Any advice on a decient bore scope? Specific specs or issues to watch out for? Whats the best bang for the buck?

I want one cause I dont have one and they are really cool :flipoff2: I also want to be able to check out the cylinder walls through the spark plug hole on motors and other hard to see areas. This is a tool for a home garage but also would be used by a few select friends who also have home garages.

Thanks,

AARON

http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/cid=0/k=bore+scope/t=P/ksubmit=y/Products/All/search=bore_scope

If that is what you are thinking of, that looks pretty damn expensive.


Harbor freight has these ones....still expensive

http://search.harborfreight.com/cpisearch/web/search.do?keyword=bore+scope&Submit=Go


-G-

The Ridgid and Milwaukee video scopes have too big of tips to go through a sparkplug hole so I would go with something like this with a 10mm tip (~$250):
http://www.denlorstools.com/shop/images/VO_Scope_Inspection_Stick_LG.jpg

http://www.denlorstools.com/home/dt1/page_13223/visual_optics_vs36_10ww_vo_scope_inspection_stik_f .html

On the expensive end of the spectrum you can get a GE VideoScope with a probe that has 180+ degrees of articulation so you can see the valves (~$45k):

My supervisor brought out a Ridgid tools sea-snake micro explorer camera borescope to me, I was trying to install a valve I couldnt see in the engine pylon of a 757.

Was out in the sun and couldnt make out anything on the screen. So it was no help. Probably none of them are any good outside.

I was looking at a testo scope at one of our suppliers a few weeks ago, picture was good enough to count threads on my shirt, not sure if the tip was small enough to fit in a spark plug hole however.

http://www.trutechtools.com/cart/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=9&zenid=150b7734d29c5d750d13bc8a1ff07b5d

I have the Matco unit, the main demand I had was that it HAD to fit down a spark plug hole. It does.

It takes forever to get good at using the damned thing though. There are many times I'll go back to the mirror-on-a-stick.

http://forums.slickdeals.net/showthread.php?sduid=162775&t=1355571&highlight=ridgid

i got this one it is $250 at Home Depot. I got it when it was $80. Didn't need it but thought it would be handy for the price and I think you can buy an 3' extension for it also. Hope this helps.

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2300-20-M-Spector-Digital-Inspection/dp/B001AOVBHG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1250564366&sr=8-5

I looked at one on the Snap-on truck 5-6 months ago and it was very nice. I believe the price was $350...which I didn't think was to bad.

I don't see it listed on there online catalog, only a different one.

Thanks PBB! I figured some of you knew about this and could point me in a good direction so I dont go buying something blind.... hahaha insert joke here :laughing:

AARON

We got a new bore scope a month or so ago, a $400 snapon unit with a decent sized screen. Got a chance to use it yesterday, working on a 994F loader, trying NOT to pull a valve that had a stuck spool. The bore scope and a flexible magnet got all the metal out, and got me out of a really shitty job, and probably saved a $16k valve, and a ton of downtime. I was pretty impressed, screen was a decent sized, with a really good picture, took AA batteries so it would be cheap to run. I can get the model # if anyone is interested.

Snap-On:
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=all&item_ID=81957&group_ID=21604&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

^^^This is the one I used. Says its made in china, with some searching, could probably find one that didn't get branded "snap-on" and save $150

The VideoStik is prob the best bang for your buck.. ive been eye balling one for over a yr now. but now that im preatty sure im done being a mechanic i'm not in a hurry

the one from snapon is the best

The VideoStik is prob the best bang for your buck..

That's the one that I have, works great.

the one from snapon is the best

Because it has a Snap-on logo stuck to it?

i got this one it is $250 at Home Depot. I got it when it was $80. Didn't need it but thought it would be handy for the price and I think you can buy an 3' extension for it also. Hope this helps.

http://www.amazon.com/Milwaukee-2300-20-M-Spector-Digital-Inspection/dp/B001AOVBHG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1250564366&sr=8-5

Will this one fit through automotive sized spark plug holes?

Will this one fit through automotive sized spark plug holes?

17mm camera head so it would need to be a BIG sparkplug...