# Circuit tracers



## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

I know they're expensive - for the decent ones anyway. Haven't shopped for one in a long time but have heard there are some really good ones out there now (tracers, not UG line locators). Looking for something less than $300. Recommendations?


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

A short piece of number 12.:whistling2::jester:


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

william1978 said:


> A short piece of number 12.:whistling2::jester:


Black or white? :laughing:


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## 480sparky (Sep 20, 2007)

Greenlee / Tempo / Progressive 508S.


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## jefft110 (Jul 7, 2010)

Krummholz said:


> I know they're expensive - for the decent ones anyway. Haven't shopped for one in a long time but have heard there are some really good ones out there now (tracers, not UG line locators). Looking for something less than $300. Recommendations?


I picked up an Ideal 61-956 for less than $400.00 on ebay. Heard they're nice once you get through the learning curve.

I should get it by the end of next week, and I plan on playing with it around the house and shop all weekend to get the feel of it. I don't want the service call, in front of a client, to be my "learning curve."


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Krummholz said:


> Black or white? :laughing:


 It works better if it is bare.:thumbsup:


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

jefft110 said:


> I picked up an Ideal 61-956 for less than $400.00 on ebay. Heard they're nice once you get through the learning curve.
> 
> I should get it by the end of next week, and I plan on playing with it around the house and shop all weekend to get the feel of it. I don't want the service call, in front of a client, to be my "learning curve."


LOL - no doubt. Best to be looking for the circuit, not the user's manual.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

william1978 said:


> It works better if it is bare.:thumbsup:


 There ya go - see that's why I'm here - to get the really good advice :thumbup:


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

The ideal 61-956 is a very nice circuit tracer.


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## william1978 (Sep 21, 2008)

Krummholz said:


> There ya go - see that's why I'm here - to get the really good advice :thumbup:


 That's why I'm here to give that great advice.:thumbsup::whistling2:


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## randas (Dec 14, 2008)

Greenlee 2011 :thumbup:


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

I have used and liked Triplette Fox and Hound. Never let me down.


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

BCSparkyGirl said:


> I have used and liked Triplette Fox and Hound. Never let me down.


That's a new one to me; never heard of it.


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## jefft110 (Jul 7, 2010)

You are me a few months ago.

I couldn't justify spending $600-$1200 for a circuit tracer, but after a few months of looking for that $200-$300 unit that does everything I wanted, I realized one doesn't exist.

Finally, I decided to take a chance on one of the $ ones, used, on ebay. I've never been one to buy anything used , or anything period on ebay for that matter.

Wish me luck.


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

I'll hit on this only because I like being proved wrong.

I was talking to a member on Holt's forum and stating I never found a tracer that worked worth a sh*t in a packed panel. The ones I used weren't worth a sh*t IMO.

He told me he got this little Ideal 61-532 from Lowes for $40, and it's never let him down. Now knowing who I was talking to, I took his word for it. SOB, it hasn't fooled me once. It's only good for 120V circuits, but I knew it was going to be another POS to p*ss me off.

Did you read the first sentence of this post????


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## Krummholz (Feb 9, 2011)

76nemo said:


> I'll hit on this only because I like being proved wrong.
> 
> I was talking to a member on Holt's forum and stating I never found a tracer that worked worth a sh*t in a packed panel. The ones I used weren't worth a sh*t IMO.
> 
> ...


That's good :thumbsup:

I laugh because when I was first starting out, my mentor had a method for tracing circuits that wasn't elegant, but darn if it didn't do what we needed it to do.

You used to be able to buy flasher plugs for Christmas lighting. Plug the lighting into the flasher then the flasher into the outlet. After a minute or so the lights would start cycling on and off.

We had a qtz flood light we rigged with a 3' cord and plug and plugged that into a socket with the flasher then used either a clamp-on ammeter or - and this I always thought genius for its simplicity - a cheap Radio Shack portable radio we'd tune to static. You could hear the circuit cycling over the radio as you passed the antenna across the wires. Ok, ok - it wasn't exactly SAFE in a panel  - but darn if it didn't do the job. 

I've never been able to work up the courage to do that as a journeyman with others watching - but I still have my old flasher in my tool box just in case. 

$40 bucks at Lowes, huh?


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

Krummholz said:


> That's good :thumbsup:
> 
> I laugh because when I was first starting out, my mentor had a method for tracing circuits that wasn't elegant, but darn if it didn't do what we needed it to do.
> 
> ...


 
Newer age version of his method friend:

http://www.buzzbulb.com/


If you are willing to do the "let's trying killing this one, or maybe that one" method, they're the way to go, to heck with the stereo, there's already three there.

