Wasted $300 on a cheap toner and probe set - don't make my mistake

Bought a no-name toner and probe kit off Amazon for $300 last spring. It worked fine for about three months, then the tone started cutting out every time you bent the wire. Finally gave up and got a Fluke kit for $450, and the difference is night and day. Has anyone else had bad luck with those budget toners?

3 comments

3 Comments

torres.thea1mo agoMost Upvoted

Heard a sparky on another forum say those cheap toners fail because they skip the voltage regulation, not the wire.

hall.joel1mo ago

Aw man, that actually makes a ton of sense. I once bought the cheapest toner on Amazon just to save a few bucks and spent an hour chasing a ghost signal that turned out to be my fridge compressor, not a wire at all. Guess you really do get what you pay for with that stuff.

kimmurphy1mo ago

Ha, oh man, that fridge compressor story is golden, @hall.joel. I totally feel your pain. One time I borrowed a buddy's budget toner and ended up tracing a random signal from my neighbor's Christmas lights through the wall. Took me two hours to realize I was basically playing "find the short" with a glorified toy.