When it comes to buying new test equipment, you’ll go through several processes. These can include choosing from your favoured brand, buying on specification or maybe price will be an influencing factor.
One area that can often be overlooked is the warranty. While some products are advertised with a lengthy warranty period, some manufacturers have additional terms applied in order to gain the fully warranty.
Generally, consumables such as test leads are not covered by warranties.
No One Reads the Terms & Conditions!
How many times have you skipped past the terms & conditions for software? Have you ever read the documentation that came with your tester to see how long the warranty period runs for?
We looked at the top brands in the UK market to see how their warranty periods work. Some require registration of the meter, others may require annual recalibration at an approved calibration house.
Who offers what?
The standard warranty from any manufacturer is 1 year from the date of purchase. Some manufacturers have a blanket warranty period that covers any equipment they manufacture, others can vary depending on the product.
Fluke
With Fluke there are no registration requirements in order to benefit from the full warranty period.
Fluke standard warranties vary from 1 year to limited lifetime, which apply to some of the handheld multimeters. Key products such as 17th Edition multifunction testers and power analysers are supplied with a 3 year warranty, whereas PATs and thermal imaging cameras carry a two year warranty.
Megger
Megger, much like Fluke, offer varying warranty periods from 1 year to three years. It is important to check any documentation supplied with your tester, as some require registration. For instance, the Megger MFT1700 series has a registration form to fill in to extend your standard 1 year warranty to 3 years. Megger PAT testers carry only a 1 year warranty.
While there is a requirement to register your MFT to benefit from the full 3 year guarantee, there is no time limit on the registration form, so we are assuming you could register at any time in the three years from the date of purchase.
From our own experience, we have returned customers’ MFTs to Megger for repair where the unit had not been registered and they were happy to honour the full 3 years, so there is some leeway from the manufacturer.
Martindale
All Martindale products are supplied with a 2 year warranty across the full product range. While there is no need to register to receive any additional warranty benefits, users of the new multifunction testers can register online to receive firmware updates & download free software.
FLIR Systems
FLIR thermal cameras are supplied with a 2 year warranty and an additional 10 year warranty which covers the detector.
Customer registration is required to activate the full warranty and each camera is supplied with a label stating the camera must be registered online within 60 days of purchase.
Seaward
All Seaward products are supplied with a 12 month warranty, however with the launch of the Apollo 500 & 600, this can be extended to 2 years. In order to activate the full warranty, the product should either be registered with Seaward or it must be calibrated by an authorised calibration house after the first year.
Our personal experience with Seaward when an Apollo was returned that didn’t meet the above criteria was favourable and they agreed to honour the warranty provided the customer had the unit calibrated at the time.
Kewtech
Kewtech offer a two year guarantee and their products are supplied with a registration form. This can either be faxed back to Kewtech, or you have the option of registering online.
Why register your product?
Often product registration is seen as a hassle, this can be because of the amount of information that is required, or because you simply don’t have the time.
Other than warranty though, there are some important benefits to registering your product:
Firmware Updates
Many modern testers have the ability to be updated by the user. Those that don’t, however, may be running older firmware without your knowledge. Early versions of new testers will often have firmware changes as they evolve.
If your product isn’t registered with the manufacturer, you may not find out about important firmware updates until your tester is returned for recalibration.
Product Recalls
This is an extremely rare occurrence, however sometimes there will be a need for a manufacturer to recall a product for safety reasons. If your unit is not registered, you may be unaware of the recall.
Freebies
It’s always nice to get something for free. Many manufacturers are now producing free apps for smartphones which can further enhance your product, or simply just give you access to free technical information.
If you register your product, you’ll always be among the first to know when these are available. In the past year alone we have seen Fluke release the Connect app, Seaward release the PAT testing app and FLIR release a new version of their Tools software for smartphones.
To summarise, when you’re purchasing new test equipment, always check the documentation that comes with your tester to see if registration is required to gain the full warranty benefits.
