etekcity infrared thermometer comparison

They may bounce between reading the actual temperature and some other temperature. It has three buttons. During testing we preferred units that used a AA battery instead of a 9V battery. A large thermometer that doesnt fit your hand well will work just fine.

Like all other IR thermometers we tested, the 62 MAX+s manufacturer specified accuracy is maximized near room temperature, reduced at mid to high temperatures, and greatly reduced at extremely low or extremely high temperatures. The thermometer weighs a certain number of ounces or grams and this requires no further explanation. If you move both thermometers further away say 200 inches away the 50:1 model will have a spot size of 4 inches (still smaller) while the 10:1 model will have a spot size of 20 inches (still larger).

The Etekcity 630 is not a small compact thermometer. Most IR thermometers have a manufacturer specified response time less than 1 second - pull the trigger and the thermometer displays the measured temperature in less than 1 second. The tape itself has a limited surface area. Below 14 F the thermometers accuracy is only plus or minus 6 F. Accuracy between 14 F and 32 F is plus or minus 4 F. Accuracy above 32 F is plus or minus 2 F or 1% of the reading, whichever is greater. The thermometer has certain dimensions measured in inches or centimeters and this requires no further explanation. Units with higher ratios did provide. The 62 MAX+ and the 62 MAX are nearly identical IR thermometers. Disabling it will result in some disabled or missing features. The second number represents the spot size. The right most button allows you to turn the displays backlight on or off. The 630 does come with a 2 year warranty and consumer reviews show that Etekcity is a great company to deal with should you actually need to use the included warranty. Some units display this final temperature for over 20 seconds. During testing, we found it to be quite accurate reading the temperature of common household items like paper, paint, and food near room temperature. And so, an IR thermometer needs two pieces of information to take an accurate reading: Emissivity is the term we use to describe that second piece of information - the efficiency with which a material can emit IR radiation. A thermometer with a 10:1 D/S ratio, held the exact same distance away - 100 inches away from the target - will measure a spot with a much larger 10 inch diameter. We tested the 62 Max+ and found this to be true. But if you need to determine whether you have a fever or not youll need to measure your bodys internal temperature and for that youll need an oral or rectal thermometer.

The Fluke is covered head to toe in a rubberized material that will save it from cracks or any other damage should you drop it. It also features a high and low temperature alarm, the ability to switch between Celsius and Fahrenheit, and a rather unique setting that will shut the unit off automatically after the trigger has been held down for more than 10 minutes (to save battery life if something in your toolbox is pressing up against the trigger in storage, for example). Most IR thermometers come equipped with either one or two lasers.

And that 500 ms vs 300 ms isnt much of a difference either. You can also set it to be backlit to improve the clarity of readouts. Etekcity claims that the 630 has a 500 ms response time but in practice it takes more than 2 seconds for the thermometer to display even an initial temperature reading.

The same cannot be said for any of the budget IR thermometers we tested.

To access the battery compartment you need to pull forward on the front on the thermometers handle. But are things really this simple when it comes to IR thermometer accuracy? You need to wait several minutes (some manufacturers recommend waiting 30 minutes) for the tape to adjust to the temperature of the surface before taking a reading. 4.

It always gave only one final reading the actual reading of the actual temperature. And we absolutely do not recommend it for professional use. Make an informed purchase. Basically, it boils down to this: Units with fixed emissivity are terribly inaccurate when measuring the temperature of any material that doesnt have an emissivity value close to 0.95 the value fixed emissivity IR thermometers are usually set to.

The 630 can be quite slow to take readings and when it finally settles on a reading the displayed temperature sometimes jumps between the actual reading and another reading 10 to 20 degrees more or less than the actual reading. The surface you need to measure may be comprised of a material that tape wont stick to. This means that the thermometer has been manufactured in a way that makes it resistant to water and/or dust damage. You pull the thermometers trigger to activate it. The size of the spot changes depending on how far the thermometer is held away from the surface. Where it suffers is with accuracy and precision and delivering temperature readings fast.

