Neiko Professional Digital Laser Photo Non-Contact Tachometer - Accurate to 99,999 RPM Measurement

by Neiko

Product Description

Highly accurate, scientific tool with Digital Laser photo technology and 6 MHz crystal oscillator. Easy to operate for taking measurement and diagnostic test results: attach small strip of standard adhesive reflective tape (included) to object, aim and measure--RPMs instantly display on large LCD screen. Includes custom protective cushioned storage case, 3 AA batteries, instructions and a 24" of reflective tape (additional tape widely available at hardware and other stores.) One-year warranty and Satisfaction Guarantee.

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 10 x 5 x 3 inches ; 1.7 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• ASIN: B000I5LDVC
• Item model number: 20713A
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (35 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,290 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not bad for the buck, November 21, 2007

By 

Rafael Fiol "rafiol2" (Pensacola, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

I bought this to determine how far off my motorcycle's tach was. It has remarkable pickup of nearly any bright, reflective surface such a chrome or semi-bright aluminum cast so be careful to provide decent background surface isolation. Don't work about running out of reflective tape. I was able to get great results using Testor's silver model paint painted directly on to my engine's flywheel. You can accomplish the same results by painting a spot on a piece of masking tape and sticking the tape to whatever you are reading from.

The down-side of the device is that it is pretty much contoured for hand-held use. I had to rig some velcro to it so that I could strap it to a tripod (leaving me with less to juggle why adjusting carberators). The strapping does make it a little difficult to manipulate the buttons while still being able to see the readout. Don't get me wrong, using this as a hand-held works quite well but does require a steady hand if you are shooting through a narrow space. Overall, I'm quite satisfied with it for the little $$$ it cost.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent device, June 28, 2008

By 

Takei (NY United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Neiko Professional Digital Laser Photo Non-Contact Tachometer - Accurate to 99,999 RPM Measurement (Misc.)

The laser tach works as well as you'd expect, measurement range with the reflective tape is 6 feet or more (not sure where Amazon's 500mm description came from, but it's wrong).
The device sends out a beamed laser spot that gets reflected by the tape or any suitably reflective surface. The sensor in the tach picks up the pulses and performs the measurement, displaying in 0.1 RPM steps for speeds up to 999.9 RPM, and 1.0 RPM steps from 1000 to 99999 RPM.

3 AA batteries for economical use with common rechargeables, after the three supplied batteries eventually get used up. They should last quite a while though, using only 40mA during the measurement. The display only comes on when the buttons are actually depressed, so it uses only the minimum amount of battery power- also means it cam't be used for extended unattended measurement however. It has a min and max RPM function, showing the variations in the speed from the measurement.

If you cut a square off from the two strips of supplied reflective tape and just use some scotch tape to temporarily attach it to the object being measured, you can reuse it over and over-
To measure things like fans, you could simply hold the tape behind the fan, and beam the laser through the rotating fan blades. The fan blades will chop the light signal to provide the measurement. You'll need to simply divide the measurement by the number of fan blades, since it'll read multiple counts per revolution.
Very neat item to have around..

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Work fine. Great price., August 1, 2007

By 

Big Jim "Jim" (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

Bought a number of these for work. They function well. Can't beat the price. Payed $70+ last year for the same unit. The plastic case seems flimsy, so we'll see how they hold up in the field. Also, I don't expect the included vinyl plastic storage/travel case to hold up very well. Otherwise, good product and great price. Will buy more as needed.