reliable voltage sniffer

[John Dirks Jr]

Which voltage sniffer do you find to be reliable? I had a Fluke that seemed to be ok but dropped it once and it no longer works. I then bought a Gardner Bender one and it's way too sensitive making it practically useless for what we do.

Stay safe and Thanks

[Dom D'Agostino]

I've had so many of these devices over the years, it's hard to keep track.
Some of the cheaper ones tend to be the simplest overall, like the Greenlee or Harbor Freight types.

Some are so insensitive that I have to practically jam it into the wires before it goes off, which isn't too convenient.

Some are so sensitive they go off 10 inches away from anything that looks like a wire.

Currently I'm using an Ideal brand model, has a switch to silence the audible alarm part of the device.

I imagine someday soon it will break or just stop working, and I'll get another from whatever store is closest that day.

[Jim Robinson]

I've been very happy with the Fluke Volt Alert 1AC-A II. Pretty low cost and works great for what I am doing. The battery seems to last a long time, also.