Southwire Tools 40116N NCV Detector 100-600V AC

Great unit. 5 stars. Very sensitive.It can give some short false postives but I am totally fine with that. I would rather have little short beeps than a false negative. (A false negative means there is no beep when there is voltage) If given the choice between really sensitive and not sensitive enough, I want really sensitive every time. The false postives are short little chirps and the real positives are a long string of beeps and lights flashing red. If you tap the tip on certain things you can force a very short false positive. (just like my beloved old unit)With this Southwire tester I can touch it to light switches and get an alarm. (with the cover on) Of course be careful and always test the wire before you work but I like the ability to sense from a distance too. Also test the unit to make sure it is working each time you use it.Before I bought this, I bought another brand, which I perceived as a top brand, and I paid more money but it was nowhere near sensitive enough.This Southwire unit is perfect. The price is amazing. I have a large DC adapter with a flat 3 wire AC wire feeding it. It does not beep on one side but does in the middle or the other side. I can't even say it is overly sensitive. It is just about perfect. If I had a potentiometer to set the sensitivity, I would lock it in place right where it is at.I lost my old unit that I had for many years. After buying another product that didn't work for me, I found some YouTube videos with reviews and decided this was a good choice.The light is just ok. It is powered by 2xAA batteries and has an LED. It is bright enough that you don't want it in your eyes. (you will see spots, don't ask me how I know this) The light is adequate for looking at wires in a box. That is just a bonus for me though. I have lots of bright flashlights.To power on the light, hold the red button on the end. To power on the unit for detecting voltage, hold the red button near the tip for a second or so. The tip will glow green while it is on. It flashes red and beeps when voltage is detected. (fairly loud) It can be turned off by single pressing the power button or you can let it time out. (a few minutes) It makes a different beeping sound when it turns off either way.So far I only wish that I had bought two of these. (keep one in a known safe place and use the other one) I believe I like it better than the one I lost.

I've owned a few of these inexpensive non contact voltage testers and this is by far the best and most reliable one I've tested and used. I haven't used or tested the Klein or Fluke models, but I honestly don't have any interest in even trying them now that I found one that I like that works well and is inexpensive.

I'm a master electrician and independent contractor. I REALLY like this tick tester. I've tried them from all the major brands, and I like this one the best.

I like it a lot better than the one I had already. It's simple and clear. Just an on/off switch; the tip lights green when it's on/red when it senses voltage. None of the 47 bells and whistles I don't need or want.It could be better in 2 ways, for my money. I wish it was bright orange or yellow; brown and black is practically camouflaged. And the flashlight should have an on/off switch instead of a momentary switch.

As a new construction/industrial electrician, I have a Klein Tools non-contact voltage tester that detects low and high voltage and use it for most of my work. I bought the South Wire non-contact voltage tester which only detects high voltage (anything 120 volts and up to 600 volts) for a back up. But it's simplicity makes it my "go to" voltage detector most of the time. And for the price, you can't beat it honestly. It is pretty well made too and easier to change the batteries as well. Very good product over all. Safe and simple to use.

I've had a couple of these and they both felt mediocre and I was never comfortable with the readings. This one feels like a real tool, like it's not going to break in a week and it has a very positive response, both sound and light. I went with their cheaper model but it doesn't feel cheap.

Simple to use, good to have!

I received exactly what's in the picture and it works exactly as it should to detect live circuits. Detects high voltage and low voltage! The light is great I just wish you didn't have to hold the button down for it to stay on.