Warning: That $40 capacitor tester from Amazon almost started a fire in my van

I was diagnosing a fridge compressor in a customer's kitchen in Arlington last Tuesday and the meter gave me a false good reading, so I swapped the part and the whole thing shorted out when I fired it up. Has anyone else had cheap test gear almost ruin a job or is it just me?

2 comments

2 Comments

miller.susan14d ago

Grabbed a Fluke off Craigslist for $60 after my cheap meter gave bogus capacitor readings. Had to toss the first one straight in the trash before it burned down my garage.

zarak1814d ago

yeah i mean i get that cheap meters can be sketchy but like... did you really need to toss it? half the time it's just bad batteries or a loose lead. not everything's gonna blow up your garage @miller.susan. those flukes are overkill for most home stuff anyway unless you're doing serious work. i've used a $20 meter for years and never had a problem except for dead batteries. maybe you just got a lemon with the first one? not saying quality dont matter but some people act like every cheap tool is a death trap.