Flir vs. Testo

[Rick Bunzel]

I am familiar with Flir and Fluke brands but not with Testo. Is this a Chinese knockoff or a quality vendor that is pushing the Price/Performance envelope?

[Gilbert]

Just had a new furnace installed last Friday. The gas tech took some test using a Testo and came to the conclusion that the heat exchanger is cracked. I spoke at great length with him regarding the Testo and he swears by them. He called it the "cadillac" of machines. He went on-and-on and also mentioned if he had to go court (as an example) he wants the findings of the Testo to back him up. He told me they sell for about $1500.00 and he recommends, if I decide to buy one, to spend time with a gas tech to really understand how they work. Hope this help......

[Jeffrey L. Mathis]

It's a German company. I have one. It meets all my needs and for less cash out the door. You'll likely still spend around $2300.00 for it. Lots of features, you can save shots to a card and put them in a report. Impresses clients or scares them if you can't adequately explain what they're seeing. Must be used judiciously.
Jeff Mathis

[Gilbert]

Sorry about that. The TESTO I was referring to, is the "Combustion Analyzer" for co emissions and not the IR imager. Don't know anyone using a testo as IR imager so I cannot comment but I will read-on because I may need to purchase one eventually.

[Markus Keller]

Testo, German company, not chinese knockoff, good products.
The combustion analyzer is very popular.
I have their IR camera and am very happy with it. We did a field test a couple months ago with my Testo and a couple new Flir's i40 and i60 I think they were.
I felt my camera had better ergo than the Flir. Both Flir had lots of bells and whistles, the amount of scrolling menus and option buttons seemed extreme. Very nice tools overall though. Nice cases. I didn't try the software so I can't comment on that. The 40 kept having charging problems recently. The image quality difference between the 40 and 60 was very noticeable, too noticeable I'd say.
I would take my Testo 875-2 over the Flir 40 anytime; the Flir 60 was pretty sweet though, mainly due to the higher res and picture size. The amount of menu options annoyed me.
I know a another inspector who has the Testo 88X series, can't remember exactly which one, very nice, newer IR camera. That one probably competes with the Flir 60, having played with both, I'd take the Testo. As with many German tools the beauty and use is in the simplicity of the design, fewer buttons but everything you need to work smart. The Testo also has the humidity reader plug in option which I don't think the Flir had.
Hope that helps

[Marc M]

Testo, German company, not chinese knockoff, good products.
The combustion analyzer is very popular.
I have their IR camera and am very happy with it. We did a field test a couple months ago with my Testo and a couple new Flir's i40 and i60 I think they were.
I felt my camera had better ergo than the Flir. Both Flir had lots of bells and whistles, the amount of scrolling menus and option buttons seemed extreme. Very nice tools overall though. Nice cases. I didn't try the software so I can't comment on that. The 40 kept having charging problems recently. The image quality difference between the 40 and 60 was very noticeable, too noticeable I'd say.
I would take my Testo 875-2 over the Flir 40 anytime; the Flir 60 was pretty sweet though, mainly due to the higher res and picture size. The amount of menu options annoyed me.
I know a another inspector who has the Testo 88X series, can't remember exactly which one, very nice, newer IR camera. That one probably competes with the Flir 60, having played with both, I'd take the Testo. As with many German tools the beauty and use is in the simplicity of the design, fewer buttons but everything you need to work smart. The Testo also has the humidity reader plug in option which I don't think the Flir had.
Hope that helps

We jut picked anew cam in the last few weeks. We were comparing the testo 890-2vs. the Flir T620. I demo'd both and found the choice to be very difficult. We only chose the flir because of its reputation and they were offering some nice incentives at the time, otherwise Id be using a new testo today.

[Jerry Peck]

I felt my camera had better ergo than the Flir. Both Flir had lots of bells and whistles, the amount of scrolling menus and option buttons seemed extreme.

I felt the same way about FLIR back when I bought my Infrared Soultions camera, Fluke bought them out later on and now has some nice models, but dropped the higher resolution, simpler, more automatic operation cameras in favor of more bells and whistles (many of which are not needed for our uses).

The FLIR were also not ergo designed, and at the ITC class I took they actually commented on the ergo design of my camera being much better than the FLIR camera, but mine did not have all their menus and bells and whistles ... just got the job done better, quicker, and with greater resolution - until we out out into the field to a power transmission station, that is where the FLIR excelled and mine was left wanting ... then again, I was not using it for evaluating power transmission stations, so I was okay with those shortcomings as they were non-existent for my use.

FLIR has always provided excellent camera, they just tried to cover everything with every camera is why they were so much more complex ... no excuse for their lack of ergo design though.

[Brian Fish]

I am familiar with Flir and Fluke brands but not with Testo. Is this a Chinese knockoff or a quality vendor that is pushing the Price/Performance envelope?

Rick I have a FLIR and am pleased with it. I have seen some of the guys with Fluke and they too are nice. Fluke drop tests their cameras, I believe they are the only ones that have that feature. These days the manuf. are all becoming fairly competitive. FLIR's entry level camera is inexpensive and gets the job done. It wasn't an option when I got mine, but performs well for envelope scanning which is mostly what we do during the inspection. If go after a certification or attend a association conference you can get your hands on different models and see which you like best.

[Marc M]

Rick I have a FLIR and am pleased with it. I have seen some of the guys with Fluke and they too are nice. Fluke drop tests their cameras, I believe they are the only ones that have that feature. These days the manuf. are all becoming fairly competitive. FLIR's entry level camera is inexpensive and gets the job done. It wasn't an option when I got mine, but performs well for envelope scanning which is mostly what we do during the inspection. If go after a certification or attend a association conference you can get your hands on different models and see which you like best.

