Thermal Imaging Camera have come a long way from the $20,000+ units the military used in the 1980’s to this new 7,854 Pixel (102×77) camera 2258-21 for under $500. Thermal imaging cameras can really change the way we do so many job in plumbing, electrical, HVAC, remodeling, engine repair, roofing and so many more. Up until now the cost of a camera has just been so far out of reach (even $2-5K just a few years ago) that is was very hard to justify. Drop that down to a price you don’t need to take a loan out for and it’ll easily pay for itself in time and problem savings within the first few months.
Looking at the top competition in the same price range and you’ll see the Fluke VT02 ($499), the Flir TG165 ($400) and the Dewalt DCT416S1 ($749). The Fluke & Dewalt only have a 15×15 (225 pixel) display, 6:1 ratio, so not going to provide very detailed information. The Flir TG165 is certainly better with 80×60 display (4800 pixels) and a 24:1 ratio. All 3 of those units have a 2.2” screen. The new Milwaukee M12 Thermal Camera goes to a slightly larger 2.4” display but similar compact design. As we mentioned before the resolution of 102×77 (7,854 Pixel) with 83:1 ratio would make it the highest in the sub-$800 price range. It also sports one of the largest temp ranges in the group going from 14 – 626 F degrees. Certainly if you are in the market for a $1000+ model there are many more features and options available but for the price this compact unit is hard to beat.
The magic with this unit is that it really opens up so many more users and starts to really make financial sense for a lot of service professionals. As we continue to see the technology improve we would not be surprised to see this price come down even further. Of course being on the Milwaukee M12 Cordless platform means it’s very easy to find batteries and add this onto existing tool systems. It’ll run for up to 10 hours per charge so it should not be much of a problem to always have a fresh battery on hand.
