Inspection camera

[James Sorochan]

Has anyone used these devices? I want to inspect transmission gears through removed pto cover. This way I don’t have to drop tranny…..at least for now.

 

[ianjoub]

4.3" screen is pretty small. Low res cameras are cheap but are low res. It may be worth the money to get a better one, though I don't know if you linked a good one or not. I bought a cheap one once and it is almost useless.

 

[James Sorochan]

I was just using that unit for an example.

 

[Coaldust]

I have not, but the thought has crossed my mind a few times. I have used the Fluke ones in a demo. You can contact your Fluke rep and they will loan you one for two weeks to demo. I couldn’t justify the cost vs ROI at the time.

 

[shopguy]

4.3" screen is pretty small. Low res cameras are cheap but are low res. It may be worth the money to get a better one, though I don't know if you linked a good one or not. I bought a cheap one once and it is almost useless.

Sounds like the one you bought was one step better than mine .lol

 

[mekanik]

You get what you pay for. I had a Rigid one at a previous job. It was okay but not great.
We have this one where I work now and it's very good but pricey.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/Video-Scopes/Video-Still-Recording-Digital-Borescope/BK6500

I used it to look at the eroded rifling just ahead of the chamber in my .223 Savage. It wil fit into a very small hole.

 

[JD955SC]

$50-100 gets you one that connects wirelessly to your phone and goes through an app. Then you can view it on a decent size screen and capture photos and videos easily. Sometimes you can see stuff sometimes you can’t but it’s always worth a shot in my book to break it out. If you can get a penlight to shine in the area for some supplemental illumination it helps out also.

 

[ahart]

I use this one because I have other dewalt tools. Most cordless manufacturers have an inspection camera also. I bought this one also because it has a 6 mm camera which I can put down an injector hole and it also has a wireless screen.

 

[OzDozer]

I borrowed a "cheapie" off a buddy, he picked it up out of a hock shop! (his favourite shopping place! - LOL)

The model was pretty basic, and the resolution was only moderate - and the screen was too small (about 3" I STR). I used it to examine the lower part of the cylinders and pistons in my Cat 931B traxcavator (3204, 4 cyl engine).
I had to chop the rusted sump part off the oil pan, and as I found a couple of pieces of piston skirt in the sump, I had to try and examine the underside of the pistons.
So I shoved the camera and wand up to the rear of the engine and tried to get it up the underside of the bore - but I only had a moderate degree of success.

It was difficult to see what I was looking at, as the camera field of view was quite narrow - and trying to reposition the camera lens location, with a twisty, snakey piece of wand proved to be difficult, to say the least.
However, I did get some idea of what was there - enough to reassure me that the piston wasn't falling apart completely, and that I could start it and run it.

I'd like to buy an inspection camera, but I'd like to acquire a unit with a decent field of view, and also have a bigger screen to view the images. The phone app arrangement sounds like the way to go.

 

[Mike L]

I’ve got the Milwaukee 12volt version. It’s okay but not great. It wasn’t big money so I can’t complain.

 

[skyking1]

I have an old rigid. I would honestly consider one of the phone USB units. The phone's screen is much higher quality. $22

https://www.amazon.com/Seesi-Endosc...ds=usb+endoscope+camera&qid=1674912080&sr=8-3

I have a chromebook and that would make a great display.

 

[Zewnten]

One my previous coworkers bought a small tablet 7 or 9 inch and a decent usb borescope. Worked well for him

 

[barrelroll]

I bought this one off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0928Q3T42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I played with the one on the snapon truck though it didn't seem that much nicer than the snapon one for 10 times the price. It seems decent for the money though I just couldn't justify spending the money for a snapon.

 

[Truck Shop]

I bought this one off Amazon https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0928Q3T42/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

I played with the one on the snapon truck though it didn't seem that much nicer than the snapon one for 10 times the price. It seems decent for the money though I just couldn't justify spending the money for a snapon.

Friend just bought that same unit-likes it for the value.

 

[92U 3406]

Had an off-brand one with a wireless screen. Worked ok until I accidently set the screen in a shallow pool of water on the frame of a machine and fried it.

I've got a Snap On one now. Cost 5x what the old cheapie did and I don't feel its any better. Still better than nothing.

 

[John C.]

I've wrestled with the buying one for doing appraisal work and so far just can't justify the cost. If I had one, I would have to be able to get photos from it to input into reports. Right now I don't have to troubleshoot what is leaking for an appraisal. I only state there is a leak and what kind of fluid it is if it is identifiable. It would have been nice to be able to look into an engine cylinder a couple of times but I refuse to do engine work anymore. If I found a problem in a cylinder, the owner would want me to fix it. No use for hydraulics or transmissions so in my mind it would just ride around in the truck and corrode and not work when I wanted to use it.

 

[James Sorochan]

I ordered the Depstech Duel lens one for 80 bucks. Need to find out what's leaking hydraulic fluid under the Kubota 121-3 mini excavator. It's a rats nest of hoses under there. Also I have a water line freezing to my toilet when it gets 30 below. Might be able to see something behind drywall. Thanks everyone for your comments, appreciate it.

 

[nowing75]

cant rember the name but had good luck with the wireless ones and put on my ipad.

 

[Coaldust]

The USB idea with a chromebook or a iPad is an awesome idea. I never even considered that. Those $20 usb cameras could even be charged to the job as one-time-use for that price point. Like a box of shop towels.

 

[pumkinhead]

usb inspection camera is the way to go, there cheap(less than $20, i keep one on the truck and one in the shop box) they can be used with a phone/tablet or i often use it with my laptop for a bigger image and you can save and email/text images easy