Is it worth buying an infra red thermometer?

I've just started a Prusa build. Initally no heated bed but optionally will add one later.

My local electronics store has a "half price sale" with an IR thermometer reduced from
£40 to £20. By comparison a similar looking one is on amazon at £27.
The sales bit says digital with laser targetting, reads up to 365 degrees C.

I'm getting tool buying temptation....

Is it worth buying one of these? Are they useful in Prusa setting up etc?


Thanks in advance.

Mike

Not really that useful but it's a cool gadget. It's not going to measure the nozzle temperature since the area that it measures is much too big for that. It can measure the bed temperature but I understand that it can have errors if the surface is reflective so I don't know how much to trust it. I've used it to also measure the temperature of the motors. and it should do a good job of measuring the temperature of the part being printed if it's large enough. But best of all, you can measure your room's wall, ceiling and floor temperature and even the surface temperature of the people around you.

Bonus points if you tell your partner how hot she is?

Oh god I'm a helpless geek...

se5a Wrote:
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> Bonus points if you tell your partner how hot she
> is?


Of course!

Thanks guys.

It works well measuring a Kapton covered bed. I use one all the time but it doesn't measure aluminium properly unless you put tape or something else on the surface to measure.

If your using a Kapton bed than its great to check the temp or see if its the same all over.

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I use one for double checking a glass heat bed. Lots of fun to play with, too.

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