Handheld tachometer question

[pstemari]

Contact ones are nice because they can measure surface feet/min. Very handy for lathe work.

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[HarryJM]

Contact ones are nice because they can measure surface feet/min. Very handy for lathe work.

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Lathe and mill work is my reason for wanting one.

 

[atunguyd]

I bought a cheapie digital one from Amazon a few years ago. Uses reflective tape that you stick to the rotating part to measure. It was cheap and it works. The worst I could say about it is that the reflective tape wasn't that sticky. Probably available under various names. I think it was $12 or so. I didn't go with quality because I just needed a general RPM answer but I've used it quite a few times since. Looks like there are other $20 ones that have a better gun shape which I think I would like better for aiming and reading the display. It was this one:

View attachment 328753

I bought one like this on ebay from China.
Biggest POS ever. With my mill running at a steady 200 RPM this thing reports anything from 100 to 3000rpm and is all over the place

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[HarryJM]

And the modern technology associated with.

I, like that tool hoarder above, have an abundance of Starrett mechanical tachs. Zero to 3k, either direction. I will gift you one, for the cost of shipping.
Probably STILL more expensive than the app for the phone you already own.

You decide

Please let me know your preferred method of payment.

 

[HarryJM]

I noticed that PCE has one (Handheld Tachometer PCE-DT 65) for $108.00 for both contact and non-contact measurements.

 

[Winegrower]

I also got the cheapest unit could find, in the $12 region as I recall. The accuracy will be determined by clocks and timing circuits way more accurate than we need for machining, so it works well. There is some operator skill, or at least awareness required...so if you can’t use your tv remote, you may have trouble. But there is just one button to press.
I used it once to calibrate and mark all my equipment, now it lives in a drawer pretty much full time.

 

[BGHansen]

I use an old Jaquet tach. Have one of those Starrett speed indicators too. Don't know exactly how the Jaquet works, but behaves like it's a stopwatch on a set time. Zero the indicator, make contact for surface feet with the rubber wheel or a cup/cone for RPM, then click the stop watch. Needle starts advancing and stops at the set time, then read the dial.

Bruce

 

[Buffalo21]

I have one of the Stewart-Warner contact tachometer, that goes to 3000 rpm, I haven’t used it in years. I may try it today .........

 

[jmarkwolf]

Harbor Freight.

Digital Photo Sensor Tachometer

Amazing deals on this Digital Photo Sensor Tachometer at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Had mine for years, works great.

 

[Buffalo21]

I never buy anything from Harbor Freight, that has a power cord or a battery...............