I've Had it With These POS Traceable Thermometers!

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Evan!

Evan!

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This is the second one to malfunction. I do like the thermometer itself, when it's working, but for $40, man...eff this. The first time, the probe wire disconnected from the body. Nothing I did, I just pulled it out of the box one day and it was like that. I'm very careful with these things! So I called professional equipment, who sold it to me, and they said they don't stand behind it, and that I'd have to talk to manufacturer. Not wanting to deal with it, I just ordered another one.

Well, I pulled that one out of the box last night. Guess what? It's done too. Same f*cking thing!!! This time, those ******** at Control Company are gonna replace it. I'm gonna go all customer-service-ninja on those bitches.

Does anyone know of a more versatile digital waterproof thermometer? This is ridiculous.
 
That blows. I've heard nothing but good things about those in the past. I'm sticking with the ghetto waterproof thermo for now. (Silicone tubing). Good luck on finding something better.
 
I hate ALL digital therms. bless em all!

I don't even trust my PLC and themocouple, I still resort to checking with my lab rod.

Analogue has treated me very well. Plus, no GATDAHM wires.

Hope you find some peace bra'.
 
If anyone tells you about one, let me know. Thermometers are so freaking annoying. I'm on my 4th one. 1 of them got too wet, 2 just decided to stop working for no apparent reason.
 
I have been looking for high quality thermometers for quite some time now, and have had no luck. Tomorrow I'm going to calibrate all my thermometers with a type T thermocouple and a calibrated DAQ. If I find something reasonably priced that works for me without issues, I'll post it.
 
I have had 2 die on me too. The wire did not phisically come out, but I could tell it was messed up in the location where the wire entered the body. It would only read if you held it a certain way. First one happened a couple weeks after getting it and Professional Equipment replaced it. The next one happened outside their return window, so...

I just got one of these from Target. It works just fine, it might be off a few degrees, but as long it is always off by that much it will be fine. I actually set mine of fire the other day (yeah, it burns) and it still works fine.
 
I have good luck with my Amazon.com: CDN Proaccurate Stainless Digital Thermometer: Kitchen & Dining

I had a lab thermometer and it turned out it measure 10F too cool. Messed up 2 mashes until I doubled checked with a floater. The floater is ok but real slow to measure.

EDIT Sorry didn't look at the link to closely Amazon is out of stock, so is Northern Brewer. Hope it's still in production
 
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I last bought these cheap dial type pocket probes from WalMart (red rubber surround). I have never had one of those be off but, they are re-calibrateable. I'd check it after every 2 or 3 brews and it was always spot on with my lab stik.

I had more trouble from the weldless thermothingy than I did with those therms.
 
I bought a cheapo digital at Mills Fleet farm, and yeah, I used it once and it stopped working. Those dang probes. I found I could order extra probes online. Ordered 5 of them. Tried different types of epoxy/glues/sealing thingys to seal where the cable goes into the probe. 6-7 batches later, still works great. I used two different epoxies, solid two part, the stuff that is green on the outside white on the inside. Packed this stuff into probe where the cable goes in. Let it dry. Used other epoxies on the out side to seal it up nice. Some two part hard stuff, others I tried were a water proof epoxy. They both worked.

This one:http://www.target.com/Taylor-TruTem...&index=target&rh=k:digital thermometer&page=1
 
my digi crapped out on my last brew so I used Fermetap dial thermometer with the 6 inch probe in my MLT it was a pain in the butt at first but then I stuck the probe though a piece of blue styro and just let it float worked OK still had to take the top off once and a while to check the temps. I also used it when I heated the sparge water and it just floated around and again worked out ok.
 
springer said:
my digi crapped out on my last brew so I used Fermetap dial thermometer with the 6 inch probe in my MLT it was a pain in the butt at first but then I stuck the probe though a piece of blue styro and just let it float worked OK still had to take the top off once and a while to check the temps.
Click to expand...

holy run-on sentence, batman! :D
 
large-dial-thermometer.jpg


from northern brewer... Always test within one degree or so (probe is only 9' long, so depends on your setup). Just don't bang them around, and most analog thermometers will last longer accurately then any similar priced digital...
 
I cannot for the life of me find an analog thermometer locally that has a range I want. They're all cooking thermometers reading in increments of 100°
 
MoRoToRiUm said:
large-dial-thermometer.jpg


from northern brewer... Always test within one degree or so (probe is only 9' long, so depends on your setup). Just don't bang them around, and most analog thermometers will last longer accurately then any similar priced digital...
Click to expand...

