Which Infrared thermometer to get.

[Rene T]

I'm thinking about getting one but don't want to spend a lot of $$$.  There are so many out there and I don't know which one will work for me.

https://www.amazon.com/s?k=infrared+thermometer&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI59Of2fPB5AIVSwOGCh0JfAchEAAYAiAAEgKf_fD_BwE&hvadid=241908786958&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002479&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=221389581731177852&hvtargid=aud-647846986441%3Akwd-11331103&hydadcr=24634_10399776&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_57djg43xwu_e

 

[Alpena Jeff]

I'm in the market as well.

 

[Back2PA]

I got this one, been happy so far. $16

 

[SpencerPJ]

I got this one, been happy so far. $16

X2, I got that one last year.  Seems that all of them would be fairly accurate, or repeatable.  I just walk around shooting my tires, then wheels, looking for something out of wack. 

 

[Rene T]

Thanks Scott and Spencer

 

[Isaac-1]

The problem with all IR temperature guns is that you don't know how big of cone they are measuring.  Also they don't actually read temperature, they read emmisivity, which is fine as long as you are comparing like materials.  In other words if you have them pointed at the tires only you can compare the difference, but if you get a reflection ff the wheel all bets are off.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MBm_DtxXWns  I know it is showing an thermal imager, not a point reading IR temperature gun, but they both work the same way so this is valid

 

[Alpena Jeff]

Thanks all including Rene for asking!

 

[skydivemark]

The 7th one down, I bought one a few years ago when they were less than $6. Still works great.

 

[Rene T]

The 7th one down, I bought one a few years ago when they were less than $6. Still works great.

Is this the one?

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-contact/dp/B00DMI62HM/ref=sr_1_7?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI59Of2fPB5AIVSwOGCh0JfAchEAAYAiAAEgKf_fD_BwE&hvadid=241908786958&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002479&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=221389581731177852&hvtargid=aud-647846986441%3Akwd-
11331103&hydadcr=24634_10399776&keywords=infrared+thermometer&qid=1567979493&s=gateway&sr=8-7

The difference between the one Scott mentioned and this one is the high Temps.  666 degrees difference.  Is that real critical?  I don't know what the high temps I'd normally be looking at.

 

[blw2]

I bought a Nubee NUB8500H a while back for my RV tool kit.  $12 on amazon.

looks identical to many of the others on your search page linked to here.... some sort of private label thing sold under many names I suppose.  It looks exactly like the ektekcity one that back2pa and spencer linked to as well.

I have a Raytek gun in my at home tool kit.  I've had it for many years now.  Bought it before all these cheap ones were available on the market.
pretty sure it's this one..or it at least looks identical.
https://www.amazon.com/Raytek-MT4-Non-Contact-Thermometer-Sighting/dp/B0002198GY/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=raytek&qid=1567981162&s=home-garden&sr=1-1
Raytek is a brand of thermometers I used back in the early 1990's when I was working as a Reliability Maintenance Engineer at a pulp and paper mill....so they've been at this game for a while.  That was back well before the average joe would own one...they were very expensive in those days, and much larger.  More like a pro level lab instrument I suppose (not the little one I own, but the ones back then).

The cheapo Nubee thing measures close enough to what I see with the raytek, and is repeatable.  It's certainly good enough for my purposes...but that said I haven't used it very much.

My nubee has adjustable emissitivity setting....like the old time raytek had back at work.  I think this just adds confusion for the typical user...for applications like an rv'er would use it for.  The raytek gun I have is set to a fixed emisitivity setting and seems to be close enough for anything a typical person would be doing with it.

and to Isaac's point about the measurement circle..or cone as he called it....
the thing is looking at a circle area and averaging the IR it sees in the circle.  The further away the surface the larger the circle it's looking at....kinda like looking through a straw.  My raytek has a laser pointer.  If you sight down the top surface of the gun you'll see a line, or seem in the plastic right on the centerline.  Incidentally, also on top of it is a diagram showing the measured diameters at various ranges.
Anyway, sighting down that centerline like a rifle sight you can target the aim point basically at the ceterpoint of the circle.  The laser pointer is not hitting that center point.  The laser pointer is instead hitting a point along the outside circle of measurement.  Helps you the visualize very well the approximate measured area.

I honestly don't remember for sure if my cheapo one has a laser pointing at the circle's edge or at the centerpoint, but I'm pretty sure it's the same as the raytek.

anyway, good luck in your decision.

 

[Isaac-1]

The question here is what will you be using it for, if checking tire temperatures most will work, sort of ok, if looking at exhaust manifolds you really need a thermal imager, cheap ones are under $300 these days and connect to smart phones like https://smile.amazon.com/FLIR-Thermal-Imaging-Camera-Black/dp/B07DM8NMH1 or https://smile.amazon.com/Seek-Thermal-Compact-All-Purpose-Imaging/dp/B00NYWABAA

 

[Rene T]

No, I'm just looking to keep an eye on the temps of my wheels while traveling.

Scott and Spencer, what do you typically see for temps while traveling?

 

[grashley]

I got an inexpensive one on Amazon.  Works fine for my needs.

