Lost a $200 multimeter probe after 3 years because I didn't check the insulation

I was testing a power supply in an old stereo amp last Wednesday and the probe tip snapped off inside a connector. The insulation had dry rotted from all the flux fumes over the years. I had been using that same Fluke probe set since 2021 without looking at it once. Anyone else had a simple tool fail on them out of nowhere like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

caleb_bell510d ago

Yeah, "dry rotted" is real, I tape over probe insulation cracks now.

gray31410d ago

Fluke probes are good but that silicone insulation does get brittle. I had a set of TL75s crack after 2 years in a hot garage. The flux and heat combo just eats it alive. I switched to the Pomona silicone leads and they've held up way better so far. But honestly no probe lasts forever in a shop environment, you gotta inspect them every few months.

grantc8010d ago

You ever just assume a tool will hold up because it's a name brand? I was guilty of that myself. Always figured Fluke stuff would just last forever without any real checking. But reading about your probe snapping made me stop and think. I had a set of leads I used for years and just never looked at the insulation until one day I touched a live wire and got a little zap through a crack I didn't see. That was the wake up call for me. Now I do a quick bend test on my probes every month or so, just to be safe. You really can't trust anything to stay perfect, no matter who made it.