For the IR thermometer to give an accurate temperature reading it needs to also know how efficiently the material can emit the radiation. A thermometer with a 50:1 D/S ratio can be held 50 inches away from the target to measure a 1 inch diameter spot. The only downside here is that the 15 seconds that the display stays on does have a negative impact on the units battery life. It allows for taking more precise measurements as a high D/S ratio equates to a very small measured spot size, It allows for the thermometer to be used in scenarios where you need to be far away from the surface that you want to measure. Holding it 36 inches away from the surface will increase the spot size to 3 inches, and so on and so forth. Below freezing, around room temperature, and even up to 300 F it was quite accurate. This can cause confusion if youre not sure what the actual reading should be.

Our testing showed that the 774 was only accurate to within 15 F at readings around 300 F, and only accurate to within 25 F at readings above 400 F. Our tests showed that the 774 is highly inaccurate at high temperatures. You know that it needs to know the efficiency with which the material can emit that radiation before it can take an accurate reading it needs to know the materials emissivity. Most budget models dont come with anything more than a 2 year warranty. This shows when you closely observe its build quality. As you move toward the target the lasers come closer together (as the spot gets smaller). Your overall experience using an IR thermometer and overall ease with which you end up using it will vary greatly depending on the following 4 factors: Some IR thermometers have large easy to read LCD displays while others have much smaller more difficult to read displays. Note: an IR thermometer works great as a candy thermometer to temper chocolate, for example - or for measuring the temperature of lye when making soap. This page works best with JavaScript. The reading will then slowly move up or down until it settles on a final temperature. As we noted earlier the Fluke also has a much higher quality LCD screen than budget units. Our hands-on testing of the MAX+ revealed these numbers to be accurate (no pun intended).

For example, holding the 62 MAX+ 24 inches away from the surface will increase the spot size to 2 inches. The ability to switch between degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. The 630 can be set to display: The 630 comes with a 9V battery. If you plan on using it very infrequently, you really dont need to concern yourself with its size or ergonomics. The 630 has many of the same extra features as all of the professional grade IR thermometers we tested, including the Fluke 62 MAX+.

The 62 MAX+ feels great in the hand and is small and light enough to easily clip onto a tool belt for professional use. In other words, if you measure the temperature of a surface with an actual temperature close to room temperature the 630 will display an initial reading very close to the final reading. According to the specs listed above you would expect the thermometer to be accurate to within 6 F at measurements taken around 300 F (2% of 300 F is 6 F), 8 F at measurements taken around 400 F and so on and so forth. Finally, the 62 MAX+ comes with a 3 year warranty. The surface you need to measure may be out of reach, making it impossible to put tape over it. Each time you want to measure the surface temperature of a particular object it will be up to you to. As you move away from the target the lasers move farther apart (as the spot gets larger). Once you release the trigger after taking a measurement the 630s display stays on for about 15 seconds more than 10 seconds longer than the top rated Fluke 62 MAX+s display stays on after releasing its trigger.

Theres absolutely no need to have to worry about the limitations of this tape trick in the first place - just buy a thermometer with adjustable emissivity. While you have the trigger pulled the thermometer is constantly updating temperature information on its LCD screen. Get the Etekcity 630 if youre an average consumer looking for an IR thermometer to take temperature readings of a wide variety of different materials (the 630 features adjustable emissivity for this purpose) and you dont care about the thermometer being extremely accurate, durable, or reliable. Wires extend from the inside of the compartment to a bracket that fits over the top of the battery. The Etekcity 630 can measure surface temperatures between -58 F and 1076 F. This range should be adequate for the majority of applications. The unit will beep or a message will flash on the display when the temperature of the scanned surface is above or below a set temperature. One quirk we didnt like? So why would you ever buy a low D/S ratio thermometer over a high D/S ratio thermometer? The 62 MAX+ wont have this problem. The unit does come with a 2 year warranty and excellent customer support from the manufacturer. Again, an IR thermometer only measures surface temperature. Likewise, if its a good emitter this needs to be compensated for also. The higher the D/S ratio, the further you can be from the spot you want to measure.

