Spent $60 on a plug tester that kept giving false readings

Picked up a cheap outlet tester off a truck last month for $60. It kept showing open ground on circuits I knew were fine. Checked with my Fluke and everything checked out, so the tester was junk. Took it apart and found a cold solder joint on the board. Has anyone else dealt with those budget testers that just waste your time? I'd rather buy one good tool than three that lie to me.

2 comments

2 Comments

wendy_clark1d ago

Yeah that open ground lie is the most annoying one. I had a $40 one from a big box store that kept saying the same thing on a brand new remodel I knew was wired right. Took me an hour of double checking before I tossed it. Youre spot on about cold solder joints too, I cut mine open and found the same issue, some dudes just slap those things together. Better to get something like a Klein or a basic three light tester that actually works. Ive learned the hard way that cheap testers cost more in frustration and time than the decent ones do upfront.

wren3011d ago

And something else nobody talks about - those cheap testers can actually lie in the opposite direction too, showing everything's fine when you've got a bootleg ground or a shared neutral that'll bite you later. Had one hide a reversed polarity issue on me for months till I grabbed a real meter.