Customer Reviews for Milwaukee Laser Temperature Gun Infrared 12:1 Thermometer

Milwaukee's infrared temperature gun brings all the great qualities and features that you need from a temp gun, but uses M12 batteries which is perfect if you are operating on that battery platform. More and more I have completely moved away from using corded tools and also tools that require batteries separate from the ones I use for my power tools. The on board LCD display screen is super clear and easy to read. The gun can read surface temperatures ranging from -22 F to 1022 F. With a 12:1 distance to spot ratio, you can measure a 1 foot spot from 12 feet away. You can configure high/low temperature alerts, several different modes (hold, maximum, minimum, average), and the gun is nicely designed with a bumper nose and shielded LCD built to survive drops from 9 feet. I own a large property with several HVAC units that are constantly in use and having the ability to make sure the units are working properly starts with making sure the temperature is accurate. I own several M12 and M18 power tools and batteries so it only made sense to buy the M12 version of this temperature gun. There is no concern of leaving alkaline batteries in the tool where it can cause corrosion over time. The gun is super light and easy to use, but most importantly it gives accurate readings, which I also tested against other brand temp guns. This tool falls in line with the excellent quality tools that come from Milwaukee!!

This Milwaukee 12:1 infrared temp gun is well built, but is a little lacking on features for what it's currently priced at. They also sell an NIST version for a higher price, which may be more desirable for a professional that requires a certified instrument. The temp gun is pretty intuitive, and I found that I didn't even need to consult the manual to get full functionality out of it. The controls and menus are pretty simple, and the backlit display is easy to read, even at vertical angle offsets - although it washes out or oversaturates pretty quickly when you try to read it from an angle at the side. The laser marker can be turned on or off in the settings, and clearly marks the center of the temperature reading. It would have been nice if there were at least two or three laser points that fanned out at the same rate as the sensor effective area. As it is, I just have to remember that for every foot I am away from the target, the diameter of the sensing area increases by an inch. The temperature range is pretty good, from -22°F to 1022°F. I didn't test it to these extremes, but I did check it with my freezer and stovetop, and managed to give it a workout from 4°F to 669°F. It read a teakettle at 206°F right before it started whistling, so it seems to be pretty accurate too. Emissivity is fixed at 0.95, which poses a problem for accurate readings on shiny surfaces. This can be remedied by placing matte tape on the surface to be measured, but an adjustable emissivity instrument with an auxiliary thermocouple wouldn't need this additional step. Battery life seems to be pretty good, and replacing the 9V battery in the handle is very easy and only requires a flat head screwdriver. Should take 30 seconds max. I really don't see a reason to go with the M12 version of this, since it will just add bulk and weight to the handle. Unfortunately the price to feature ratio this temperature gun offers is pretty high. There seem to be a few other highly rated temperature guns out there for less than half the price of this one that offer more features. The build quality of this instrument is great, and Milwaukee has announced its ruggedness as being able to handle a 6 foot drop test. So I'm not sure if the high price is just for the build quality or maybe just the Milwaukee Red color scheme.

There were two problems, right off the bat: 1) the blister pack was exceedingly difficult to open, and 2) the battery was very difficult to install. I had to use a razor blade to cut through the plastic to open the package. Even then, it was difficult to remove. The battery cover has a "lock" which needs to be turned with a flat-head screwdriver or coin to open ; even then, I found it difficult to do. Then, I had difficulty removing the 9-volt battery (which came with the device) connector, and then attaching it to the battery, and then fitting it back into the device. However, once that was accomplished, I found the thermometer very easy to use: Pull the trigger, sight along the laser dot, and read the result (n.b., contrary to the manufacturer's images on Home Depot's product page you can only see a dot at which the device is aimed, not an extended "line"! Granted, it's just for reference, but, some folks might think they'll be able to see it!). I have no scientific equipment to gauge it with, but, it is close to my mercury thermometers' readings. I tested it for its accuracy from multiple distances (see photo), and the reading was virtually the same from 1, 2, and 3 feet away. I found the device useful for finding hot or cold spots along walls, and it even helped me find a gap in an outer wall of my home, which I was able to fill with insulation and then caulk over! Oddly, its readings for my refrigerator and freezer varied, depending on where it was aimed; I didn't expect it to be exactly the same throughout, but, I was surprised to find a range of 5 degrees between shelf levels, and between depths on the same shelf, though it confirmed that the refrigerator's built-in thermometer was accurate! I even used it to find a hole in my car's exhaust system, by noting that most of the pipe from the catalytic converter to the middle of the system was about the same temperature, but, it dropped, drastically, just before the muffler. It turned out to be a dime-sized hole about a foot away from the muffler, which I was able to wrap with sheet metal and clamps, thus saving me a trip to the muffler shop, and, probably, saving me a bundle of money, as well! I also used it to test the boiling point of a pot of water, which I expected to read 212 degrees F, but, it read 190; I'm not sure what to make of that! (i.e., is it the true temp of the water, or is the device off?) I have a much cheaper ($20), no-contact thermometer gun by a different manufacturer, but it doesn't have a laser, and it always reads 1-3 degrees less than the Milwaukee gun. Since exact temperatures aren't important to me, it seems to be a minor point. Also, the software "trigger lock" and "alarm" functions don't have any real use for me (to tell you the truth, I'm not even sure why a "trigger lock" is needed), so I didn't bother testing them. It would have been nice if the device had a loop to which I could have attached a tether to my wrist or tool belt, so I wouldn't have to hold it all the time. In conclusion, this is a very nice device, but, there are cheaper alternatives, and, unless you have a scientifically accurate thermal gauge, accuracy probably isn't important for most people.

