Customer Reviews

Timex TX5170 Indoor/Outdoor Thermometer with Indoor Hygrometer and Clock

5 star:		(27)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(13)

 

 

After one week of normal use the Timex TX5170 stopped functioning: The readout displayed random digits. The battery tested fine (1.5 volts on my voltmeter), but I decided to give the TX5170 the benefit of the doubt, so I went out and bought a new alkaline AAA battery and installed it. And, lo and behold, the TX5170 sprang back to life -- for six hours. Then it gave up the ghost completely. Installing ANOTHER new alkaline battery did no good.

I once met a retired advertising executive who purported to be the guy who came up with Timex's classic slogan, "It Takes A Licking But Keeps on Ticking." My problems with the Timex TX5170 recalled this slogan to my mind. "Perhaps that's the problem," I said to myself. So I covered the TX5170 with chocolate syrup and proceed to lick it. Alas, still only random digits in the readout. [Just kidding.]

The online product description states that the TX5170 is covered by "Timex's one-year warranty." That sounds good, only the "instruction manual" included with the unit does not mention a warranty, nor does it provide any contact information for the manufacture. The fine print on the back of the unit itself states that it was manufactured in China for the Maverick Corporation of Edison, New Jersey, and that the name "Timex" is used under license in the United States and certain other territories.

Very helpful.

So the question is, how much time and effort am I going to expend to gain satisfaction for a non-functioning fifteen dollar thermometer?

Funny that I had to Google to find this in Amazon (I guess stuff that's sold out doesn't come up in the Amazon search) and then when I do I read the "Failed in One Week" review. Well, at least that reviewer got a week out of it. Mine failed in about 3 days. Several different batteries later and I determined that its the unit. Ditto "how much trouble will I go to for a $15 thermometer". Guess its the trash heap for this one.

Easy to set up - needs one AAA battery. Compact unit, yet has nice, large digital display showing humidity, outside temperature and either indoor temperature or clock (a button allows you to select which one will display). The unit seems very accurate and I consult the readings several times a day. I would definitely purchase this product again.

I purchased this thermometer in order to produce objective evidence about the temperature and humidity in my office during the summer (both uncomfortably high). I loaned it to my wife for the same purpose (but her office was uncomfortably cold). It's reasonably attractive, and it more or less did what I wanted, but I don't have a great deal of confidence in the accuracy of its temperature and humidity measurements.

As advertised, the unit measures both "indoor" and "outdoor" temperature, where the indoor temperature is measured directly by the main unit and the outdoor temperature is measured by a probe at the end of a wire that's (reportedly) 10 feet long. The main problem is that there is a difference between "indoor" and "outdoor" temperature of on average 1.5 degrees when the "outdoor" probe is sitting right next to the main unit. (I have seen this vary from 1.0 degrees to 2.0 degrees, but it usually settles at around 1.5 degrees.) Obviously, there should be no difference. Also, in summer, the humidity seemed to vary too much over short periods of time, and in the winter (when the heat kicks in), the reading is correctly but not very helpfully "low" rather than a specific number.

Technically, the product *does* have a warranty, but warranty follow-up is probably not worth it. When I called Timex about the problem with indoor/outdoor variance, they told me the same thing it says on the back of the product -- it's manufactured by Maverick Industries, and you have to contact them for support. The package provides a web address that's no good [...], but the company can be reached via their web site at [...]. I have an e-mail in to them now; I'll update if/when I hear back. The policy on the back of the package is "Repair or replacement will be made at our option without additional charge if the instrument is returned postage paid to [their address]". The cost of sending the unit to them and providing return postage is probably greater than the cost of the unit, and so not worth it.

In other words, buying this product is a craps shoot. On the other hand, I've seen people complaining about similar technical problems in much-more-expensive units. Despite the risk, this might be a better value than most of the rest.

Update: No response from the manufacturer.

I bought this after reading the reviews here, thinking that this would be a value for money item. The thermometer failed the calibration test- the indoor and outdoor readings did not match up even though the sensors were in the same place. Further on, the readings were inaccurate and not consistent.

On my way to return this right now. I just unpacked this, and put a battery in it. The thermometers are totally off! One reads 70 degrees farenheit and the other reads 40 degrees farenheit! (the unit and the sensor are right next to eachother.) More frustration. Now I have to pack it back up, drive to return it and lose the time and gas money.

I ordered this for my husband and was very disappointed when we went to use it that it was DOA. We tried several different batteries but it was def. not working.

We returned it to Amazon only to find out that they no longer have the item available.

I won't know if it was just a fluke or a bad item because I can't exchange it.

The large display and the ability to see inside/outside/humidity without touching a button makes this a perfect device for monitoring a incubator. I have run one clutch on chicks so far and am happy with the product.

This item is very unreliable. I suspected the humidity readings were off because they seemed awfully low, so I finally learned a way to test it and discovered it was 8% off! That's quite a lot. An accurate hygrometer is very important to me so I can monitor the humidity in a room where I keep sensitive musical instruments. Needless to say, I was extremely disappointed to purchase something that doesn't work very well. Next time I'd pay more to get a better product.

Seemed to work for two or three days, after which the hygrometer failed completely. It now jumps between 45% and 70% humidity readings within the space of a minute.