Milwaukee Laser Temperature Gun Infrared 12:1 Thermometer

Great temp gun, love the hold feature. The trigger is easy to use.Batter life is great.

There were two problems, right off the bat: 1) the blister pack was exceedingly difficult to open, and 2) the battery was very difficult to install. I had to use a razor blade to cut through the plastic to open the package. Even then, it was difficult to remove. The battery cover has a “lock” which needs to be turned with a flat-head screwdriver or coin to open ; even then, I found it difficult to do. Then, I had difficulty removing the 9-volt battery (which came with the device) connector, and then attaching it to the battery, and then fitting it back into the device. However, once that was accomplished, I found the thermometer very easy to use: Pull the trigger, sight along the laser dot, and read the result (n.b., contrary to the manufacturer’s images on Home Depot’s product page you can only see a dot at which the device is aimed, not an extended “line”! Granted, it’s just for reference, but, some folks might think they’ll be able to see it!). I have no scientific equipment to gauge it with, but, it is close to my mercury thermometers’ readings. I tested it for its accuracy from multiple distances (see photo), and the reading was virtually the same from 1, 2, and 3 feet away. I found the device useful for finding hot or cold spots along walls, and it even helped me find a gap in an outer wall of my home, which I was able to fill with insulation and then caulk over! Oddly, its readings for my refrigerator and freezer varied, depending on where it was aimed; I didn’t expect it to be exactly the same throughout, but, I was surprised to find a range of 5 degrees between shelf levels, and between depths on the same shelf, though it confirmed that the refrigerator’s built-in thermometer was accurate! I even used it to find a hole in my car’s exhaust system, by noting that most of the pipe from the catalytic converter to the middle of the system was about the same temperature, but, it dropped, drastically, just before the muffler. It turned out to be a dime-sized hole about a foot away from the muffler, which I was able to wrap with sheet metal and clamps, thus saving me a trip to the muffler shop, and, probably, saving me a bundle of money, as well! I also used it to test the boiling point of a pot of water, which I expected to read 212 degrees F, but, it read 190; I’m not sure what to make of that! (i.e., is it the true temp of the water, or is the device off?) I have a much cheaper ($20), no-contact thermometer gun by a different manufacturer, but it doesn’t have a laser, and it always reads 1-3 degrees less than the Milwaukee gun. Since exact temperatures aren’t important to me, it seems to be a minor point. Also, the software “trigger lock” and “alarm” functions don’t have any real use for me (to tell you the truth, I’m not even sure why a “trigger lock” is needed), so I didn’t bother testing them. It would have been nice if the device had a loop to which I could have attached a tether to my wrist or tool belt, so I wouldn’t have to hold it all the time. In conclusion, this is a very nice device, but, there are cheaper alternatives, and, unless you have a scientifically accurate thermal gauge, accuracy probably isn’t important for most people.

Very accurate and easy-to-use

Tis a nice basic unit for entry level interest for around the home items like cold spots on exterior walls, bad light switch or breakers and just plain general temp readings. The fixed emissivity kind of locks you to basic temp readings on basic materials where a wide array of materials and finishes could swing readings to be inaccurate due to specific emissivity ratings. There is some research to invest some time in educating yourself about emissivity ratings to get a better understanding what IR thermometer is best for you. It is likely that if you already you need one with adjustable emissivity, you are in a field where you fully understand it and require it to be more accurate. I have a very expensive unit that is fully adjustable with liquid probes and such for specific uses where this one will be in the basic homeowner toolbox in the garage so my nice unit does not get damaged. Again, this is a good unit for the basic “around the house” checking for your own insurance of where you might need to add insulation and such and good for temp swings and not so much for half a degree accuracy based on fixed emissivity.

Tough products good quality I tried in my freezer I tried in high temperatures The accuracy of temp looks good i tried the temp my self 98.7

What pushed me over the edge to get this was to channel my inner Alton Brown. For several cooking adventures like frying a turkey, smoking, and/or various cast iron delicacies I was never able to get a solid read on temperature. (other than probe thermometers in some circumstance) The secondary use was to actually use this as intended – checking metal temps for tempering, HVAC work, and other various shop tasks. I can say it’s excelled at both. Works every time, easy to read, and 100x more durable than the cheap-o stuff you might get offline or from places that rhyme with ‘Shmarbor Smreight’. This thing brings out my inner nerd and I love it.

Simple to use,accurate,easy to read

works great easy and simply to use I would recommend to anyone

This Temp Gun is “Good” but I’m not sure it’s priced right.The temp readings are accurate and the gun is very comfortable to hold. It’s relatively small so I can put it in my back pocket (handle down) to carry it around. It also fits neatly and more securely into most tool belts and since it has a reinforced plastic frame and nose bumper it’s durable enough to toss around a bit.The 12:1 ratio is good for most applications (1 foot scan 12 feet away).It comes with and runs on a 9V battery which will not last as long as the lithium-ion models.It has typical features like Hi & Lo temp setting alarms and modes like +/- and Avg temp but it does not store multiple temps like some other guns. Also, it does not have an external temp probe or the option to use one.There are only two things that bother me about this gun. The trigger sticks and “boings” when it lets go and the display is uni-directional. It can only be viewed straight on. The Product Description says its “Premium LCD Display”, I disagree. Note: the product description also states that it can survive 9 foot drops, but the packaging clearly states 6 foot drops.

What pushed me over the edge to get this was to channel my inner Alton Brown. For several cooking adventures like frying a turkey, smoking, and/or various cast iron delicacies I was never able to get a solid read on temperature. (other than probe thermometers in some circumstance) The secondary use was to actually use this as intended – checking metal temps for tempering, HVAC work, and other various shop tasks. I can say it’s excelled at both. Works every time, easy to read, and 100x more durable than the cheap-o stuff you might get offline or from places that rhyme with ‘Shmarbor Smreight’. This thing brings out my inner nerd and I love it.