Customer Reviews

Lisle 52500 Mechanic's Stethoscope

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I was first introduced to a mechanics stethoscope quite a few years ago when I used to use a regular physicians stethoscope I had picked up somewhere when needed for car repairs. I located a mechanics model in a catalog and ordered it there. I found it to be far more versatile with its long stem conductor instead of the flat plastic head on a physicians model, as well as much easier to use by design. About a year ago my old stethoscope got run over during one of my more intense repairs, and I have since picked up this very same Lisle model from a local parts store. The price here on Amazon for this 52500 model is cheaper than what I paid, and at the time of this writing ships free when bundled. Although there are more expensive models available on Amazon, I cannot imagine anyone needing anything more than what this one offers. Its solid, durable, and very comfortable to wear.

I should point out that a mechanics stethoscope is one of the most versatile tools you can own. Even if you never do any work on cars. You would not believe the number of uses one finds for this instrument when you have one around. Ever have one of those annoying squeaks or rattles inside your car, or some other place that you can't exactly pin down no matter how close you seem to get to it? With this baby you will find ground zero on the squeak in a couple of minutes. In addition to cars, you can easily locate squeaks or noises in any kind of machinery, or in your homes floor and walls. I even used mine to locate an irritating squeak on a neighbors sewing machine. It is very easy to use, and even a lot of fun at times.

As for this model versus a higher priced one, unless you're a highly paid specialist of some kind that prefers the very best, I would pass up the more expensive scopes available here or anywhere else and buy this one. It is all the scope most of us should ever need, and one of the most handy and versatile tools to have in your home or garage..... Recommended.

Just got mine scope today. Tried it and noticed how sensitive it was. I can hear my own heartbeat with it. Hell I can even hear my own vein/artery pulse (very low) with it. The overall build quality is flimsy (bad), so that was a bit disappointing. The long probe tip shown in the picture is very fragile (easy to bend), so be careful. While I cannot compare it with any other, I can say it should come in handy in the future, just keep it in a padded sturdy case of some sort, and you may have to disassemble it prior to storing it, since it is fairly long - about 16" with the least bend radius allowable. The ear buds are a bit tight, it hurts my ears to use it after a short while. Again, it is extremely sensitive to sounds, even touching any part of it produces a lot of sounds, so keep that in mind when you use it. Some sounds will be "distracting", and the user may have a hard time discerning the real cause of the noise (on a car) from you touching/bumping/moving the probe around the car.

For the price, its worth it, free shipping and all.

Good quality instrument is a big help in locating strange noises in engines and any other mechanical items. A great help for "do-it-yourselfers".

This item works great. I am very pleased with it. I would buy this product again.
John D.

Even without a lot of mechanic knowledge or doing much mechanic work, this item is worth the price. Stick here or there and hear what you can't otherwise. It is great for the person shopping for a used car and you will know when you hear something that isn't right.

As for the home mechanic, it is invaluable in pinpointing where things are wrong. Fuel injectors, pistons, valves, anything that moves.

And for the computer tech, I have also found this device is great for finding soon to be faulty harddrives. You can hear everything that is going on without disconnecting anything. Long before real problems come up, this thing can find them.

As for quality, it really is just a plastic tube with the correct diaphragm at the end to convert the metal pole vibrations to audible noise. Its is FAR better than naked ears, but there are many products out there that are better than this. As valuable as it has been, I would have paid for a better quality version if I were to buy one again.

At work many people were able to get a stethoscope, but it is no longer possible.
I purchased this product and now find it easier to detect failing bearings without checking out an ultrasound detector.

I was convinced my alternator's bearings were causing those creepy sounds under my hood and was about to spend $150 and the time to replace the unit myself. As a last minute decision, I bought this device to confirm my suspicions, and it turned out I was wrong (it was the A\C compressor). It's also an entertaining tool to hear what the different parts in your engine bay sound like when running (electric radiator fans sound neat).

Even if you don't do your own car maintenance, I think this a great to have for determining where those strange noises are coming from so the dealer doesn't rip you of with some other repair.

This device is great for listening internal noises in
the engine, it is most useful when other noises drown
out your noise your trying to hear, outside noises
such as air from the Cooling Fan can mask internal
sounds, and it also improvises sounds such as the
hissing noise from alternator bushings, yes this is
a useful device, but I rarely use it...

works best when you just lightly touch the end to source
with no pressure and no gap.. works great..

This gets a THUMPS UP from me..

Another review by Butt Eye......

The stethoscope is a little uncomfortable in the ears, but you probably don't need to be wearing it for long periods of time. Easy to assemble, easy to use, and a great (and necessary) addition to anyone's toolbox.

The Stethoscope is very sensitive and works great for pin pointing out problems in a engine that you need isolate.The ear grommets are rubber witch makes it more comfortable to use.