Southwire Tools 40150N Advanced Dual Range NCV 12-1000V AC

This non-contact voltage tester is the most durable and reliable hot stick I've used, including ones from Klein, Fluke, Milwaukee, and other Southwire models. It is very sensitive and accurate, and extremely handy to use in troubleshooting situations. If you are about to work on something though, always use a multimeter to check because hot sticks are not always trustworthy; doesn't matter the brand. That being said the flash light on this thing is bright! The nice thing is the light stays on once you release the button, whereas other sticks you have to keep it held down. It also has a flashlight on the testing end too, so it helps light up inside the box you're poking around in. The water resistant rating is a nice touch too. The only problem I've had with this tester is the rear cap where you put the batteries. If you over tighten it, drop it from high up, or it just wears out, the cap may crack and prevent it from tightening on the threads enough to make contact with the batteries. That is the only thing that has caused me to replace it. The pros definitely outweigh the cons though, as this thing is definitely the most premium option out there. I highly recommend this tester to licensed electricians, or DIYers that like to own nice tools.

Quality and strong built tester, the light feature on this tester come in handy

best live wire tester I have. This small device is a must have when wiring old homes as sometime even if you shut off breakers previous unqualified electricians or DIY's sometime mix 2 breakers in a box that can catch you off guard. I've seen that more than once so now I use this tester to make sure I am safe. even when tracing wires to breakers I make sure I turned breakers back off with this as anything can get you sidetracked nowadays. It's also tougher then all others I've had. Usually drop one of these and they break easy but this tester seems to hold it's own as I have dropped it several times from ladders and it keeps on working. For the size and price of this tester I don't see why anyone would wire without. I had sveral in my electrical tool boxes for years and never used them until I figured out how usefull they really are.

So the first one I got did not work for the low voltage. No yellow LED and it did not detect anything properly. I used in normal 110 mode and placed near my USB end of a cord and it beeped. I put it in 12 v mode and it beeped. Or maybe it was never in 12 v mode. Amazon replaced that one. The next one I get, I open the batter cover, nearly needed pliers to open this one, and it seemed awfully shallow area for the 2 batteries to fit in. I checked since it was so hard to get the end cap off. I slide in the first battery and it did not want to slide down all the way. There should be room for 2 AA batteries and one was not going in. I took that out and it seemed there was something inside. I tapped, shook and finally had to swing hard for it to come out. The pic here shows a very dented battery that is green and silver. The el'cheapos that come with are a brownish color. The packaging had not been opened, so this came from the manufacturer this way. After getting this one out, I put in the two batteries with no issues. I tested 110 more and it worked as expected. I put it in 12 v mode and it I got the yellow LED, but it did not defect USD 5 volt power. Not sure if this was user error or I have another non-working unit. I will update if I find this one will not work either.

I tried 2 different models of NCVTs from the other popular manufacturer before buying this one. This one is much better quality. With the other manufacturer, I had one NCVT arrive DOA and another arrived with its screw-in battery retainer broken. This one came well-packaged and whole. I like that it has 2 LED lights - one on the front next to the tester end, which is dimmer but adequate, and one on the back, which is bright enough to light up a decent portion of a darkened room or garage or attic. Another thing I like is that the battery compartment end has a rubber O ring to help keep water out. I tested this out on both live and switched-off outlets, and it worked fine on both, including GFCI outlets. I do wish that the 12V button did not have to be held down in order to maintain the lower voltage range, but that's a very minor inconvenience. I'm very happy with this tester.

I have been buying Southwire products for over a decade and appreciate the quality and functionality of their tools. I am a DIYer, but am actually very familiar with the primary OEM manufacturer of Southwire tools through another working relationship - and have seen firsthand the quality of their electrical measurement tools. Regarding this contactless low/high voltage tester: 1) The low voltage measurement mode lights an "amber" LED that goes "red" and makes an audible beep upon proximity of a ~12V signal. You can see in one of my pictures that it correctly identified the low voltage DC signal between my speaker and amplifier. 2) The high voltage measurement mode lights a "green" LED that also goes "red" upon proximity of a high voltage source (in this case 120V line voltage). The "red" LED is accompanied by an aggressive audible beep. 3) There is "white" LED in the tip of the tool to help you home-in on the live wire if it's dark. 4) There is ANOTHER bright "white" LED functioning as a capable flashlight on the back side of the tool that can be turned on with a button press. Overall, I am impressed by the simplicity, capability, and quality of this tool. I expect it to last a while. AAA batteries are easy to come by, but small enough to keep the tool compact for carry!

Looks to be working well. Not 100% sure it isn't detecting static electricity and will compare some day. Still even static build up is more than voltage than I want! lol

Great tool this is the best one I had klien, fluke, green Lee kaiweets. But South Wire is the best one.