Fully featured manual PAT tester?

biskit · Jun 13, 2013

Hi guys,

I'm hoping this isn't something which has been covered millions of times before (I have tried searching) but...

I'm looking for a PAT tester with the full range of testing features:

-Earth bond at 25A (plus ideally a range of lower currents including 200mA for sensitive equipment)
-Insulation test at 500V and 250V (for sensitive equipment)
-Load test with leakage (touch current) test at 240V and 110V
-Extension lead test

Sub leakage and/or differential leakage, and flash test, would be nice but not essential.

All the testers I seem to find with all these features are the fully automated computer type ones which are very expensive... but I don't need the storage or automation facilities as I tend to test a small number of unusual appliances in workshop type environments where the flexibility to do whatever tests I deem necessary, and multiple tests where necessary, is more important than automation enabling me to 'test' hunderds of items per day.

I am happy to buy second hand. Any help appreciated.

Ben.

oldtimer · Jun 13, 2013

Again it depends on what your aiming for I do repair in rental properties and hate PAT testing but realise and need to supply the service plus I do about 10-12 items at a time so the Kewtech KT71 bundle fits that bill why well it mains driven no batteries to worry about it costs £45 to calibrate and it comes with carry case that holds all my bits and pieces .

So what area are you aiming for ie domestic 10-12 items or 100-150 items in say an office block plus is it an addition to your business or is it your business

biskit · Jun 14, 2013

Thanks for the reply. This is an addition to my existing business which is mainly periodic inspection. A couple of my customers are light industrial workshop type setups ie. small scale but heavy/dirty/rough environment. They have a lot of large 'portable' tools (lathes, milling machines, compressors...) and also standard workshop hand tools (grinders, drills etc) which I have now been asked to test in addition to the installation work. It is low quantity, but these are all quite unusual items which I want to be able to test thoroughly and properly, especially considering their rough environment. As such I need a tester which can do all the above tests individually (so I can repeat tests and interpret results where I deem necessary, not where the computer thinks I need to), rather than one designed to deliver set test sequences very quickly for the 'office block' market.

A search seems to suggest that most of the manual testers these days are considered 'basic' models or the older ones which lack what I consider to be essential features, such as full 25A earth bond test, or the 250V insulation test option. Also the facility to do run tests with touch current leakage. To get all these features seems to require going for the top end computerised units which, although capable of doing individual tests, don't lend themselves to this type of operation, and also come with a price tag reflecting all the computerised gizmos which I don't need as I'm never going to do that sort of volume testing.

What I'm asking is have I missed a product which meets these needs?

oldtimer · Jun 14, 2013

Yep here what you say and yes I agree about computer gizmo as I am guilty of that myself I bought the Megger 1553 with Bluetooth facilities that I never used so like you when it came to PAT I made sure not to repeat the same mistake plus a friend advised me not to get a battery model as he did and has to buy a couple of sets a year. Hence why I opted for the KT71 as it met all my needs its small compact has a good carry case that holds all my stuff .

Also its like Trigger is look after your broom.................. I take care of all my gear and the PAT tester stays in the house until its needed