New Klein IR2000A IR Thermometer

Klein has come out with the IR2000A Ir thermometer, which is an updated version based off of their IR2000 model. Carried-over features include a -76° to 1022°F temperature measurement range, dual laser target area projection, a K-type thermocouple input, and minimum/maximum/differential/average measurement display modes.

It looks like the only main improvements is the new 2-meter drop impact resistant rating.

Features and Specs

• Dual lasers show size of measurement area
• 12:1 distance-to-spot ratio
• -76° to 1022°F (-60° to 550°C) temperature range
• Accuracy: ± 1.8°F to ±4°F or 2% depending on measurement conditions
• K-type thermocouple range of -83.2° to 2552°F (-64° to 1400°C)
• Adjustable emissivity 0.10 to 1.00
• Backlit LCD display
• Auto-scan (trigger lock) mode
• Max / Min /Average / Differential modes
• °F and °C units can be switched with a dedicated button
• High/low alarm
• Auto power off after 60 seconds of non-use
• Worklight
• CE and RoHS certified.
• 6.6 feet (2 m) drop protection
• Powered by 2 AAA batteries
• Battery life: 180 hours typical, 140 hours minimum with continuous use without laser and backlight

Klein bundles the IR2000A IR thermometer with a case, K-type thermocouple, and batteries.

The IR2000 model is priced at $112 via Amazon, and we anticipate that the new model will be priced in the same ballpark.

Buy Now(Coming Soon via Amazon)
Compare(IR2000 via Amazon)
More Info(via Klein Brochure)

First Thoughts

Adjustable emissivity comes in handy, although it’s not always needed and a lot of users are better of leaving this setting be. Basically, this feature allows you to better tune the IR thermometer’s sensor reading to the material it’s being aimed at. Without adjusting the emissivity, two very different materials, such as a stripped and polished panel and a flat black painted panel, might be at the same temperature but would give off different readings.

If you’re interested in relative readings, such as whether one area of a uniform wall is hotter or colder than another, you don’t really need to change the emissivity values. But when the measurement values matter, that’s when adjustable emissivity comes into play.

I haven’t used Klein’s IR thermometers before, but I like that they can be used to reader K-type thermocouple values. This saves the trouble of having to pull out a thermocouple-compatible multimeter or dedicated thermometer.

The dual laser aiming is also a nice feature. The way this works, you have two laser points that depict the outer limits of the measurement circle. The IR thermometer has a 12:1 ratio, meaning at a distance of 12 inches, the measurement spot size is 1 inch. At 24 inches it is 2 inches. And so forth. So at a distance of four feet, the two laser points will be four inches apart to show the area the measurement is taken from.

It’s not really clear what the difference is between the existing IR2000 model, and the new IR2000A, aside from the 2-meter drop rating Klein lists as an IR2000A feature.

On paper, this looks like a decent high-end IR thermometer with reasonably good features and specs. The IR2000 has been around for a while, but isn’t well reviewed, at least compared to seemingly more popular Extech and Fluke models.