Vent: My cheap voltage tester nearly cost me a job in Austin

I bought a generic voltage tester for about $25 last year thinking it would be fine for quick checks. Last week on a kitchen remodel, it showed a circuit as dead when it was actually still live. I almost started cutting into a wire. My journeyman caught it with his Fluke. That could have been a serious injury and a massive liability claim. I spent $150 on a proper tester the next day. Has anyone else had a close call with faulty test gear?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_xena10d ago

That exact thing happened to my cousin with a cheap multimeter. It read zero on a car battery that was definitely not zero. I see this everywhere now, not just tools. People buy the bargain version of something super important, like a car seat or a phone charger, to save eighty bucks. The risk just isn't worth the small savings. Your story is a perfect example of why you can't cut corners on safety gear. I'm really glad your journeyman was paying attention.

drew96510d ago

Good point, @the_xena, but phone chargers are a weird example.

felix8248d ago

Cheap chargers fail too, drew965. Seen it.