Tried a $15 amazon toner probe on a live 240v line

I figured I'd save some cash and bought a cheap toner probe from Amazon instead of my usual Fluke. Hooked it up to what I thought was a dead coax line but it was actually sharing a conduit with a live 240v circuit at an apartment complex in Phoenix. Let's just say my eyebrows are a little singed now so has anyone else had a cheap tool do something completely unexpected?

2 comments

2 Comments

fionaw545d agoTop Commenter

Did your eyebrows at least match your new smoky cologne scent? Honestly, that sounds like a hell of a way to test a product's "shock resistance" rating (none, apparently). I'm kind of impressed you got a light show and a new hairstyle for only fifteen bucks, most people pay way more for that at a salon. You probably saved enough on the toner to cover the cost of new eyebrows from a tattoo place, so that's a win in my book. At least now you know that cheap Amazon stuff really does deliver a "shocking experience" every time.

ward.fiona5d ago

Grabbed a Fluke replacement on clearance from a local supply house after my cheap multimeter gave me a spark show last year (it was like a tiny firecracker went off in my hand). What worked for me was calling around to a few electrical wholesalers in my area asking if they had any open box or floor model gear they were trying to get rid of. Ended up with a used but fully tested Klein toner for like thirty bucks, which still hurts way less than a hundred plus for the big names but actually has basic safety ratings on it. Also started keeping a separate pair of insulated pliers just for coax work near power lines, since those plastic cheap cases on the probes might as well be paper in Phoenix heat. You could probably hit up a pawn shop or a tool library too, lots of contractors trade in decent gear when they upgrade and you can test it right there before buying. The singed eyebrow look is a pretty solid conversation starter though (I got a free coffee from a 7-Eleven clerk who thought my patchy brow was a new tattoo).