When choosing testing equipment, it is important to consider whether a downloadable, manual, battery operated or a simple pass/fail 
tester will meet all your testing requirements.
To make this decision, it is important to understand what each of these types of tester can do and what makes them different, especially when faced with the vast amount of choice available from different manufacturers.
Pass/Fail Testers
These testers are only capable of showing a pass/fail result, so if you are testing a few appliances of the same type these testers may meet your needs. With pre-set pass marks that cannot be changed, sometimes they can indicate a fail result when the appliance should pass, i.e. when testing any type of long cable or extension lead.
Manual Testers
Manual testers require the technician to complete a record book of up to five results per appliance. This can become a tedious process, making manual testers most suited to technicians performing small contracts, testing infrequently and testing as a part time occupation.
Downloadable Testers
These testers allow results to be downloaded automatically and are most suited to people that need to do lots of testing, have large contracts and need to perform testing and the recording of results quickly and accurately.
Battery Powered Testers
There are now a range of testers that can be powered up with no start up or socket finding waiting time. They take standard batteries that allow for approximately 1000 tests before the batteries need changing. These testers are ideal for awkward testing environments and are suited to technicians who test often. Battery powered testers available include;
• The First Stop Safety BattPAT
• The Martindale HandyPAT
• The Kewtech KT72
• The Metrel GammaPAT
• The Seaward Primetest range
When choosing your testing machine it is vital that you consider all aspects of the testing you will be performing including the type and nature of your client’s business. It is important to ensure that the equipment you buy is up to the task you will be performing now and in the future.
