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Test and Measurement Tool Reviews & Buying Guide

Our test and measurement reviews address those products suitable for electrical and mechanical evaluation and testing, such as the best laser level and the best laser tape measure. When diagnosing systems and components, these tools are invaluable. They must also have the features and durability to work well on the jobsite. We review electrical tools like circuit testers, multimeters, clamp meters, video inspection cameras, IR thermometers, and more. Our goal is to help electricians know which tools will get the job done quickly. We test and evaluate all of the most recent and popular tools from Klein Tools, Southwire, Greenlee, FLIR, and others. This lets us reveal which tools perform at better-than-average levels. It may sound odd to be “testing” test and measurement tools, however manufacturer specifications only tell part of the story. The newest smart multimeters are using Bluetooth technology, and even circuit breaker finders and clamp meters are getting smarter. Rather than rely on manufacturer specs and marketing materials, Pro Tool Reviews determines whether productivity features are beneficial or just marketing.

Milwaukee 2270-20 Contact Temperature Meter Preview
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Milwaukee 2270-20 Contact Temperature Meter Preview

by Clint DeBoer

The new Milwaukee 2270-20 Contact Temperature Meter can simultaneously measure two temperature points. It has a high contrast white on black display that can be read across the room and simple controls that are easy to use. In fact, the entire user interface is very simple. The tool performs Celsius to Fahrenheit conversion, simultaneous T1 and T2 measurements, and even difference measurements. It can store minimum and maximum temperature readings and has a strong removable magnetic base for hanging it directly, or via suspension, off duct work, panels and other metallic surfaces.

Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Review
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Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Review

by Thomas Gaige

Getting a quick and accurate bead on the temperature differential around an AC duct or a door can be a lifesaver for air mechanical technicians and energy efficiency specialists. While there are a lot of tools on the market that can help you do this, it’s nice to be able to reach for a familiar name – particularly when your shop is already equipped with compatible batteries and chargers. Recently Porter-Cable launched the PCC581B Infrared Thermometer, which comes as a bare tool, making it a great choice if you’re already vested in their 18V cordless platform. And if you’re not, Porter Cable also offers a 9V-powered version, the PCC582B. Both of these infrared thermometers incorporate a tri-color beam that indicates temperature changes visually along with the digital readout. When you pull the trigger, the thermometer takes a reference temperature reading while it projects a circular green beam onto the surface at which it is aimed. The projected beam colors change when a difference in temperature is detected as you scan it across an area. A blue beam identifies a cooler spot, and a red beam indicates a hotter area.

Milwaukee 2314-21 M12 M-Spector 360 Inspection Camera Preview
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Milwaukee 2314-21 M-Spector 360 Inspection Camera Preview

by Clint DeBoer

At the 2011 Milwaukee New Tools Press Event, Corey Dickert gave us an up-close-and-personal look at the M-Spector 360 – the company’s newest inspection camera. What probably impressed us the most was it’s small focal length. At just 1″ away, the camera gave a really good view of materials and let you get right up close to check out what’s happening in pipes, behind walls, etc. Most inspection cameras can’t get that close without losing focus. We also appreciated the detailed and colorful images that the new camera presented. There is at least one competitor that does an equally impressive job, but the Milwaukee is far and above most of the typical inspection camera, which looks, for all intents and purposes, black and white. It also has a very narrow 9mm camera head as opposed to the more common 17mm head. Right off the bat it’s already suited for residential, commercial AND automotive applications. In our hands-on use of the camera we examined jean material, circuit boards, and Cat 5e cable close-up and the images were excellent.

Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Preview
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Porter-Cable PCC581B 18V Infrared Thermometer Preview

by Clint DeBoer

Porter-Cable launched a couple of brand new Infrared Thermometers, the 18V-powered PCC581B and the 9V-powered PCC582B. These infrared thermometers are very different from the ones we’ve seen in the past, incorporating a three-color indicator beam that indicates changes in temperature visually. When you pull the trigger, the thermometer takes a reference temperature reading while it paints a green circle beam onto the surface at which it is aimed. The colors change when a difference in temperature is detected as it is scans across an area. A blue beam identifies a cool spot, and a red beam shows a hot spot.

Milwaukee M12 Thermal Imager Preview 2260-22
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Milwaukee M12 Thermal Imager 2260-22

by Clint DeBoer

Possibly the most interesting tool of the entire 2011 Milwaukee Media event was Milwaukee’s new M12 Thermal Imager. With a maximum 4 hours of run-time, and dual cameras (it takes both a digital camera still and a thermal image at the same time) this is a whole new style of product for the M12 line. When you pull the trigger, the two images are immediately stored onto the included 2GB SD memory card. In this way you have a reference image and the thermal image for each location. What we also liked was that you can view either mode when you pull the trigger, so its easy to focus on what you need to in order to survey a site for insulation needs or weatherization.

Johnson 25' PlanReader Architect Series Power Tape Review
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Johnson 25′ PlanReader Architect Series Power Tape Review

by Thomas Gaige

Oftentimes, when out in the field, it can be difficult to measure plans to verify dimensions. With the new Johnson 1819-0025 25′ PlanReader Architect Series Power Tape, you have both 1/8″ and 1/4″ architectural scales built right into the bottom of the tape. With larger, easy to see numbers on the top side of the tape, you can do your regular measuring and layout work. When you need to go back to the drawing board to check some dimensions or verify the size of something on the plans, just flip the tape over and you have the two most common architectural scales at your fingertips.

Milwaukee True RMS Fork Meter 2205-20 Review
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Milwaukee True RMS Fork Meter 2205-20 Review

by Clint DeBoer

When we first set eyes on the Milwaukee 2205-20 Fork Meter, we thought it was a quaint tool – but its compact size is in stark contrast to its impressive feature set. Turns out, this is a rugged compact CAT IV electricians tool that has lots of great features, not the least of which are an integrated LED work light and reverse white-on-black LCD display. After using it over the past few weeks, we’ve come to appreciate its convenience and size as well as the way it makes one-handed measurements both possible and practical.

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