Just picked this 2013 Flir E30bx for $750

[Dom D'Agostino]

Just picked this 2013 Flir E30bx for $750

That's a steal. (FYI, take the battery out when your not using it, it drains even when off.)

Dom.

[Marc M]

That's a steal. (FYI, take the battery out when your not using it, it drains even when off.)

Dom.

Wow, Thanks for the heads-up Dom!

[ROBERT YOUNG]

We jut picked anew cam in the last few weeks. We were comparing the testo 890-2vs. the Flir T620. I demo'd both and found the choice to be very difficult. We only chose the flir because of its reputation and they were offering some nice incentives at the time, otherwise Id be using a new testo today.

Very nice thermal camera!
I am sure the Testo would have been very good model for your needs!
If I decide to upgrade, I am using a Fluke Ti300 60Hz. and have a Ti100 9Hz. as well, I will be looking closely at Testo. German engineering and manufacturing are still considered industry leaders today.

Question, you did not look at the Fluke TiX640 - 660 or 1000 cameras? Same price but the TiX640 and the TiX1000 have a little surprise as well:-)

I have not utilized any Testo products but I have been reviewing their products for over a year now.
This modern company utilizes thermal imaging in/as a unique value. I consider them a leader in thermal imaging for HVAC systems.

Don't get me wrong. The top three, Fluke, Flir and Tesco are all great and approach thermal imaging from their own unique prospective, while the rest in the thermal imaging manufacturing industry play catch up and rely on consumers to direct their production and the leaders models to affect their manufacturing..

Here is how I see the top three.
Fluke produce solid infrared thermal cameras for commercial/industrial/residential buildings and the environment within.
They are one of the leading thermal image developers.
The Fluke Ti32 was an/the industry leader with their germanium lens. Everyone says so.
They are now focusing on silicon lenses for the most part and the Fluke/Connecti on-board networking technology.
Their brand gives them an edge.
Their older Ti25,27,29,32 line-up was to be phased out this year but it looks like it is still going to be continued. I suspect the consumer will be the deciding factor.

I almost purchased the Ti29 and still lament over my decision.
Instead I purchased the Fluke Ti300 60Hz. an upgraded Ti27 model.
I did not like the Ti27 3 button menu.
It is not intuitive for creating a timely hypothesis or to take a final product thermogram on site. You are left with countless pressing buttons in desired preplanned sequences to archive the desired effect you are after.

My Ti100 9Hz. button and menu is mirrored off of this 3 button menu.
Frustrating as hell as compared to the Ti300 touch screen and multi button keyboard I use now.
That and other reasons left me upgrading.

So sorry to wander off thread. I feel it may help everyone/anyone.
I am now educating with Infraspection Institute. Home Inspector building inspection course.
Jim Seffin co-founder of Infraspection Institute does a first rate job in helping individuals to becoming the best thermographers they can be.
I recommend Infraspection Institute http://www.infraspection.com/,to anyone that desire to becoming the best thermographer they can be.


Flir creates a a robust residential/commercial crossover models but also produces a very wide line of infrared thermal imaging products.
Night vision for boaters, hunters, Fire fighting, the army etc.

I tried the Tbx440 and the T420 with the articulating lens. Very respectable uncooled thermal imaging camera, but I did not like the image/s on the screen.
I was in an office setting and scanned the entire room using iron bow. There were good delta T conditions. I used several palettes but will admit I required more time to utilize the menu and all the functions extensively.
Having tried the Fluke Ti400 under the same conditions I resisted the purchase. The Fluke knocked me off my feet. I have been very lucky. I have able to see new Fluke thermal imaging product line and use them before many consumers know there have arrived.

Testo infrared models are for residential/commercial/industrial.
I predict their unique innovation for/on/of thermal imaging algorithms will be part of the main stream thermal imaging industry as standards by all the top players.

NOTE: All three use their own unique algorithm architecture.

Here is the narrative. Supper resolution.
Fluke have just introduced their own Supper resolution algorithms in their New Expert series. Testo allow consumers to enjoy the supper resolution in many of their thermal imaging camera models.

I am sure the future will be bright for uncooled thermal cameras. Just look how far thermal imaging has come in the past 10 years. Not many use cooled thermal imagers any more.

[Jerry Peck]

Here is how I see the top three.
Fluke produce solid infrared thermal cameras for commercial/industrial/residential buildings and the environment within.
They are one of the leading thermal image developers.
The Fluke Ti32 was an/the industry leader with their germanium lens. Everyone says so.

Fluke bought Infrared Solutions, the manufacturer of camera I bought back in 2004, and Infrared Solutions was using the germanium lens then.

I sold my Infrared Solutions camera in 2006 or 2007 to a friend in South Florida ... I had an opportunity last weekend (December 6) to meet and talk with my friend - he still uses that camera as it is so easy to use and shows so much.

That camera was so far ahead of the others at the time of its manufacturer. Fluke continued with that style of camera for several years after purchasing Infrared Solutions and rebranding the products to the Fluke brand.

I took my Level 1 Infrared training from FLIR and used their cameras during the class, while there cameras were "more advanced" in respect to buttons and menus, my camera found the same things, quicker and easier, without all the button pushing (naturally, there were some thing my camera could not do, but I did not intend to use my camera for those things anyway, so no big deal).

I rarely have a need for an infrared camera now, but I sure do miss the one I sold to my friend ... of course, though, who really needs a $13,000 'stud finder' (which is what I would use it most for now)?

(and, of course, it would no longer cost $13,000 being as it is now 10 years old)