Klein Tools Basic Electrical Test Kit Review

this seems like a decent kit for a homeowner to make sure a light socket or outlet plug is wired correctly, the ladder voltage tester had some kind of defect where it would not register DC voltages and the led lights were not behaving consistently. the little outlet tester with gfci testing button seems to work just fine and has pretty bright lights.

Klein Kit #ET45VP
Ladder Tester #ET45
GFCI Tester #RT210

[zilofon]

I have one of these, and it seems to work like this: for AC, both LEDs for each step of the ladder light up. For DC, one side or the other will light up depending on polarity. In your example, when you have it hooked up to the power supply with red-to-red and black-to-black, the left LED lights up. When you swap it, the right LED lights up. I just tested mine and it works the same way. Klein also makes another tester (the ET40) that works similarly with two LEDs lighting up for AC and only one or the other lighting for DC to indicate polarity.

[joeearls]

The lights changed side when you reversed the test leads because on DC the side that lights up indicates the DC polarity, which you reversed when you swapped the leads. Both sides light up on AC because AC current flows in both directions.

[sloppydoggy]

I agree that the tool is confusing... Its confusing because it isn't a multimeter! I'm not sure if you're aware of this but electrical engineers and physicists often look at both the AC and DC voltages of the same signals. That is because DC and AC are always a component of one another! You could create a power supply that outputs a 40V AC signal with a 20V DC offset.

I have the same tool and I think what you're missing is that when one led in the row is on that means it is DC, if two LEDs are on in the row then it is AC.

[djomarsuperstar]

I came in here to see about the klien v tester and mine lights all of them up when i put it in an outlet.

[politicalpotato]

My wife had a good giggle with you tonight.
👍🤣🐈

[hmedwards]

Does it indicate at all on 12 vdc, or is the minimum 30 vdc ?

[barrysmith]

You can't go wrong with Klein tools. I've used them for almost 40 years. You get quality. Btw it's just reverse polarity making the tester act up.

[bigDwood]

The leds are so bright they light up the whole vicinity.

[llib]

return it and see if they put it back on the shelf

[AntonioClaudioMichael]

Good informative video interesting defenitly looks defective

[AntonioClaudioMichael]

I'm shocked that klien wired it wrong wow

[fourfortyroadrunner]

I got sucked into a similar ET-40. JUNK. Probe(s) do not lock into body so you can hold instrument/ and probe in one hand and probe with the other probe. Very clumsy. Probes are WAY WAY too small and short for safety, and probe wires are WAY WAY too short to span across AKA busses in a box, etc. JUNK. I had house fire, my Flukes and other meters were damaged or unavailable, and I got sucked into this. JUNK