It then takes several more seconds for it to settle on a final reading. The 774 isnt very well made but this is to be expected at its incredibly low price point. Few applications require you to measure a very small spot size from far away (advantage #2 above). And this is exactly the type of behavior you wont have a clue is a possibility when reading and comparing manufacturer specifications for accuracy and response time. It works! Like all other IR thermometers we tested, the 62 MAX+s manufacturer specified accuracy is maximized near room temperature, reduced at mid to high temperatures, and greatly reduced at extremely low or extremely high temperatures. 2. It comes with one Duracell AA battery so you wont need to make any extra purchases before using it. To be blunt, it isnt very good. But be warned, it also carries a hefty price tag. While you have the trigger pulled the thermometer is constantly updating temperature information on its LCD screen. The thermometer weighs a certain number of ounces or grams and this requires no further explanation. When looking at extremely cheap units look at their temperature range and consider whether that range will be sufficient for your application. Take the Etekcity 630 as an example. If this were the case there would be no way for you to adjust settings on the thermometer to accurately measure the temperature of the side of that aluminum pot (which has an emissivity value close to 0.1). If you want the least expensive reasonably accurate IR thermometer on the market the 774 is your best option. The ability to switch between degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. Units with higher ratios did provide. You may need to write down temperature data as you collect it. When it does finally display a temperature this initial temperature readout is often highly inaccurate. Below freezing, around room temperature, and even up to 300 F it was quite accurate. But, if you measure the temperature of anything above a few hundred degrees F or well below freezing, it will show an initial reading at least 10 to 20 F above or below the actual temperature. We dont believe it can. We consider this to be a crucial feature. The higher the D/S ratio, the smaller the spot being measured and the further away the thermometer can be from the surface being measured with an acceptable spot size. The same cannot be said for any of the budget IR thermometers we tested. Why? You see, many common household materials have an emissivity at or close to 0.95 (food, water, paint and paper are some examples). If you do absolutely need an IR thermometer with a high D/S ratio our recommendation would be the Fluke 572. Most applications will not require an IR thermometer with a D/S ratio greater than 10:1. The further the thermometer is moved away from the surface, the larger the area being measured. So, in summary: be wary of manufacturer specifications for accuracy. An IR thermometer that doesnt require you to do this work a unit with fixed emissivity isnt doing you any favors. Likewise, if its a good emitter this needs to be compensated for also. Make an informed purchase. Heres the problem. During testing, it displayed temperature readings almost instantaneously upon trigger pulls. Unfortunately, youll absolutely have to understand it or at least understand how it applies to IR thermometers for you to pick the right thermometer for your application. Most budget models dont come with anything more than a 2 year warranty. The 62 MAX+ feels great in the hand and is small and light enough to easily clip onto a tool belt for professional use. Its high quality display is easy to read, backlit if you want it to be, and is large enough to provide supplemental data like the current emissivity setting and the maximum, minimum, or average temperature of the scanned surface without issue. Youd need to be 10 ft. away from the surface to measure the same size spot with a 10:1 D/S ratio thermometer. Yes, there are less expensive thermometers out there. We talked about how several IR thermometers we tested exhibited strange behavior when taking readings behavior that made it difficult to take accurate readings quickly and with complete certainty. Note: an IR thermometer works great as a candy thermometer to temper chocolate, for example - or for measuring the temperature of lye when making soap. IR thermometers with a fixed emissivity of 0.95 (the chosen value for all IR thermometers with fixed emissivity) are able to measure the temperature of all of these items quite accurately. If its a poor emitter this needs to be compensated for. An IR thermometer can be used for more than just measuring one temperature at one pinpoint location. The MAX+ has a better D/S ratio (12:1 for the MAX+ vs 10:1 for the MAX). It allows for taking more precise measurements as a high D/S ratio equates to a very small measured spot size, It allows for the thermometer to be used in scenarios where you need to be far away from the surface that you want to measure. The Fluke 62 MAX+ runs off of a single AA battery. But what about accuracy? The 62 MAX+ also did not exhibit any of the bouncing behavior we discussed earlier. Which is the correct temperature? This isnt the case at room temperature but is often the case at extreme temperatures. Yes, you will have to identify the material youre scanning, look up its emissivity in a table, and input the correct emissivity value into the thermometer each time you take a reading (of a different material). Doing so also affects the backlight and laser settings as pressing the button once turns both the backlight and lasers off, pressing it again turns only the backlight on, and pressing it a third time turns both on. The Etekcity 774 is the least expensive IR thermometer we tested. Yes, this thermometer does have its problems. They may bounce between reading the actual temperature and some other temperature. Using the 62 MAX+ to take readings is quick and snappy. The top 3 IR thermometers we tested fit the needs of three very different types of consumers. We tested the 62 Max+ and found this to be true. We also had more expensive models to compare cheaper thermometers to. Not surprisingly, all of these items have an emissivity value close to 0.95. Many