Wasted a whole Saturday on a cheap toner from Amazon

I bought one of those $20 toner and probe kits off Amazon to trace some lines in a new construction build. Thing straight up lied to me twice, told me a line was live when it was dead. I spent 4 hours cutting into drywall and tracing the wrong cable before I gave up and borrowed my buddy's Fluke. That cheap toner cost me a full Saturday and I still had to patch two holes I made for nothing. Has anyone else been burned by a budget toner that just doesn't work right?

2 comments

2 Comments

schmidt.grace1mo ago

You ever watch one of those YouTube videos where a guy tests cheap tools to see if they actually work? I saw one where they tested a $15 toner against a Fluke and it was practically useless past 20 feet. The thing would chirp even when the probe wasn't near anything. Sounds like you got the same experience. At least now you know the cheap ones are basically random noise generators with a clip on the end.

walker.hayden1mo ago

@schmidt.grace you nailed it with "random noise generators." That's exactly what those cheap toners are. I borrowed a friend's $12 one once and it lit up on a goddamn paperclip. Waste of money.