HF Cent-Tech Inspection Camera

[Matt M PA]

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-inspection-camera-67979.html

In a flyer from the newspaper it's listed for $74.99. "Looks" like it has all I would need...but I'm wondering if anyone has a thought or experience with these?

 

[John316]

I have this and it is an excellent tool, especially for the money. I paid about $65 after coupons about a month ago. It really helped me find a small coolant leak behind the block on a minvan. The build quality is good and the picture quality is also very good. I say go for it ;-)

 

[Matt M PA]

Thanks! I don't know if they'll give me the sale price and apply the 20% coupon....that would be sweet. Either way it looks like a good deal.

 

[kythri]

It's a good price, definitely.

You might also check out Costco. They have one for $149.99 right now that has a bigger, detachable/wireless screen, accepts (and comes with) a microSD card, an extension, etc.

It's not the one shown on the Costco website.

Brand is Whistler, great setup.

 

[kythri]

Also, the HF one will be on sale for the three days following Thanksgiving for $69.99

 

[vgs8606]

What is the size of the imager head on the HF?

 

[kythri]

The camera itself, or the LCD? LCD is 2.4". Dunno about the camera.

http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-inspection-camera-67979.html

 

[porphyre]

I can think of a few things to use a camera for, but I'm not a mechanic. What do you guys actually use them for?

 

[ishiboo]

I can think of a few things to use a camera for, but I'm not a mechanic. What do you guys actually use them for?

I'm not a mechanic either and I'm finding several things. I had to fish a wire through the bottom plate in a wall, from a waist-height switch cutout in the wall. I drilled the hole with one of the long flex drill bits, but the bottom was not directly accessible so I could not attach anything to pull back up with the drill bit.

Using a small security camera, a flash light and a fiberglass pull stick, I was able to see the hole in the wall and get the pull stick through it.

I've run into numerous items over the last week where a dedicated camera would come in handy I could stick in a 1" hole.

I'm torn though between cheaping out on the HF, which I'm sure is fine, or going with the Bosch 12v which would work with my existing batteries/tools.

 

[Matt M PA]

I've thought of several times I could use one of these for looking inside a door panel, in the ribs of a trunk to find a dropped bolt, etc.

Perhaps unfounded and unfair, but I have some issue with HF tools and perhaps that's why I asked here first. I have bought some very good things there...and some I wouldn't have thought of carrying home. At this on sale price point...it's probably all I need. I guess I'll have to get one and check it out. If it stinks..I can take it back.

 

[axl911]

Get the wireless one. The screen detaches. I actually mounted the camera inside the engine compartment of my car, and drove around while watching a flapper valve actuatues with the wireless screen. Bought it at HF for $99.

 

[Jagmandave]

I have a friend who boght the Costco one for $150, he brought it over and showed it to me and I was really impressed with all the features - the removeable screen, different light levels and so on. I think it will be a really useful tool and hope to borrow it frequently!

 

[section8joe]

Camera will be on sale in a few days. Check out the link.
http://www.harborfreight.com/3daysale?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=4711a&utm_source=1002

 

[jeepmedic]

I have the costco one and chose it because the cheaper HF has a 17mm camera head compared to the 8.5mm camera head on the costco one. The $200 HF one has a 9mm camera head. I have used it looking into a couple drains and plan on using it to look down throttle bodies and into crankcases during oil changes.

 

[93sr20det]

Can anyone post some sample pics taken with their cam?

 

[Carl B]

I bought the more expensive - High Resolution model:
http://www.harborfreight.com/high-resolution-digital-inspection-camera-with-recorder-67980.html

I bought it specifically to check inside gas tanks from older cars - to see if they were rusted, corroded of otherwise blocked up with gasoline that had turned to "jell". I needed to have good photographs as documentation.

The picture displayed on the LCD was fine for visual inspection - the problem was when you snapped a picture - the picture image captured was such low resolution it was useless for my application. As I recall the image capture was like 640x480 dpi. So you really could not blow it up for closer inspection with any clarity.

I returned it - no problem. I need something that would take much higher resolution photo's...

FWIW,
Carl B.