Over at HD, there’s a Milwaukee M-Spector inspection camera on sale for just $70. I thought that its $100 pricing was good, but $70 is almost irresistible.
Before you run off to buy one, there’s something to keep in mind. You get what you pay for, and so you don’t get a lot with inexpensive inspection cameras. Read some of the user reviews on Home Depot’s site to see what I mean.
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This Milwaukee M-Spector inspection camera, 2309-20, seems to have just come out, so there aren’t many experienced reviews out there.
The complaints on HD’s product page don’t seem to be any different from for other sub-$100 inspection cameras.
The M-Spector is on sale as part of HD’s Pro Black Friday sales event, and there’s no indication when the deal pricing will end.
It features a 2.7″ LCD display, 320 x 240 pixel resolution, 3ft flexible cable with 9mm diameter head, 4 LEDs for shadow-free illumination, and pipe guide attachment for easier routing through pipes. Compatible Milwaukee hook, magnet, and mirror attachments are sold separately.
A case is included, which isn’t the norm for budget inspection cameras.
Battery Size: 9V
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Buy Now(via HD)
Compare(via Acme)
A reader recently asked for borescope recommendations, and I’ve been trying to put some ideas together. Here are some competitive models from that post-in-progress.
Ridgid CA-25 Micro
I’ve written about this Ridgid sub-$100 inspection camera before, and it seems to be well regarded among entry-level inspection cameras.
Its camera module is wider, at 17mm, meaning you’ll need a larger access hole, but that won’t be a problem in most situations.
It’s currently $87.
Buy Now(via Amazon)
Extech BR80
The Extech BR80, also offered by Craftsman, looks to be a strong competitor, currently priced at $84.
Extech sent me a BR70 instead of the BR80 as my freebie tool after buying a Flir E4 thermal imaging camera, and it showed me that inexpensive inspection cameras can be quite usable.
But it also showed me that inspection cameras under $100 are best for casual users who might only need them once in a while. For regular use, you’ll want to spring for something better.
So why buy any of these budget inspection cameras? An inexpensive borescope is better than no borescope.
fred
I guess if you really want to go cheap – you could buy one of those that attach to your smartphone and can be had for about 20 bucks or less . Or at the other end of the spectrum we had a Ridgid SeeSnake with a monitor, DVR, position sensor and reel of cable for sewer inspection. Some of these (like the CS10) are even better than what we had – but can cost over $10,000
Patrick
This looks a lot like the HF one. The picture quality on the HF one is not great, but it has saved my ass on several occasions while routing wires.
Dennis
When I first saw it I thought it was powered by an M12 battery. That would have made it a more interesting product.
MB
I too, thought is was an M12 version for cheap…but for the number times I hope I don’t need it 9v is ok. Bought one at Home Depot, on sale, ( not in all stores).
It will work just fine for my occasional needs. My last one I only use a few times on job site…stayed my butt. I like case to protect it from my guys…and me. I open the back of my Yukon and it glows Red ! Love my new Milwaukee backpack ?
nate
Thank you for jumping on that request so quick! Looking forward to your suggestions for higher priced scopes.
Bill
Stuart, do you have any plans for an updated review of borescopes/endoscopes? While the quality of scopes under $100 has improved greatly since you wrote this, it would also be nice to see what’s available at a second tier level, say $100 – $500.
Stuart
Not currently, but I can try to look into it.
I tend to avoid the many cheap no-name models on Amazon, with most looking to be made by the same company.
There really haven’t been many advancements with respect to name-brand borescopes in recent years, at least not in that price range. There are newer entry-priced models every now and then, and also higher-end, such as the $1299 Extech HDV540. I could try to keep in mind a roundup of say Milwaukee, Ridgid, and Extech models, with these being the brands I tend to gravitate to for this type of product.