Fluke TL-910 test leads poor quality - Page 1
Forum section: electronics / testgear

author: Ericho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2013, 06:31:06 pm
content: Hi,I own and used a set of fluke TL-910 test leads for a few years now.As I have not changed the batteries of my DMM I use them on for more then 4 times I'm sure the have no more then 500 to 800 hours of use on them (Fluke 289 DMM)Now the tips are simply faling out easely and they are intermittend showing 30 to 100 ohms on them in other words they are worn out, the tips are no longer held good enough in the probe (to loosly)All my DMM testprobes are fluke and some of them have at least a 100 times more use on them. trouble free.I'm a bit dissapointed in these (seks on a stick) probes, it feels like a poor one night stand.Anyone else had some problems with these TL-910 probes ? If I remember correctly they came in a TL-289 electronic test lead set.A good tip on alternative set (super sharp, fine, pref. with spring loaded tips) would be welcome.brgds,Eric

author: Isamun
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2013, 08:18:38 pm
content: Im sure you know that the tips on these probes are replaceable. What tips are you having problems with? The gold-plated pogo tips? Try removing the tips and measure the resistance when you just press probes together to check if the tips are the issue.I had a similar issue with mine, that the tips sat to loosely in the probe. I deformed the sockets slightly with a pair of pliers to get a tighter fit.Post some pics!

author: Ericho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: October 31, 2013, 10:22:56 pm
content: Thanks for the tip Isamun, I see I'm not the only one with that problem.I'll give them slight pinch with pliers or a crimping tool tommorow and test them again.I tested them without tips before, the probes and leads are fine.

author: Ericho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 08:20:29 am
content: Well, after working the pliers on the tipholders I got them back to 3 ohms.Bending the aft end of the black probe a few times realy hard seems to have fixed it and they are now reading 0.16ohm.I can't seem to reproduce the problem anymore, so they are fine again.I trown them in the "worn and unreliable stuff" bin. I don't trust these TL 910 leads anymoreWould recomend owners to use them when nessesary and use classic fluke probes for daily use.

author: Isamun
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 02, 2013, 07:21:10 pm
content: Quote from: Ericho on November 02, 2013, 08:20:29 amI would agree that, with this issue, the probes seem somewhat fragile and not quite what you'd expect from Fluke. On the other hand, they are very practical when you need to probe small points! Bests of luck with yours and please keep me/us posted if you find a better quality alternative!

author: Reboot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 04:47:51 am
content: In case anyone wanted these "electronics porn" probes (Dave's words, not mine), but was shocked at the over $60US price tag, They are exactly the same as Pomona 6341 probes.Digikey has the Pomona probes for $40US, which I presume is the list price.

author: mos6502
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 05:46:49 am
content: Quote from: Reboot on November 11, 2013, 04:47:51 amSo, are those any good? Or are there better ones out there? Do they have silicone leads?Spring loaded tipswouldbe nice. I'm assuming it would save you the annoying poking and twisting until you get a decent reading.

author: tsmith35
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 05:58:30 am
content: Quote from: Reboot on November 11, 2013, 04:47:51 amOne of the Fluke sites says, "Fluke's line of products consists of Industrial Products, Precision Measurement Products and ITI products. Other Fluke companies include Hart Scientific, Pomona Electronics and Reliable Power Meters (RPM)."Mouser says, "Pomona Electronics is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Fluke Corporation."I guess that explains a lot of the similarities I've seen between certain parts from the two brands.

author: PedroDaGr8
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 06:07:27 am
content: Quote from: tsmith35 on November 11, 2013, 05:58:30 amFluke, Amprobe, Tektronix, Keithley, Pomona plus a variety of other corps in a wide range of fields are all subsidiaries of Danaher Corp.

author: zaoka
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 02:23:26 pm
content: You have to push tips in, you will feel when it sits in.I prefer Probe master, they are better quality and last longer:http://www.probemaster.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_16&products_id=207

author: rolycat
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 02:41:39 pm
content: Fluke's TP88 backprobes plug into their standard probes and are a relatively inexpensive way to access fine pitch SMD devices if you don't need pogo tips.

author: Ericho
author_rank: Regular Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 02:48:07 pm
content: QuoteThis looks like something I could give a go, Thanks

author: Reboot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 02:55:49 pm
content: mos6502:I bought a set and love them. They have pogo pin receptacles like this molded into the probes.http://www.idinet.com/Test-Probes/General-Purpose-Probes/List-Probes/ICT-L100.aspx/The set comes with different headed pogo pins, as well as some stainless steel fixed probes. The pogo pin receptacles are not made to have the pins continuously changed, the little retention bumps they put in the receptacles will wear out. As long as you don't change the probe tips all the time, they will last a long time.zaoka:Those probes from Probemaster have the same receptacles as the Fluke probes, so there would be the same issue with the number of times you can change the probes. I have used these from probe master for a long time, and they work pretty good.http://www.probemaster.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_13_29&products_id=157The only issue with them is that the tips are so slender that the points end up rolling over a little and have to be re bent straight or sanded down a little to make a new point. this of course ruins the gold plating. In that respect, the Fluke/Pomona probes are much more robust.

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 05:21:11 pm
content: I've not had any issues with the Probemaster Pogo leads.

author: zaoka
author_rank: Frequent Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 10:19:25 pm
content: Reboot, TL910 will go bad in more ways. one of the ways is that gray silicon cable goes bad between cable and probe. ProbeMaster does not have that problem.You may be right about needles.Did you see these?? :http://www.soselectronic.com/?str=371&artnum=39463&name=hirschmann-sks-pruf2600bk

author: M. András
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 11, 2013, 10:45:33 pm
content: Quote from: zaoka on November 11, 2013, 10:19:25 pmthey have a pogopin version from this. thats a goddam sharp point on it but the whole probe is bulky when attached via a banan plug unless you hack something like those small bullet connectors used in the rc world

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2013, 12:17:17 am
content: Ooops.I was talking aboutthese.

author: Reboot
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2013, 01:08:54 am
content: Those Hirschmanns look good too. And you are right about the wimpy cables on the Fluke's/Pomona's, kind of seems like a likely failure mode.I do like how the Fluke's are short from where you grab them to the tips. It is easier, for me at least, to probe QFP leads on fine pitches.The Probemaster leads I liked the best were discontinued a few years ago. They had very sharp stainless steel points with threads at the back for a screw on alligator clip. I have tried their newer replacement ones and the points are still sharp but do not hold up as well (softer metal).

author: nanofrog
author_rank: Super Contributor
timestamp: November 12, 2013, 01:43:09 am
content: Quote from: Reboot on November 12, 2013, 01:08:54 amFWIW, I've not had issues with their current products.Still states stainless steel on their website for 8000 & 9000 series; not sure on all of the pogo points for the spring loaded probes.

author: neikalo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 08:06:01 am
content: Where can I get more tips for these cheaply? They seem like normal pogo pins, but 1mm diameter pogo pins are typically only 16mm long. These are double that. I can get 50 pogo pins for $6, but 16mm is just too short.

author: gaijin
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 08:31:42 am
content: I've had 2 sets of TL-910s unusable out of the package bad connection between the cable and probe.

author: neikalo
author_rank: Contributor
timestamp: August 13, 2014, 08:47:23 am
content: Thanks bad considering these things are over $50Quote from: gaijin on August 13, 2014, 08:31:42 am