other thermometers we tested would immediately turn on (with their LCD display active), but many would take at least a few seconds to display temperature readings. Is it detected automatically? For Etekcity to be able to manufacture a budget IR thermometer with a higher D/S ratio than many professional grade units more than double, triple, even four or five times its price is actually quite the accomplishment. The left most button allows you to alternate between the thermometer displaying temperature in Fahrenheit and Celsius. Single laser thermometers only show you where youre aiming the thermometer they show you the location of the spot being measured. At these temperatures it was well within the manufacturer specified accuracy range of 2% and/or plus or minus 2 C of the total reading. The ability to measure smaller spots from further away, the distance between the surface being measured and the thermometer and. An IR thermometer with adjustable emissivity allows you to get an accurate temperature reading of any surface, no matter what material the surface is comprised of. Only when you release the trigger is a final temperature displayed on the screen. Its extremely low price is the only reason why it finds its way into our top 3. With these units its up to you to estimate the size of the spot youre measuring. Your overall experience using an IR thermometer and overall ease with which you end up using it will vary greatly depending on the following 4 factors: Some IR thermometers have large easy to read LCD displays while others have much smaller more difficult to read displays. So while the accuracy of the 62 Max+ may look very similar to that of much less expensive models if you compare their specifications side by side and take them at face value these specifications dont tell the whole story. Have a question or comment? We found this system for making adjustments to be intuitive and easy to use. The side of the aluminum pot has an emissivity value much different than that of water close to 0.1 the lowest emissivity setting for thermometers that feature adjustable emissivity. Many IR thermometers on the market or not professional grade. The spot size will grow to 2 inches when the thermometer is held 20 inches away from the surface, and so on and so forth. It has three buttons. This means that if you hold the 62 MAX+ 12 inches away from the surface you want to measure, it will measure a spot with a 1 inch diameter on the surface. You see, many IR thermometers are not nearly as accurate as their manufacturers claim that they are, at least not. Lets take a look. The screen also has much better viewing angles. It will take fairly accurate readings of many common household materials. The Fluke 62 MAX+ has one of the larger LCD displays of any of the IR thermometers we tested. More on that below. The 774 comes equipped with only one laser. It normally retails for over $700. Manufacturers list these numbers like theyre a hard and fast rule - just like size, weight, and operating temperature. The 630 normally retails for around $25. If and when you do, an IR thermometer with fixed emissivity will not be able to take an accurate temperature reading of the surface. That word emissivity - sounds complicated doesnt it? The 774 is a very basic IR thermometer. But is the extra cost of a professional grade unit worth it? It would also sometimes bounce back and forth between the correct reading and another incorrect reading 10 to 20 F above or below the correct reading. Wires extend from the inside of the compartment to a bracket that fits over the top of the battery. The 62 MAX+ and the 62 MAX are nearly identical IR thermometers. The amount of IR radiation a surface material emits only tells half the story of the materials temperature. For example, holding the 62 MAX+ 24 inches away from the surface will increase the spot size to 2 inches. For example, theres a very minor difference between the spot size provided by the 630s 16:1 D/S ratio compared to the spot size provided by the Fluke 62 Max+s 12:1 ratio. The 62 MAX+ gets accurate readings fast. If you plan on using it very infrequently, you really dont need to concern yourself with its size or ergonomics. Its backlight will turn on and warning symbols and the like will display immediately. Its build quality isnt anywhere close to that of the professional grade IR thermometers we tested. We recommend the Fluke 62 MAX+ as the best IR thermometer for most users. This shows when you closely observe its build quality. The 630 can be quite slow to take readings and when it finally settles on a reading the displayed temperature sometimes jumps between the actual reading and another reading 10 to 20 degrees more or less than the actual reading. They certainly look identical. Let us know below. If you were to compare the spot size provided by the Fluke 62 Max+s 12:1 ratio to the $700+ Fluke 572s 60:1 ratio you would see a dramatic difference. This is how an IR thermometer works it detects the amount of IR radiation surface materials emit at different temperatures. Something that cannot be said about any of the budget IR thermometers we tested. During testing, we found it was very easy for these wires to get pinched by the part of the handle that swings back and forth to open and close the battery compartment. Its listed to be accurate to within 2% of the measured reading at temperatures above 212 F with a response time of 500 ms. Now, you may compare these two models (the Fluke and the Etekcity) side by side and say 2% vs 1% for accuracy isnt much of a difference. Each time you want to measure the surface temperature of a particular object it will be up to you to. Doing so, also turns the backlight on or off. For example, the Etekcity 630 requires you to hold down a button for 3 seconds to switch between degrees Celsius and degrees Fahrenheit. The unit will beep or a message will flash on the display when the temperature of the scanned surface is above or below a set temperature. Press down on its trigger and you get an accurate reading almost instantaneously. All of the IR thermometers we tested were equipped with lasers. 3. A clip is even included for that purpose. The 774 is small and compact one of the smallest IR thermometers we tested. 