# Cheap circuit tracer



## jarhead0531 (Jun 1, 2010)

That Klein one sucks. Get the ideal from lowes, it is cheaper and works much better.


----------



## oww-is-that-hot? (Jun 26, 2011)

jarhead0531 said:


> That Klein one sucks. Get the ideal from lowes, it is cheaper and works much better.


I agree. The ideal one is def better. The klein one isn't so bad though. You can pick it up at the depot too if you feel you have to go klein.


----------



## sparky711 (Oct 1, 2011)

Cool...thanks guys. I'm not partial to any brand yet just that Klein seems to be the highly recommended


----------



## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

My opinion is 180 degrees away from what has been offered, but I was having a ton of trouble with my Ideal one, so I bought the Klein one and found it to be way better. So there you go. :blink:


----------



## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

Peter D said:


> My opinion is 180 degrees away from what has been offered, but I was having a ton of trouble with my Ideal one, so I bought the Klein one and found it to be way better. So there you go. :blink:


 

The 61-532 Peter?


----------



## knowshorts (Jan 9, 2009)

I got the cheap $29 one from HD years ago. It is red. It works in a residential setting just fine, as a breaker finder. In a commercial environment, it will work, but much more care should be used.


----------



## jefft110 (Jul 7, 2010)

76nemo said:


> The 61-532 Peter?


I have that one with no complaints.


----------



## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

jefft110 said:


> I have that one with no complaints.


 

I have no complaints with it either Jeff. I had no faith in them whatsoever until a member on Holt's site said "just give it a try". For $40, I said frig it, I took his word.

It hasn't let me down yet. If you're patient with it, it works just fine:thumbsup:

Well worth $40.


----------



## user4818 (Jan 15, 2009)

76nemo said:


> The 61-532 Peter?


Yeah.


----------



## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

It gave you a hard time Peter? Did you slow scan with it? It hasn't let me down yet. I find if I take my time with it, it suits me fine. Yours was junk I take it?


----------



## That's It? (Aug 31, 2011)

I have the same Ideal one. It never gave me a problem. If you want some options, Extech makes one where the sender is a gfci tester and you can change the receiver sensitivity. It will run you 70-80 bucks and it takes some getting used to.


----------



## 76nemo (Aug 13, 2008)

That's It? said:


> I have the same Ideal one. It never gave me a problem. If you want some options, Extech makes one where the sender is a gfci tester and you can change the receiver sensitivity. It will run you 70-80 bucks and it takes some getting used to.


 
The Ideal -534 has a GFCI tester built in, but I/we have other ways of checking that. I thought they were all junk 10 years ago. Again, this guy said give it a try, and son of a gun, it does the trick. I was surprised.


----------



## That's It? (Aug 31, 2011)

76nemo said:


> The Ideal -534 has a GFCI tester built in, but I/we have other ways of checking that. I thought they were all junk 10 years ago. Again, this guy said give it a try, and son of a gun, it does the trick. I was surprised.


 Looks like i'm getting a new circuit tracer then.


----------



## sparky711 (Oct 1, 2011)

2 months later and I finally pulled the trigger. I went with the Klein about a month ago after getting some more opinions and i have no complaints. I have used it on residential and light commercial applications and haven't gone wrong yet.


----------



## zwodubber (Feb 24, 2011)

jarhead0531 said:


> That Klein one sucks. Get the ideal from lowes, it is cheaper and works much better.


I totally agree, mine is about to get retired.


----------



## someguy (Feb 3, 2012)

The best circuit tracer that I've ever used has to be greenlee. Just take it slow and it never fails.


----------



## electricalperson (Jan 11, 2008)

someguy said:


> The best circuit tracer that I've ever used has to be greenlee. Just take it slow and it never fails.


i love that tracer i just wish there was a way to disable the receivers auto shut off


----------



## Flectric (Nov 19, 2011)

someguy said:


> The best circuit tracer that I've ever used has to be greenlee. Just take it slow and it never fails.


 The greenlee might be more money than he's willing to spend on a Circuit Tracer.


----------



## someguy (Feb 3, 2012)

Yea its pretty expensive but our company baught a few for our service department and I hope I never have to use any other kind. Worth the money if you can afford to spend it. And yea the auto shut off does get annoying.


----------



## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

I have a Greenlee/Tasco tracer that I use for actual circuit tracing, but I find my Ideal 61-543 digital circuit breaker finder to be much better and faster at locating breakers and fuses reliably.

http://www.amazon.com/Ideal-61-534-...ref=sr_1_1?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1328366428&sr=1-1


----------



## someguy (Feb 3, 2012)

Yea they said earlier in the thread that those ideal tracers were good. If I ever have a need to purchase one for myself I may check that one out.


----------



## airfieldsparky (Jun 10, 2011)

I have the ideal one from HD works great, never let me down. Anyone know of a circuit tracer that can be used on circuits over 120v? Would be great for working on lighting in loaded unmarked lighting panels. Such as 208 or even 277v rating would be great! Or can they just not work without a neutral reference?


----------



## Missouri Bound (Aug 30, 2009)

I've used the GB for over 15 years, both residential and industrial...never had a problem...never had a wire I couldn't trace.:whistling2:


----------



## KayJay (Jan 20, 2008)

airfieldsparky said:


> I have the ideal one from HD works great, never let me down. Anyone know of a circuit tracer that can be used on circuits over 120v? Would be great for working on lighting in loaded unmarked lighting panels. Such as 208 or even 277v rating would be great! Or can they just not work without a neutral reference?


I’ve never used either one so don’t know the actual operating details, but these two tracers that Mitchell sells will both apparently work on voltages over 277V. The GTI Breaker Finder specs say it works on circuits up to 600V and the Greenlee CS-8000 specs say it will work on circuits up to 750V.
http://www.mitchellinstrument.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=breaker+finder&x=32&y=12


----------



## DCooper (Dec 6, 2011)

I just picked up the ideal one for $14.99. http://www.protoolsdiscount.com/idealr-industries-61-532-analog-breaker-finder.html


----------



## Clintmiljavac (Aug 18, 2011)

I have the Klein also....it sucks! When u first got it the couple times I used it was ok tried it the other day and would not find the breaker for anything. Go with the ideal


----------



## nitro71 (Sep 17, 2009)

You should not have to buy a circuit tracer as an apprentice. I prefer the tracer located between my ears.


----------



## Edrick (Jun 6, 2010)

nitro71 said:


> You should not have to buy a circuit tracer as an apprentice. I prefer the tracer located between my ears.


Your nose?


----------

