Review on Enhance Industrial Efficiency with the General Tools IRT850K Industrial Thermometer by John Murphy

I bought this device because of its extended thermal measurement range and adjustable reflectivity. In particular, I managed to measure the heat of metal parts during welding, machining and heat treating. Depending on the metal and what you are doing with it, the measured temperature can range from 500°F to several thousand degrees (e.g. steel melts at around 2500°F). The block I received is not very accurate; I found his measurements to be only good within 20-25 degrees when compared to several used but calibrated pyrometers. The IRRT855DL's menus aren't intuitive at all (at least not to me) and I expect you'll need to refer to the instructions regularly if you want to use its features. Another annoying feature is that you can't program it or set it to stay in Fahrenheit units. You can toggle it to F, but if you turn it off, it will default to Celsius the next time you use it. I understand that the metric system is what most people around the world use. But my complaint isn't really that the IRT855DL defaults to Celsius. The problem is that you can't force it to stay on the units you want. Also, the thermocouple that comes with it is very cheap and its polarity markings are so bad that it's hard to know if you've connected it correctly (and I have no vision problems). Especially since the block comes very cheap; technically better than nothing, but still a gaudy copy of a good aluminum protective case. All in all, I'm not impressed at all. I don't feel the device is a rip off but it is a disappointment. Most measurements the average person will take are below 1000 degrees Fahrenheit (seriously, what kind of homeowner should be measuring the temperature of molten steel, or logging their temperature readings?). Therefore, General should assume that the main market for this device is commercial/industrial/scientific users. Unfortunately, the IRT855DL just isn't good enough for these users. Even if it were NIST certified, which it isn't and frankly couldn't be certified for the asking price, it still isn't that good. Bottom line: if you want a non-contact laser thermometer and don't need to measure temperatures over 1000F or so, save your money and skip the IRT855DL - you don't need it. Buy a cheaper and less complex block; This will work fine for most if not all of what you need to do.