Manufacturers of budget IR thermometers are banking on the fact that youre unlikely to use their thermometers to measure the temperature of these types of surfaces. Dual laser technology allows you to not only see the location of the spot youre measuring but also the exact size of the spot the two lasers show the edges of the spot. The Etekcity 630 is one of very few budget IR thermometers we tested that features adjustable emissivity.

The movement of these atoms gives off IR radiation. You may need to write down temperature data as you collect it. During testing, it displayed temperature readings almost instantaneously upon trigger pulls. If you need to measure the temperature of small spots at any distance youll need an IR thermometer with a high D/S ratio. The Etekcity 630, for example, has a manufacturer specified response time of 500 ms. The Fluke 62 Max+, for example, has listed response time of less than 300 ms. Next to this time, listed in parentheses is 95% of the reading. They do not read the final measured value nearly as fast. Doing so also affects the backlight and laser settings as pressing the button once turns both the backlight and lasers off, pressing it again turns only the backlight on, and pressing it a third time turns both on. This is the exact same ratio as that of the top rated Fluke 62 MAX+, meaning that the 774 measures the exact same size area at the same distances as the Fluke. So while the accuracy of the 62 Max+ may look very similar to that of much less expensive models if you compare their specifications side by side and take them at face value these specifications dont tell the whole story. It can certainly tell you the temperature of your skins surface. The 774 comes with a 9V battery. The 62 MAX+ provides all of the extra features you would come to expect from a unit in its price range. Unfortunately, youll absolutely have to understand it or at least understand how it applies to IR thermometers for you to pick the right thermometer for your application. If and when you do, an IR thermometer with fixed emissivity will not be able to take an accurate temperature reading of the surface. And many IR thermometer manufacturers would agree with you. The further the thermometer is moved away from the surface, the larger the area being measured.

Many other thermometers we tested would immediately turn on (with their LCD display active), but many would take at least a few seconds to display temperature readings. High D/S ratio IR thermometer pricing starts at around $200. We recommend the Fluke 62 MAX+ as the best IR thermometer for most users. The unit we tested took over 2 seconds to activate more than 4 times slower than what is claimed by the manufacturer. It reads out temperature almost immediately upon pulling its trigger. The Etekcity 774 exhibited much of the same behavior as the 630 when taking measurements at extreme temperatures (within its operating range). Just remember to adjust its emissivity setting when necessary.

Super cheap budget grade IR thermometers do not provide the same accuracy and overall performance as their much more expensive professional grade counterparts. It has very few of the features of more expensive units. The higher D/S ratio thermometer keeps this small spot advantage no matter how far away you hold each thermometer from the surface. The surface you need to measure may already be very hot or very cold, making it difficult to put tape over it. Its LCD display is also very clearly of a much lower quality than displays on more expensive more professional grade thermometers. If you do youd be better off estimating the temperature of the surface yourself than trying to use the thermometer to do it. The 774 has a manufacturer specified response time of 800 ms but suffers from the same delayed activation and temperature readout as the 630. Especially at higher temperatures it would often give an initial reading much higher than its final reading. It was the only IR thermometer we tested that features adjustable emissivity, average, maximum, and minimum temperature, and dual lasers at this price point. It scans and delivers temperature readings fast.

They give a much different initial reading than their final reading at certain temperatures.

The higher the D/S ratio, the smaller the size of the spot being measured at any distance. The thermometers weight is a hard and fast rule.

Theres only one button to do all of the following: To switch between C and F you have to hold down the button for 3 seconds.

1. Only look to purchase a thermometer with a higher D/S value if you know that youll need it for a very specific application and youre prepared to spend a good amount of money for it. To measure the internal temperature of solid foods not so much.

At temperatures above absolute zero these atoms move.