This Temp Gun is "Good" but I'm not sure it's priced right. The temp readings are accurate and the gun is very comfortable to hold. It's relatively small so I can put it in my back pocket (handle down) to carry it around. It also fits neatly and more securely into most tool belts and since it has a reinforced plastic frame and nose bumper it's durable enough to toss around a bit. The 12:1 ratio is good for most applications (1 foot scan 12 feet away). It comes with and runs on a 9V battery which will not last as long as the lithium-ion models. It has typical features like Hi & Lo temp setting alarms and modes like +/- and Avg temp but it does not store multiple temps like some other guns. Also, it does not have an external temp probe or the option to use one. There are only two things that bother me about this gun. The trigger sticks and "boings" when it lets go and the display is uni-directional. It can only be viewed straight on. The Product Description says its "Premium LCD Display", I disagree. Note: the product description also states that it can survive 9 foot drops, but the packaging clearly states 6 foot drops.

This tool is easy to use - there is a door on the front of the handle that you have to open and hook up the 9V battery (provided). Turn it on aim & pull the trigger. You can see the red laser dot in the photo - it measures the surface temperature and the laser is easy to see. The digital readout is easy to read (large LCD numbers) and is consistent with the temperatures I expected to see. The tool is light (but not cheap feeling) and is a nice size for a handheld tool.

Great ergonomics on this little handgun seems to be accurate enough for HVAC. Also love that it takes and last very long with the batteries that it uses Milwaukee for another quality tool.

Picked wrong one, but this one w/ 9v Will Due. I like most is the bright display, not so much 9v battery, had it about 3-4 weeks and expectations have been met. Thank You.

I love this temperature gun. I had a smaller less expensive one but it gave out on me so I purchased a Milwaukee. It has stood up very well and this is my second one as I loaned the first to my daughter and told her to keep it. I use it for all kinds of things including making soap. I highly recommend it.

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Went to return it back to the store. I was looking for the one with the 12v battery. That one works very well.

Does exactly what I wanted it to do. I bought it to measure the temperature of my iv bags for dialysis.

Very accurate and easy-to-use

Tough products good quality I tried in my freezer I tried in high temperatures The accuracy of temp looks good i tried the temp my self 98.7

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Simple to use,accurate,easy to read

Received the laser temperature gun. Very quick shipping from the time I ordered it. Unpacked it and installed the supplied nine volt battery, pulled the trigger to try it out. The laser light shined at the stove pipe I wanted to check the temperature of and the temperature came up on the screen. Pointed it at the stove to check the difference between stove and pipe, this time no laser light to indicate where I was pointing. Tried removing the battery to see if that would work. NO Good. Will be returning it to the store.

works great easy and simply to use I would recommend to anyone

Rating provided by a verified purchaser

Great temp gun, love the hold feature. The trigger is easy to use. Batter life is great.

This Laser Temperature gun is very usefull, I like this produce because seve the last temperature that you took.

What pushed me over the edge to get this was to channel my inner Alton Brown. For several cooking adventures like frying a turkey, smoking, and/or various cast iron delicacies I was never able to get a solid read on temperature. (other than probe thermometers in some circumstance) The secondary use was to actually use this as intended - checking metal temps for tempering, HVAC work, and other various shop tasks. I can say it's excelled at both. Works every time, easy to read, and 100x more durable than the cheap-o stuff you might get offline or from places that rhyme with 'Shmarbor Smreight'. This thing brings out my inner nerd and I love it.

Tis a nice basic unit for entry level interest for around the home items like cold spots on exterior walls, bad light switch or breakers and just plain general temp readings. The fixed emissivity kind of locks you to basic temp readings on basic materials where a wide array of materials and finishes could swing readings to be inaccurate due to specific emissivity ratings. There is some research to invest some time in educating yourself about emissivity ratings to get a better understanding what IR thermometer is best for you. It is likely that if you already you need one with adjustable emissivity, you are in a field where you fully understand it and require it to be more accurate. I have a very expensive unit that is fully adjustable with liquid probes and such for specific uses where this one will be in the basic homeowner toolbox in the garage so my nice unit does not get damaged. Again, this is a good unit for the basic "around the house" checking for your own insurance of where you might need to add insulation and such and good for temp swings and not so much for half a degree accuracy based on fixed emissivity.

The Infrared Laser Temperature Gun is very lightweight and durable. This one does not come with the battery; only the Temperature Gun its self. The large LCD screen is very easy to read and very informative. This Temperature Gun is very is great for checking the temperature around windows to see if there are any drafts and the air coming from vents.