Amprobe PY-1A Voltage Tester

I have owned Amprobe tools for 40 years now..... never had a bad one yet! This little hand held device is "just large enough" to fit the hand well without being too big nor bulky. The simple design works so well. They really did use some good creativity in building this one too! The probes slide backwards into their storage slots and then work to stick into any normal outlet for testing. I tested mine in 120 VAC duplexs and 240 VAC outlets and it works flawlessly. Simple, easy, small size yet comfortable to use. How could you do better for so little money? Sadly, it is now made in China,.... so more jobs just went overseas. :-(The one single thing wrong with it (outside of being an off-shore device) is that the cables are a rather stiff (and a little bit rigid) plastic instead of the the higher quality flex wire they used to always use on this type of equipment. Still, it is good quality wire. I am a master Journeyman Electrician - I will keep and use this tool all the time. Enjoy.

I use this voltage tester nearly every week in my electrical inspections. It is dependable, robustly made, and versatile. For the price, it is a considerable value, too. Sure, the three-bulb receptacle testers (TBRT) are more convenient, and to use them requires no knowledge or understanding of residential electrical installation, but to state that a TBRT is a "better product" than this voltage tester is erroneous.This voltage tester will do everything that a TBRT does and more, if you know how to use it. In use, each of the three lights on a TBRT indicates a voltage potential between a pair of the prongs on the tester. Typically, the light on the left (the red light) connects the neutral and the ground prongs; the green or amber light in the middle connects the hot and neutral prongs, and the green or amber light on the right pairs the hot and ground prongs. You can easily make the same three parings with this voltage tester. If you use the voltage tester to make these three pairings in a logical order, you can deduce every condition that the TBRT can display.There are several important differences between the Amprobe voltage tester and the TBRTs, with the most important features coming last:1) a TBRT is completely dependent on the presence of a grounding outlet in the receptacle, whereas the voltage tester can be used on older two-prong receptacles that do not have a provision for a grounding plug;2) obviously, the voltage tester can verify the voltage at a receptacle, and the TBRT cannot-that's additional versatility. It is important to verify that an unfamiliar 120v receptacle is wired to 120v. (I have come across a 120v receptacle that some moron wired to carry 240v!) The voltage tester can also be used to verify the correct voltage at an electric dryer outlet or electric range outlet (240v);3) when working with electricity, there is nothing more important than safety- it should be your foremost consideration, or you may not have even the split-second it takes to regret that you did not take better care. It is well-known among electrical inspectors that the TBRT has serious shortcomings in its ability to correctly indicate two dangerous, life-threatening electrical wiring faults. In the worst of the two, those two amber or green lights are glowing with reassurance, and when the inexperienced or unknowledgeable user looks down at the label to verify what it means, they will see the word "CORRECT." You'd better hope it is, because the other condition that it may be indicating can kill you, literally in a heartbeat;4) the Amprobe voltage tester bears a Cat III 600v rating. I do not know of a TBRT that offers the user such a high level of safety and protection. In fact, I doubt there is any other electrical test equipment in the world that provides this rating for a mere six dollars.If I were to change anything about this tester, it would be the probes. Since most users will probably be testing electrical receptacles, a probe tip similar to Fluke's TP-1 would be more useful than the sharp pointed tips on this one.Full disclosure: I have no financial interest in any manufacturer of electrical equipment or seller of electrical equipment. My business is safety. I wrote a review of this voltage tester because I use it often, and felt that it was misrepresented by one of the other reviewers.

Works great, with better construction and handles more voltages (120-480v AC & 160-600v DC) than anything else I've seen at this price point. In fact, I'd be just as pleased with this tester if it were 3x the asking price here. What I particularly like is that it's easy to see the light indicating voltage even when working in a bright room. I also like that the probes can be stored clipped to the actual housing (these are not flimsy clips). I like this unit much nicer than the Sperry and Radio Shack testers I also own. The only downside is that it's larger than these others, but it does have a pocket clip.

There aren't a lot of things in this life that are invisible and yet can hurt you badly -- or kill you. Electricity is everywhere, but most of the time it is properly insulated to protect those around it. However, like me (at my advanced age), you may have been shocked on occasion by a faulty wire or outlet. Stepping on an abraided washing machine cable can ruin your day. As can working barefoot on concrete with a faulty drill. That was the first time that I found out that I could fly.So understanding whether an outlet is safe to work on is pretty important. Some guys will laugh off a quick jolt but I have always been concerned with how strong that jolt could be. You wouldn't think that dropping a table radio into the bathtub would be any big deal, but it can (and has been) fatal in a number of cases.The more time that I spend doing things for myself rather than hiring it out has taught me a few basic lessons. Actually I have learned a lot. Because of my basic knowledge of electricity I have avoided doing any electrical projects around the house. Now however I am ready to move into that area, having already replaced a 4 gang switch and installing a new garbage disposal. Might not sound like a big deal to most of you but it is for me.This Amprobe Voltage Tester helps give me the confidence to know that I'm not going to do another personal fly-over in our garage. Nor is it likely that I will set my hair on fire. Well-made, easy to use, and fortunately very accurate. Having even a little confidence can go a long way toward successfully completing a new job.

I think this one is a little bigger than my old one. I rarely use these, but when you need to check things, this works pretty darn well. This unit was at a good price point, for a respected brand. I kind of like the probe holder on the back that clips it all together for outlets.

This instrument works great. I was quickly able to detect 120 volt outlets and 240 volt outlets by inserting the color coded wires (black is live and goes into the shorter hole while the red is neutral and goes into the taller hole for my three hole outlet). The construction is high quality and the unit fits in my palm well. I can see myself using this tool for many years ahead. I enclose a snapshot of working unit when plugged into a 120 volt outlet for your view.

Excellent produit pour vérifier le courant électrique, très utile dans un coffre d'outil

Cumple su propósito

Works well for my home use.

Does not work for 12 volts. I regret not buying a proper unit.

Works well