The MAX+ has a better D/S ratio (12:1 for the MAX+ vs 10:1 for the MAX). We found this system for making adjustments to be intuitive and easy to use. You aim your fixed emissivity IR thermometer at a highly reflective surface (the side of a polished aluminum pot), and theres a good chance its going to give you a temperature reading thats nowhere close to the actual temperature of the surface. The Etekcity 630 is a budget IR thermometer.

An explanation follows below. Not surprisingly, all of these items have an emissivity value close to 0.95. Heres the problem. For example, a 50:1 D/S ratio thermometer can measure a 1 ft. spot from 50 ft. away. What should you be looking out for to determine whether you can get away with buying a budget model or whether youll have no other option but to spend more on a more professional grade unit? The left most button allows you to alternate between the thermometer displaying temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius. But be warned, it also carries a hefty price tag. But, if you do plan on using it often and/or for professional work, consider getting a unit thats comfortable to hold and compact in size. Yes, you will have to identify the material youre scanning, look up its emissivity in a table, and input the correct emissivity value into the thermometer each time you take a reading (of a different material). We pulled on its trigger and almost immediately the thermometers LCD displayed a reading within 5% of the final measured reading. You know that an IR thermometer detects the amount of IR radiation a surface material emits. The laser shows the location of the spot being measured. It normally retails for less than a quarter of the price of the Fluke 62 Max+.

The higher the D/S ratio, the smaller the spot being measured and the further away the thermometer can be from the surface being measured with an acceptable spot size.

The top 3 IR thermometers we tested fit the needs of three very different types of consumers. The Etekcity 630 features a very large display for a budget IR thermometer. Its backlight will turn on and warning symbols and the like will display immediately. Only when you release the trigger is a final temperature displayed on the screen. The more lasers, the better. The amount of IR radiation a surface material emits only tells half the story of the materials temperature. The Etekcity 630 is specified by its manufacturer to be accurate to within plus or minus 2 C at temperatures at or below 100 C and within 2% at temperatures at or above 100 C. Our hands-on testing of the 630 showed it to be very close to as accurate as its manufacturer claims that it is, with a few caveats. If you purchase a more expensive IR thermometer with adjustable emissivity you would need to look up the emissivity of polished aluminum in a table, input the correct value (0.1) into the thermometer, and only then would you be able to take an accurate reading of the side of the pot.

Why?

It would be remiss of us not to mention that the 62 MAX+ is IP54 certified. The Fluke 62 Max+ is a professional grade IR thermometer.

Selecting different settings using the MAX+ involves hitting the SEL button until you find the setting you want to adjust and then hitting the SET button or up and down arrows to make adjustments. or if youre an average consumer looking to purchase a high quality highly accurate and reliable IR thermometer thats still reasonably priced. We have to give Etekcity credit here for including a battery even at the 774s extremely low price point. Its build quality isnt anywhere close to that of the professional grade IR thermometers we tested.

The 62 MAX+ is a durable professional tool that should give the average user many years of use. If you buy through a link on our site, we may earn a commission from the retailer. A clip is even included for that purpose. At this point 2 seconds later it shows an initial reading. Get the Etekcity 774 if youre unsure if you want to invest in a more expensive IR thermometer or you just want to take surface temperature readings for your own enjoyment. Most applications will not require an IR thermometer with a D/S ratio greater than 10:1. But for how long?

But these are required steps for taking an accurate reading with an IR thermometer.

Yes, there are less expensive thermometers out there. During testing, we found it was very easy for these wires to get pinched by the part of the handle that swings back and forth to open and close the battery compartment. It is in fact, likely a far cry from what you might expect to be able to do with an IR thermometer to be able to point it at any object and instantly get an accurate temperature reading with no further work required. But, if you measure the temperature of anything above a few hundred degrees F or well below freezing, it will show an initial reading at least 10 to 20 F above or below the actual temperature.