You serious? That thing? The difference between 140 and 160 is like half an inch...and you're telling me you can accurately dial down your mash temps to, for example, 153 on the dot? I'm skeptical.
 
MoRoToRiUm said:
from northern brewer... Always test within one degree or so (probe is only 9' long, so depends on your setup). Just don't bang them around, and most analog thermometers will last longer accurately then any similar priced digital...
Click to expand...

The only thing I don't like with that thermo is that it reads in 5° increments . The one I have reads in 2°increments. I would like to find one the reads in 1° .
 
I've always used the cheapo digital thermometers like this:
41MHAD7EDZL._SL500_AA150_.gif

Been through a couple, don't last forever, only about 10 bucks, but last longer than my hydrometers do...
 
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You won't believe this sh*t. So, on Professional Equipment's website, it says the following about the thermometer in question:

This digital beverage thermometer is ideal for accurate monitoring of mashing and sparging temperatures in all-grain brewing
Click to expand...

Yet, like I said, Professional Equipment won't stand behind it, and told me to call the manufacturer, Control Company. I just got off the phone with them, and she asked me what the application was. Brewing, I said. Whoah, she said, that's a terrible application for this model...because the probe is not meant for heat. It's PVC and will degrade over time if heated. She said that they tell everyone, it's not good for brewing! WTF!!!!!!!?????!!!!??? So Professional Equipment is lying, then. I'm about to call those ********, and SOMEONE is gonna pay, because the manufacturer said that it's not a warranty issue because it was a "user issue".
 
Evan,

I think I got the same exact thermometers, but from Lab Safety Supply. Lab Safety Supply - Safety Products, Material Handling, Industrial Supply, Respirators, Safety Glasses and More! (I think). I pulled one out of the box and it simply failed to operate at all. Here's where my story sucks somewhat less than yours: I called their customer service who put me on with technical support. The had me confirm that there was a battery installed and that I knew how to turn it on (I guess they're very thorough). Following that, they told me to chuck it in the trash and sent me a new one that day. I had it a day or two later, gratis. Good luck.
 
PhilFrog said:
Evan,

I think I got the same exact thermometers, but from Lab Safety Supply. Lab Safety Supply - Safety Products, Material Handling, Industrial Supply, Respirators, Safety Glasses and More! (I think). I pulled one out of the box and it simply failed to operate at all. Here's where my story sucks somewhat less than yours: I called their customer service who put me on with technical support. The had me confirm that there was a battery installed and that I knew how to turn it on (I guess they're very thorough). Following that, they told me to chuck it in the trash and sent me a new one that day. I had it a day or two later, gratis. Good luck.
Click to expand...

I just got off the phone with professionalequipment.com. They screwed me, told me it was MY fault because got the sheathing into warm liquid, even though it doesn't say anywhere on any of the literature that you shouldn't. Do not ever use them, they are AWFUL, AWFUL bastards.
 
Evan! said:
You won't believe this sh*t. So, on Professional Equipment's website, it says the following about the thermometer in question:



Yet, like I said, Professional Equipment won't stand behind it, and told me to call the manufacturer, Control Company. I just got off the phone with them, and she asked me what the application was. Brewing, I said. Whoah, she said, that's a terrible application for this model...because the probe is not meant for heat. It's PVC and will degrade over time if heated. She said that they tell everyone, it's not good for brewing! WTF!!!!!!!?????!!!!??? So Professional Equipment is lying, then. I'm about to call those ********, and SOMEONE is gonna pay, because the manufacturer said that it's not a warranty issue because it was a "user issue".
Click to expand...

On your first posting on this thermometer under their applications chart: "beer brewing" and wet locations. Talk about false advertising. Has anyone made a report with the Better Business Bureau about this product plus they not covering you under the warranty replacement clause? Seems like this is not a freak failure but a 70% plus failure item. Then to add insult you buy another one and it fails again. Call me old school with equipment, I use a older Fluke 52 that checks out dead nuts when I get it checked for calibration, I use it as my standard for readjusting my dial gauges. Granted not a cheap meter but it has saved me from many of mental breakdowns the past 10 years allowing me to readjust and make accurate those dial gauges in the operating range I need to work in. New does not mean better.
 
Oh, no, the dimwit at professionalequipment kept insisting it's fine for brewing, even though the MANUFACTURER had just told me 5 minutes prior that it WASN'T! Makes everything else they sell suspect.
 
Also, Control Company, the manufacturer, gave me a recommendation regarding a good one to use for brewing...and that would be one with a type "K" probe. Here's what she suggested. The unit itself isn't waterproof, but the probe is, and heatproof as well...within reason of course.
 

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