was really helpful.
It was measuring your skin (palm) temp. as 92? Hmm...
You forgot to test the main thing people want to know.,.....How accurate is it?
Mine doesn't come on at all, brand new. I used 3 batteries already. Any ideas why?
It should immediately come on when you pull the trigger otherwise I would suspect it's a defective unit or maybe one of those terminals inside isn't making contact properly with the battery
Mine worked about 6 months only 20 times. 21st and way off not adjusting is way off useless. A year later having another try and the laser doesn't work everything reads between 195 215. Looking online again to find a miracle fix
can this be used on the forehead to measure human temperature?
No, not accurate enough. The difference between normal body temp and a fever is within margin of error for these. I think they also don't do as well at distinguishing skin temperature from body temperature. That, and don't point the laser near anyone's eyes.
@@thomaswilding8818 Thanks for the info. Cheers.
Hello,would you like to test our Infrared Thermometer
You left out the single most important thing - accuracy. How does the Ames compare to the Fluke from high to low temps?
Pro1er thanks for saving me the time of watching this whole thing
I've tried the one I got in the mail 5 hours ago dozens of times and it won't read our foreheads warmer than 90.3 and 89.6 degrees. I wrote them down to check since the calibration is a joke
Let me address your concerns: for $25 you want to demand accuracy? 😳😵💫
Its fairly accurate in everything I've used it for from my vehicles accurate system to my nitro rc car
@@peteknowles2103 this type of thermometer is not made to read body temperature. They say this on the packaging. These thermometers only read the surface of objects.
Approximate Surface Emissivity
Glass-0.95
Concrete-0.95
Hot Food-0.93
Carbon-0.85
Cast Iron-0.80
Copper (oxidized)-0.50
Galvanized Pipe-0.40
Aluminum (oxidized)-0.30
Stainless Steel (polished) 0.20
With the hidden manual I cut it all to pieces opening it up 😕
Thank you for the review. I also love cats !
:)
fluke , the name says it all.
Dunno how good their other tools are, but if you need a good voltmeter/multimeter, Fluke is hard to beat.
it's the fluke name.... that's a well know brand
I have a $250 fluke & it has all the same features & my $30 ryobi sucks it changes from Fahrenheit to Celsius every other time you pull trigger then you have to open it to change back to farenheit a few readings & it changes itself back to Celsius it's going back to home depot & I'm buying this Ames one
Ouch that's a pretty big defect on that Ryobi.
Fluke is the most reliable device.
Came across this unit the other day at my local Harbor freight store can this be used to take human temperature let’s say from the forehead?
these are the same things as the dabrite. terpometer. and terp timer.they are 200-500$. im thinking im going to have to diy one. maybe i can use the guts from the 25$ ames lol. thanks for this tho! not buying that fluke now lol
Will it work as a forehead thermometer?
Yes you just need to make sure to calibrate its emissivity
@@CatusMaximus calibrate what 😳
Set the emissivity to 0.78. Measure at about 12 inches away from forehead. This setting will compensate to the oral equivalent 98.7
Well worth $15 on sale.
awesome review! (said the idiot who lost his directions over a year ago, LOL). thanks cat!
Do you know if you can use a 20 or 25% coupon on this?
I think $25 is the sale price and I don't believe you can use coupons for items that are on sale but I am not positive about that
@@CatusMaximus $25 is the regular price. They often publish $17.99 sale price coupons
no you cant use 20% off coupon..try it today 10/15/18. bought it anyway..lol
34882241 coupon code to get it for $17.99. Good through Oct 31, 2018.
How accurate is it?Point at an ice cube(32 degreesf) and boiling water(212f) and you would have answer.
it's called 12:1 ratio
With the pandemic going on, can you use that to measure human temperature?
@@claritasworld5076 I think I found the answer, unfortunately it's NO, not design for human body, way too low compared to our in-ear Braun Thermoscan, there's like 3 degrees differential.
I also found that it doesnt read human temps completely accurately, but you can make a note of your normal forehead temp and compare that number to the reading of someone with suspected fever
I found that I get accurate forehead readings when I set E to .53
@@bryannyssen122 how do you get it to set to E 53? I just bought mine
@@MichaelThompson-bt7oj watch the vid again - he explains it
Could I take my temperature with this
Yes you can! Stand in front of a mirror and point it at your forehead. And then you can read the display in the mirror, but remember it's backwards there now. And try to keep it off your eyeballs.
DA ,OK !🤪
Human skin has emissivity of 0.98 so adjust the calibration.
@@regibson23 I bought this just for being able to take my kids and my temperature. Im not sure its accurate. It read around 94 on the fore heads? I set it to 98 too. Thanks man
I THINK I GOT THAT A'MES FOR $17.00
GREAT DEAL.
$14 blackfriday 2022
I pay $16 dollars today !
@Brigitt Gravesat Harbor freight tools.
3:57 I believe that would be a 1" circle area, not a "one square inch area", but I'm not an engineer either.
Yes you are correct I should have been more specific that it is a circular area
"They hate us cuz they a'mes!"
:)
Picked one up today for 16.99 with coupon 😎😎😎
Nice
Hello,would you like to test our Infrared Thermometer
@@user-du6nk8st2e send one my way & I’ll review it!
unfortunately you did not show how to set the alarms for high and low temperature setting and how to do it and a full physical walk through
That’s because it doesn’t have that function. You must be referring to a different model or you’re misinformed. Here’s the manual. manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63985.pdf
well it's also a Chinese made part... Ames is know for cheap Chinese tools... use a lithium 9v battery
Here’s a link to the manual. manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/63000-63999/63985.pdf
I’ve found it to be accurate but I haven’t had good results when taking forehead temps. They are very low. Like 91-92°F. That’s at .98 Emissivity. I’ve tried lowering but then when it’s accurate for me, it’s increased for my young sons and shows 101-102° F temperature. I’m still experimenting and haven’t given up. 😁
You wasted 15 minutes of my life. Which one is the most accurate?
I 2x all vids and respond to comments as I listen.
My Ames infrared thermometer has a parasitic drain that will kill the battery dead dead dead!
@lornaz1975 - What, are you kidding?
@@Duchess1285 Shocking isn't it!
Its a shame about Harbor Freight. The employee's seem to be on strike at most locations. They move as if its killing them. Went to get this today and the manager wouldn't even respond to his workers begging for help at the register. That was my last trip there to buy anything. This appears to be a decent unit. I hope so. Lord knows I don't wont to even think about returning anything there.
The employees at the Medford, OR store have been very helpful for me, even today when I bought this IR thermometer.
Dude...it's ames.... one word no accent
A'MES. That's how the company spells it.
Where is the accuracy test?
GUYS ask yourselves why he din't do the accuracy test A'MES vs FLUKE !!!
The answer is that all these cheap infrared thermometers give funny readings when you try to measure low temp. or temp below freezing point, not to mention that they are most of the time +- 5-10 degree off when measuring btwn 30*C - 100*C ( boiling point of water), watch other reviews or read the forums about that.
Bro just make a 2 minute video, is it good, is it S#&@, does it work? My God
Nice review but everything from harbor freight is garbage
I shouldn't have bought this, it was inaccurate as hell.
Mine is 7 degrees off. POS
Mine spot on