This means that if you hold the 62 MAX+ 12 inches away from the surface you want to measure, it will measure a spot with a 1 inch diameter on the surface. Why guess when you can know for certain the exact size and location of the spot with a dual laser thermometer like the Fluke 62 MAX+? Handling the Fluke 62 MAX+ side by side with budget units its immediately evident that the Fluke is a much better built, much higher quality tool. Recall that an IR thermometers D/S ratio describes the relationship between. Fluke claims that this unit has been drop tested up to 9.8 ft. Budget units have hard plastic bodies that are sure to crack if you drop them on a hard surface from any height more than a few feet above the ground.

The second number (1) represents the size of spot on the surface that is being measured. We dont believe it can. The spot the thermometer is measuring may be larger than the width of the tape, which will also give inaccurate readings. It takes about that long for the LCD screen to turn on but it doesnt display an actual reading until at least 2 seconds after you pull its trigger. They certainly look identical. This number is usually listed in milliseconds. This unit does turn off rather quickly after taking readings. For Etekcity to be able to manufacture a budget IR thermometer with a higher D/S ratio than many professional grade units more than double, triple, even four or five times its price is actually quite the accomplishment. Everythings made up of atoms. The 774 is small and compact one of the smallest IR thermometers we tested. With these units its up to you to estimate the size of the spot youre measuring. You wont have the same luxury should you purchase only one budget IR thermometer for yourself.

Its LCD display is also of a much higher quality than most displays on the budget thermometers we tested.

But is the extra cost of a professional grade unit worth it? It will take fairly accurate readings of many common household materials. Lets take a look. For example, a thermometer with a 50:1 D/S ratio held 100 inches away from a surface will measure a spot with a 2 inch diameter. This does provide a bit of a challenge if youre logging data and need to write down readings. We talked about how several IR thermometers we tested exhibited strange behavior when taking readings behavior that made it difficult to take accurate readings quickly and with complete certainty. The first number of the ratio represents the distance the thermometer is held away from the surface. Why then, does it sit so high at #2 on our list? If you were to compare the spot size provided by the Fluke 62 Max+s 12:1 ratio to the $700+ Fluke 572s 60:1 ratio you would see a dramatic difference. What do we mean when we say it can be slow to take readings? All of this sounds a bit complicated, doesnt it? That is because even units with a more limited range still have a very wide range of several hundred degrees Fahrenheit. Few applications require you to measure a very small spot size from far away (advantage #2 above). This extra time is useful if you need to reference the read temperature more than a few seconds after taking a reading. The Fluke 62 MAX+ has a temperature range of -22 F to 1202 F. This range is more than sufficient for the majority of applications. Get the Fluke 62 MAX+ if you need an IR thermometer for professional work (HVAC, manufacturing, etc.)

To be blunt, it isnt very good. The accuracy specification is usually listed as either a plus or minus number or a percentage. The MAX+ is slightly more accurate (within 1% of the reading for the MAX+ vs 1.5% of the reading for the MAX at most temperatures) The MAX+ has a quicker response time (300 ms for the MAX+ vs 500 ms for the MAX) The display shuts off about 6 to 7 seconds after you release its trigger. More on that below.

You scan the side of the pot and the thermometer displays a reading of 100 F. Puzzled, you scan again 100 F. Whats the problem? Youll have to memorize each reading as its unlikely youll be able to put the thermometer down and still be able to pick it back up fast enough to reference the reading on the display to write it down. Heres the problem.

But heres the thing. The Fluke 62 MAX+ has one of the larger LCD displays of any of the IR thermometers we tested. The Fluke 62 MAX+ features adjustable emissivity for maximum accuracy no matter what material youre scanning. Only after completing these 3 steps will you be able to obtain an accurate reading. We knew the actual temperature so we could tell which of the two temperatures the 630 would jump between was the correct temperature. On the positive side of the things, the fact that the display turns off so quickly does provide for better battery life.

