On Friday, March 6, 2015 at 2:58:08 PM UTC-5, -MIKE- wrote:
On 3/6/15 1:51 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Friday, March 6, 2015 at 2:31:09 PM UTC-5, -MIKE- wrote:
On 3/6/15 12:39 PM, DerbyDad03 wrote:
On Friday, March 6, 2015 at 12:53:13 PM UTC-5, -MIKE- wrote:
On 3/6/15 11:10 AM, Gramps' shop wrote:
Any of you folks have one of these?
http://www.harborfreight.com/digital...l_s1021_c1015b
The bride jammed a drawer in the china cabinet and no amount of
futzing and wiggling will get it open enough to free the
jam. I need to drill in from the back and think a scope will
be helpful in troubleshooting. Hopefully I can free this
with two small holes -- one for the scope and one for the
coat hanger.
Comments on this HF unit will be appreciated.
Larry
I got this one from Ridgid when it was on sale for 70 or 80
bucks...
http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Micro-CA25-Inspection-Camera-40043/203258908
I can honestly say it has paid for itself several times over. It helped
me find an abandoned 220v electric line in the wall so I knew
exactly where to punch a hole to remove it. It also helped me
find the source of a clog in our main sewer line which was a
nail that had wedged itself across the pipe. The camera costs
less than a plumber would've charged just to show up to the
house.
Someone else mentioned needing a light with the HF camera. That
would kill the deal for me. The Ridgid has LEDs in the camera
head and no external light source is needed.
I didn't actually say (or mean to imply) you *needed* an external
light with the HF camera. I said that I was wondering about
needing a 3rd hole for a light - before I even checked the HF
site. Then I checked the HF reviews at the link offered by Gramps
and read that while the HF device does indeed have LED's in the
camera head, they don't seem to be adequate in really dark
spaces.
In other words, I didn't mean to imply that the HF device has
*no* LED's like some cameras do. Now, I did use the words "lack
of lighting" in my response, but I meant "lack of *adequate*
lighting", not no lighting at all.
I recognize the reason for the misunderstanding.
The Ridgid also has a hook and magnet that attach to the camera
head for retrieving items using the camera snake itself. So you
don't need to fish another wire in through a second hole. I
think the HF model has that too, but you better make sure it
has integrated lights.
It does have integrated LED's, they just may not be adequate for
the application - per the reviews.
Another plus for the Ridgid model is that the lights have
adjustable brightness. Sometimes you need to turn them down if
there is something reflective in its path that will cause glare.
Other times, obviously, you'd like more light.
The one thing that intrigued me about the HF model was that the
snake was removable from the base unit. This made me think there
might be longer snakes available to hook on for longer reaches. I
don't know if that's the case, although I doubt it.
And therein lies both the beauty and the quandary of HF tools: $69
for the low-end HF tool, currently required for a one-off
application vs. $99 for the probably better Rigid tool.
Will Gramps ever use it again, making the extra features worth the
$30/43% higher price, or will he just get the darn drawer open and
stick the camera on a shelf to collect dust?
Damn you, Harbor Freight, why must you tempt us so?
I just looked at the manual for the HF model and it shows dimming
buttons for the light.
I have half a mind to go buy the thing and do a side-by-side road test
of them both and put it on youtube.
Hmmmm, dimmable lights on a unit where the reviews say the lights on the unit aren't bright enough.
"Hey, it's dark in here, turn down the lights!" ;-)
If one was of the mind to take advantage the liberal return policies of just about all stores these days, one might consider buying the best of the best, using it once and then taking it back.