Best place to buy a thermometer

[epj]

After casting without a thermometer for several decades, I have decided I really should have one. Where is the best place to get a thermometer at a reasonable price?Anyone use anything different than a dial thermometer? Looked at Lyman and RCBS brands, but of course they don't make thermometers. It should be much cheaper to buy direct from a thermometer manufacturer, but which one and where? I have a non contact digital thermometer, but it only goes to about 700*, and I can't get repeatable readings, even when using a piece of steel on top to keep from reading a shiney surface.

[JIMinPHX]

I've seen the Lymans on the shelf at Cabella's. That's what I have & it works fine. The Antimony Man sells "laboratory grade" thermometers, but they're a bit pricey. Somebody here on the board posted a while back about having found some guy on flea bay selling them at a good price, but I don't have the details on that one handy.

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

Mine is also a lyman I picked up at cabelas. Works great. No complaints.

[Bob Krack]

One of our sponsors, Rotometals sells the same thermometer as RCBS (I think) sells.

Price not too bad either.

Bob

[cajun shooter]

There is a co. by the name of Tel-Tru that I dealt with a few years back. They will make you a custom SS for around $40 shipped. Any length you need. They go from 200-1000

[sheepdog]

A regular turkey fryer thermo works fine for alot less.

[Rockchucker]

Midway has them for 31.49.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewProduct/?productNumber=595204

[epj]

I hunted the bowels of flea bay this morning and found this:

http://stores.shop.ebay.com/NOSHOK-Direct__W0QQ_armrsZ1

Look through the thermometers in the lower left hand side panel. Lots of choices if you can live with a 750* gauge, but I have found that the bi-metal thermometers are slightly less accurate at the extremes of their range. Ideally, a 0-1500* thermometer would be the best choice, but the 200-1000 will work just fine. There are many of the 0 or 150-750 thermometers available in a variety of stem lenghts for less than $15.

I chose this one, and will be making a handle for it out of some small aluminum flat bar so it can be moved from pot to pot more easily.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370200906683&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

BTW, the Rotometals price on the RCBS thermometer is pretty good at $35. Midway sells them for $50. I checked out the Lyman unit, which is about $20 cheaper, and many folks reported problems with them. I'm sure many of them work just fine, but how do you know if you're getting one of the good ones?

[captaint]

+1 on the Rotometals thermo. Got one, works great. mike

[Bob Krack]

A regular turkey fryer thermo works fine for alot less.

I'd be interested in seeing a "turkey fryer" thermo that goes up to 700F or so. Gotta name or link?

Bob

[Marlinreloader]

I bought mine from e-bay. Heavy duty for $16. They are advertised for cooking smokers.

go to fleabay and look up rivercountry101. They have them. 200-1000 degree

Works great

Marlinreloader

[epj]

Apparently they have nothing listed at the moment.

[JIMinPHX]

I'd be interested in seeing a "turkey fryer" thermo that goes up to 700F or so. Gotta name or link?

Bob

700 is a bit lite for lead. I think that you want at least 850 on the scale.

[Marlinreloader]

Apparently they have nothing listed at the moment.

I just went there 2 Min ago to check. $15.25 and free shipping.

Go to items they sell, page 4 or 5 there they are.

Marlinreloader

[Marlin Hunter]

A laser thermometer costs less than the dial type. The only problem is they are not continuous.

you might be able to find a digital multimeter with thermometer attachment for less than a dial type.

here is one for about $20 (with the immersion probe). Its in Celsius not Fahrenheit. [(*C) x (1.8) + 32] = (*F) http://www.elexp.com/tst_902c.htm

the company has a $25 minimum order, and the shipping is high.

here is a temp capable DMM w/probe http://www.elexp.com/tst_8200.htm

extra probes http://www.elexp.com/tst_tp01.htm

this DMM also has a probe included http://www.elexp.com/tst_6231.htm (good for cars/trucks)

[Marlin Hunter]

I bought mine from e-bay. Heavy duty for $16. They are advertised for cooking smokers.

go to fleabay and look up rivercountry101. They have them. 200-1000 degree

Works great

Marlinreloader


I just looked and the stem length is only 2 inches long.

http://cgi.ebay.com/2-BARBECUE-GRILL-SMOKER-THERMOMETER-BBQ-GAUGE-200-1000_W0QQitemZ360168875861QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_De faultDomain_0?hash=item53dbbce755&_trksid=p3911.c0.m14

[Marlinreloader]

Not sure what is wrong with that. I used to use a laser therm and never got a true reading time after time. The closest I got was by putting another pieace of metal in there to take the reading off of. Iv'e been using mine for more than a year and reads the same as my RCBS one.

The laser doesn't go into the lead at all and is supposed to work, so two inches with a stem therm works great. I got the information to buy mine from castboolits for this thermometer and get good results, so others must use it also.

This is just a suggestion. People don't have to buy it.

Marlinreloader

[Marlin Hunter]

..... I used to use a laser therm and never got a true reading time after time. The closest I got was by putting another pieace of metal in there to take the reading off of......
Marlinreloader


The laser must be reading the oxides on the top which do not get as hot as the lead or they insulate the lead. I have not used a laser. it was a suggestion


.

[JIMinPHX]

The infra red non-contact thermometers (with the red laser dots) are calibrated to read flat black surfaces. I have never gotten anything close to an accurate reading when I pointed on at liquid lead. Shiny metals are about as far from a flat black surface as you can get.

[lead-1]

I had a local dealer order my Lyman and so far I have been OK with it but I'm new to this game. I haven't had any reason to doubt it's readings so far.

[Bob Krack]

700 is a bit lite for lead. I think that you want at least 850 on the scale.
Absolutely correct, Jim.

My point was that I had never seen a "fat fryer" thermometer that would register over about 400 to 500 degrees.

Were I buying one today, I would insist on something near 900 or 1000 degrees farenheit.

Bob