You can place non-reflective tape (with an emissivity value of 0.95) over the surface you need to measure and then take a reading of the area covered by the tape. But how do you know the exact location and size of the spot at any particular distance? You can hold down the trigger to scan multiple locations. Replacing the batteries of 9V battery units required managing wires making sure they wouldnt pinch between the battery lid and the thermometer - the same wasnt required for AA battery units. Manufacturers know that high D/S ratio thermometers are only required for very specific professional work and price them accordingly. If you want an IR thermometer that can give you accurate readings no matter what material youre measuring, a unit with adjustable emissivity (like the Etekcity 630) is really the only way to go. The Fluke 62 MAX+ exhibited none of this behavior. Recall that a high D/S ratio is desirable because it provides two main benefits: As was true for the Fluke, we feel the 774s 12:1 D/S ratio is more than sufficient for the vast majority of applications. The 774 comes equipped with only one laser.

During testing we were well aware of the actual surface temperature of the surfaces we were taking readings of. The screen also has much better viewing angles. Budget thermometers like the 630 dont work in quite the same way. This is how an IR thermometer works it detects the amount of IR radiation surface materials emit at different temperatures. The front of the handle swings forward to reveal the compartment. At lower temperatures (below 200 F) this initial reading is quite close to the final reading the same as is true for the Fluke.

Pressing the MODE button cycles through all of the thermometers features. The answer is simple: price. While doing so will give you a more accurate reading without adjusting emissivity, this method has several shortcomings: The bottom line?

The 774 has three buttons and each does only one thing.

You already know that the boiling point of water is 212 F so you know that inside the pot, the water is boiling at 212 F. You also know that the pot itself must be at a temperature very close to 212 F. You grab your newly purchased IR thermometer, scan the water and the thermometer displays a reading of 212 F. Great!

Manufacturers list these numbers like theyre a hard and fast rule - just like size, weight, and operating temperature. It is our strong recommendation that you buy an IR thermometer with adjustable emissivity such a thermometer will allow you to input a particular emissivity value into the thermometer before taking a reading. Their solution? All of the IR thermometers we tested were equipped with lasers.

Double laser units like the 62 MAX Plus show you the location and the size of the spot being measured. But, if youre willing to accept its quirks and youre willing to replace it if and when it breaks it provides a tremendous value thats difficult to walk away from. Lets say you purchase a budget IR thermometer with a fixed emissivity setting of 0.95. So how does it come to know the materials emissivity? ConsumerAnalysis.com is a participant in the Amazon LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com, JavaScript must be enabled for certain features to work, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.consumeranalysis.com\/comments\/","page_id":1507,"enabled_country":false,"enabled_state":false,"state_id":0,"enabled_upload":false,"maximum_upload_amount":3,"maximum_upload_size":5,"maximum_upload_total":5,"securimage":false,"securimage_url":"\/\/www.consumeranalysis.com\/comments\/3rdparty\/securimage\/securimage_show.php?namespace=cmtx_1507","lang_error_file_num":"A maximum of %d files are allowed to be uploaded","lang_error_file_size":"Please upload files no bigger than %d MB in size","lang_error_file_total":"The total size of all files must be less than %d MB","lang_error_file_type":"Only image file types are allowed to be uploaded","lang_text_loading":"Loading ..","lang_placeholder_state":"State","lang_text_country_first":"Please select a country first","lang_button_submit":"Submit Comment","lang_button_preview":"Preview","lang_button_remove":"Remove","lang_button_processing":"Please Wait.."}, {"commentics_url":"\/\/www.consumeranalysis.com\/comments\/","auto_detect":false}, The amount of IR radiation emitted by the material, The efficiency with which the material can emit IR radiation, Determine the identity of the material that comprises the objects surface, Look up the material in an emissivity table, Input the number listed next to that material in the emissivity table into the thermometer.

Our reviews for the three best IR thermometers on the market. The 9V battery installs fairly easily although you have to be careful not to pinch the wires that extend from the thermometer to the bracket that fits over the battery when closing the battery lid.

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