This is particularly helpful with equipment that would either be dangerous or very difficult to access, and it takes readings instantly.
The construction of the unit is rigid plastic with over-molded rubberized material, which makes it both comfortable to hold and easy to keep a secure grip.
It also comes with a sturdy carabiner that fits into a corresponding hole at the base of the grip to allow it to easily clip to a belt loop or tool bag, a nice feature, especially when you need both hands free before using it, such as when climbing a ladder.
The unit is powered by a single AA battery (included in the box), accessed by unscrewing a cover at the bottom of the grip.
The LCD display shows current temperature reading in large numbers and either average, maximum, minimum, or difference between temperatures in the lower right-hand corner with small numbers.
It also comes with a printed manual that consists mostly of pictorial explanations, some of which are a bit difficult to understand.
However, I was able to figure out all that I needed with a bit of checking.
There are also three buttons on the back of the unit, directly below the display screen.
The button on the left is labeled "Sel."
The button in the middle is a two-position rocker switch with an up arrow and a down arrow used only to adjust emissivity and high/low temperature alarm values, which I will explain later.
The button on the right is labeled "Set."
I will explain the settings in detail.
In order to change the settings, you first need to activate the unit by pressing the trigger, then quickly press the "Sel" button.
The first four times you press this button, it will toggle the lower right-hand small numbers on the LCD between displaying maximum ("Max"), minimum ("Min"), average ("Avg"), and difference ("Diff") from the currently measured temperature.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display "LitE" and either "On" or "OFF" below that to switch the LCD display backlight between off or on, which is toggled between the two settings with the "Set" button on the right.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display ºC or ºF (measure in either Celsius or Fahrenheit), which can be toggled between the two values by pressing the "Set" on the right.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display "EMS" in the lower left-hand corner and a numerical value below that.
This setting is emissivity, which is important to adjust for accurate readings on a variety of surfaces.
By default, this value is set to 0.95, a good general purpose setting, but you will want a list of emissivity values for the surfaces you intend to measure for the best accuracy possible, which can be found from a variety of sources if you do a simple web search on "emissivity tables."
As mentioned above, you adjust this numerical value by incrementing or decrementing it with the center up arrow/down arrow button.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display "LAS," with either "On" or "OFF" below that.
This is the setting that toggles the targeting lasers between off and on, again toggled between the two values with the "Set" button.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display "trig" and either "On" or "OFF," below that.
The purpose of this is to automatically shut down the thermometer if the trigger is accidentally held in for over ten minutes, something that could happen in a pocket or tool bag, to prevent the battery from getting unintentionally run down.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display "Alarm HI" and a numerical value.
You increment or decrement this numerical value with the center up arrow/down arrow button.
The purpose of this is to have an alarm when you measure a temperature above the numerical value.
The next press of the "Sel" button will display "Alarm LO" and a numerical value.
You increment or decrement this numerical value with the center up arrow/down arrow button.
The purpose of this is to have an alarm when you measure a temperature below the numerical value.
Pressing the "Sel" button again after this will take you back to toggling between maximum, minimum, average, and difference values in the lower right-hand corner.
The dual laser dots approximate the size and location of the area you will be measuring at any given moment.
As a suggestion for how to use this best, I would advise that you hold in the trigger and sweep it across the entire surface you intend to measure, and you can then examine the max, min, avg, and diff.
Also, the display will automatically power off after about seven seconds, dumping your measurements in the process, unless you press one of the three buttons on the back.
I would advise that you hold in the up arrow/down arrow button if you want the display to stay on so you can write down the readings.
This is a very useful instrument, particularly useful to people working on HVAC units, rotating machinery, objects that are difficult to access, and other equipment that would require rapid temperature checks.