 

[Back2PA]

No, I'm just looking to keep an eye on the temps of my wheels while traveling.

Scott and Spencer, what do you typically see for temps while traveling?

I got mine after my last trip so I only have TPMS temps to go on, which run around 90 or so if I recall, but that's an approximate tire temp, not a wheel/bearing temp. I've only used it to check the truck once when I got a TPMS alarm due to sticking caliper and the wheel got up to about 240 if I recall before I pulled over for a tow.

 

[blw2]

No, I'm just looking to keep an eye on the temps of my wheels while traveling.

Scott and Spencer, what do you typically see for temps while traveling?

i'll bet you'll find lots more uses.
You can compare the air conditioner's intake temp to it's output to verify how well its working
verify if your skillet is hot enough
see how hot it is outside today
...all sorts of things

 

[skydivemark]

Is this the one?

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-Thermometer-Temperature-Non-contact/dp/B00DMI62HM/ref=sr_1_7?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI59Of2fPB5AIVSwOGCh0JfAchEAAYAiAAEgKf_fD_BwE&hvadid=241908786958&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002479&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=221389581731177852&hvtargid=aud-647846986441%3Akwd-
11331103&hydadcr=24634_10399776&keywords=infrared+thermometer&qid=1567979493&s=gateway&sr=8-7

The difference between the one Scott mentioned and this one is the high Temps.  666 degrees difference.  Is that real critical?  I don't know what the high temps I'd normally be looking at.

This is the closest to the one I bought a few years ago
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Temp-Meter-Temperature-Gun-Non-contact-Digital-Laser-IR-Infrared-Thermometer-New-/112490146544

 

[Rene T]

I ordered this one (just because). I had some type of gift card through Amazon so my cost was $000.00.

https://www.amazon.com/Etekcity-Lasergrip-1080-Non-Contact-Thermometer/dp/B013X0NQT0/ref=sr_1_4?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI59Of2fPB5AIVSwOGCh0JfAchEAAYAiAAEgKf_fD_BwE&hvadid=241908786958&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002479&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t2&hvqmt=e&hvrand=221389581731177852&hvtargid=aud-647846986441%3Akwd-11331103&hydadcr=24634_10399776&keywords=infrared%2Bthermometer&qid=1567993187&s=gateway&sr=8-4&th=1

 

[SpencerPJ]

No, I'm just looking to keep an eye on the temps of my wheels while traveling.

Scott and Spencer, what do you typically see for temps while traveling?

On a 90 degree day, I see my TT tire temps around 130, and wheel temp 110 F.  That's on mostly flat land, not a lot of braking.  My rear tires on the YukonXL are a bit higher than the front tires, and in general the side in the traveling sun is a bit higher temp as well.  One of my TT tires and wheel runs a couple degrees higher than the other 3, maybe a slight drag on a brake?  but is consistent.

I walk around and try and stand the same distance back, maybe 3 ft, and shoot the same spot on the tires and wheels all around.  Again, I'm looking for the simple tire / wheel that might be getting a lot hotter indicating further investigation.

And I think you will be perfectly happy with the unit you bought if it is for the same as I do.  It's just a quick, easy. check.  Actually my wife likes to do it while I'm fueling.

 

[edjunior]

On a 90 degree day, I see my TT tire temps around 130, and wheel temp 110 F.  That's on mostly flat land, not a lot of braking.  My rear tires on the YukonXL are a bit higher than the front tires, and in general the side in the traveling sun is a bit higher temp as well.  One of my TT tires and wheel runs a couple degrees higher than the other 3, maybe a slight drag on a brake?  but is consistent.

I walk around and try and stand the same distance back, maybe 3 ft, and shoot the same spot on the tires and wheels all around.  Again, I'm looking for the simple tire / wheel that might be getting a lot hotter indicating further investigation.

And I think you will be perfectly happy with the unit you bought if it is for the same as I do.  It's just a quick, easy. check.  Actually my wife likes to do it while I'm fueling.

To piggyback on this, what would be considered hot enough to worry about?  I finally took my heat reader with me on my last trip, and actually remembered to use it a couple of times.  At the first stop, late morning, outside temps around 90 or so, three of the tires were about 142 - 144 degrees.  Tire # 4 was about 148.  At our destination, the temps were about 155 for the same three, and about 159 for tire # 4.  I find it a little odd that one tire was running hotter, though by only those few degrees.  All tires were within 1 - 2 psi of each other (75 - 77 psi). 

 

[SpencerPJ]

To piggyback on this, what would be considered hot enough to worry about?  I finally took my heat reader with me on my last trip, and actually remembered to use it a couple of times.  At the first stop, late morning, outside temps around 90 or so, three of the tires were about 142 - 144 degrees.  Tire # 4 was about 148.  At our destination, the temps were about 155 for the same three, and about 159 for tire # 4.  I find it a little odd that one tire was running hotter, though by only those few degrees.  All tires were within 1 - 2 psi of each other (75 - 77 psi).

Interesting (maybe not), your much larger trailer and tires run hotter than mine.  I run mine at 50 psi, but I'm only roughly 6000#.  Now my wife thinks it is her important job, I only wish I could convince her that removing the bugs off the windshield was important to  ;D ;D