No chit,....$40 bought from Lowes or Amazon:












http://www.testersandtools.com/Ideal-Industries-61-532-Analog-Circuit-Breaker-Finder-Tracer.php


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## failelectric (May 27, 2010)

Hire the guy outside of HD to yell on/off as you flip through the breakers


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

failelectric said:


> Hire the guy outside of HD to yell on/off as you flip through the breakers


 
:laughing:

That won't work, they don't know what on or off means.:laughing:


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## failelectric (May 27, 2010)

doubleoh7 said:


> :laughing:
> 
> That won't work, they don't know what on or off means.:laughing:


I didnt say wether they were mexican or not:laughing:


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## doubleoh7 (Dec 5, 2009)

failelectric said:


> I didnt say wether they were mexican or not:laughing:


Guatamalans?


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## failelectric (May 27, 2010)

doubleoh7 said:


> Guatamalans?


:thumbsup:


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

failelectric said:


> Hire the guy outside of HD to yell on/off as you flip through the breakers


 
I was on a job once on a weekend where we were going to place new equipment. I thought we were alone, I had a circuit killed that turned out to be the wrong one and pinched a machine operator pretty good 'cuz there was no check valve on the stamp. That part of the plant was pretty jerry rigged. I called it, she got a pretty good blister. I was to blame for that, me, myself, and I alone. It could of easily broke her finger.

I was WRONG as wrong could be,....I'll never let it down.......


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## failelectric (May 27, 2010)

76nemo said:


> I was on a job once on a weekend where we were going to place new equipment. I thought we were alone, I had a circuit killed that turned out to be the wrong one and pinched a machine operator pretty good 'cuz there was no check valve on the stamp. That part of the plant was pretty jerry rigged. I called it, she got a pretty good blister. I was to blame for that, me, myself, and I alone. It could of easily broke her finger.
> 
> I was WRONG as wrong could be,....I'll never let it down.......


 that kind of stuff lives with you forever.


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## Mike in Canada (Jun 27, 2010)

76nemo said:


> He told me he got this little Ideal 61-532 from Lowes for $40, and it's never let him down. Now knowing who I was talking to, I took his word for it. SOB, it hasn't fooled me once. It's only good for 120V circuits, but I knew it was going to be another POS to p*ss me off.


 I've got one of them. I've never tried it in a residential situation where there is only one panel/service, but in the commercial situations I've tried it in it is a waste of time. It will pick a breaker in every panel, regardless of whether the circuit is in that panel or not.
Might work great for single-service/single-panel situations.


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## BCSparkyGirl (Aug 20, 2009)

Krummholz said:


> That's a new one to me; never heard of it.


We had these guys when I was working on the yachts. We had hundreds of cables run, and if a lable fell off we were scaaaaaa-rewed! So we would bust out this and I never had an issue.


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

Mike in Canada said:


> I've got one of them. I've never tried it in a residential situation where there is only one panel/service, but in the commercial situations I've tried it in it is a waste of time. It will pick a breaker in every panel, regardless of whether the circuit is in that panel or not.
> Might work great for single-service/single-panel situations.


 
Are you following the instructions Mike? The one thing I may contribute to my luck with it is really taking my time scanning. You can't expect much with a pretty quick scan. Again, I was expecting a let down, but for $40, I figured frig it. SOG, he was right. I keep it in one of my bags, I thought it would end up in the basement.


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## 3xdad (Jan 25, 2011)

Was the OP just looking for a "breaker finder" or a multi-function tracer that can find faults, display VD, etc.?

i ask, because i too would like suggestions from you guys about which device is best to pinpoint where a circuit is open, either inside a wall or under a floor.

thanks


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## kevmanTA (Jul 20, 2010)

We have a cheap GB one, $20 or something on sale.. Works great, simple, and dirt cheap!


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## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

i have the greenlee circuit tracer. costs a bit more than 300 but i love it. takes a bit of practice but is fantastic once you get used too it


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## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

3xdad said:


> Was the OP just looking for a "breaker finder" or a multi-function tracer that can find faults, display VD, etc.?
> 
> i ask, because i too would like suggestions from you guys about which device is best to pinpoint where a circuit is open, either inside a wall or under a floor.
> 
> thanks


 
You're looking well into the hundreds partner........


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## Bama (Dec 17, 2010)

No chit,....$40 bought from Lowes or Amazon:












http://www.testersandtools.com/Ideal-Industries-61-532-Analog-Circuit-Breaker-Finder-Tracer.php[/QUOTE]

I'll back up Nemo on this one. We were just talking about this very thing in school today and our HVAC dude(who is about to graduate) said the same thing about the $40 Lowe's version. Of course, we're just school kids:blink::blink::blink:. He does do some work in the field, though.


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## Subnet (Feb 15, 2011)

I heard bad things about that Ideal $40 tracer when there were multiple panels, it would show one breaker in every panel. Any truth to that?


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## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I have the Commercial Electric breaker finder. It looks just like the Ideal above. I think I paid $20-30 for it. It's not fast, but I've never had an oops. I have used it plenty of times in commercial 3 phase panels. It will beep in any panel in the building. I think it has to do with one tranny feeding multiple panels. But, if you know which panel the circuit originates in, you can dial it in to find your breaker. 

I have used the Amprobe CT-100 (?) to ID every outlet and create panel schedules for a college. I liked that one a lot.


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