Welcome!


This is a membership forum. Guests can view 5 pages for free. To participate, please join.

[ Pitmaster Club Information | Join Now | Login | Contact Us ]

Only 4 free page views remaining.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Thermoworks Probes

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

    Thermoworks Probes

    I’m to the point where I have to ask am I doing something wrong, do I have bad luck, or has Thermoworks had a series of bad probes come through?

    In the last year of using my Signals I’ve gone through 4 cooking probes. Working in IT I’m as careful as you can be with cables of all kinds. Routinely scold/teach my kids on how to handle various power/charger cords. But with all that I can’t keep a Thermoworks cooking probe last to save my life. No problems with the ambient sensor. No problems with my Weber probes. Only the Thermoworks style that come with the Signals.

    Am I the only one?

    #2
    I had some fail due to water when trying to wash them. I’ve switched to the waterproof needle probe and have had no issues since then. Plus it’s nice to be able to fully wash the probe and cable.

    Comment


      #3
      I’ve lost maybe 2 Thermoworks probes in the last 3-4 years, and it was due to me being too aggressive with cleaning them, trying to scrub the black soot off the braided cables. I just clean the price itself now, and wipe the cable gently with a Clorox wipe, as I am pretty sure I got water into the probes. I wish they were waterproof, as that is how I think I managed to kill them. Since I quit trying to clean them more aggressively, I’ve not lost a probe.

      Comment


      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        texastweeter Haha - I am talking in general. I've not used the Smoke in a couple of weeks. Last few cooks I didn't need a meat or pit probe. That said, we still have a few Clorox wipes in the kitchen cabinet next to the sink with all the other cleaning supplies, and 2-3 unopened containers in the bottom of the pantry, all from before this craziness began.

      • Richard Chrz
        Richard Chrz commented
        Editing a comment
        after my first one going bad, I quickly bought their probe wipes. That did not seem to have any effect on slowing down the loss of probes. I am pretty gentle with mine, they do not get coiled up. I have them hanging on a wall in the garage, not in a drawer or zipper case.

      • jfmorris
        jfmorris commented
        Editing a comment
        Richard Chrz hanging like that should be the best way to store them, so not sure what is going on aside from maybe the newer probes being less durable.

      #4
      I’ve gone through ThermoWorks probes much faster than the Fireboard equivalents. As mentioned I think it’s the more aggressive waterproofing of their probes. Just have to be mindful of how you clean and handle them.

      Comment


        #5
        Thanks guys now that you mentioned it I think that may be my problem too. While I always hand wash, I'm guessing I let some water in there. I never "soak" them, but I figured they'd take some splashing since considering their application there is some moisture.

        Comment


        • jfmorris
          jfmorris commented
          Editing a comment
          I’ve given up on cleaning it much beyond the metal body of the probe itself. I killed 2 probes in 6 months until I did that.

        #6
        I have the original probe plus the three additional I purchased working for me still, this after 3 years. Like others said, I really only clean the probe portion with a dobie pad then rinse and dry. The metal cord portion, I will get a towel and wipe down after use but no moisture.

        also, how are you storing them? Do you keep the cords so there isn’t a sharp angle or kink?

        Comment


          #7
          I lost 6 probes last year, including three that I just emailed Thermoworks about. I sure hope they don't fight me, as I am wanting to buy that new Smoke X4 tomorrow and billows if they replace them. I am good to my probes. I have one now that was bad out of the box.

          Comment


          • Razor
            Razor commented
            Editing a comment
            I too take good care of my stuff and this bothers me. I bet I have iPod and iPhone cables that are over 10 years old. Can’t believe how fast I burn through probes, pun not intended.

          #8
          I had 2 probes fail on my Signals last week. First use for one, second use on the other.

          Comment


          • Razor
            Razor commented
            Editing a comment
            So I’m not crazy. (Well outside of what the wife and kids say.)

          #9
          Wow, seems like a trend.

          Comment


            #10
            I wonder if their newer probes are more prone to breakage? Most of mine are several years old. I killed the meat probe that came with my Dot and had to replace it, and then killed the replacement. I'm still rolling with 2 air probes that have never been replaced, the 6" probe that came with the Smoke, and the twice replaced 4" straight meat probe. I just checked my receipts folder in my email, and the last time I replaced that probe was April 2018.

            I store my probes with the cord coiled into a circle about 3 inches in diameter, and use some wooden clothes pins to keep them coiled and tidy in the storage bag I keep them in. Picture opening the clip and going in from the inside of the circle far enough to then put the part you squeeze over the other side of the loop, then let it close. They don't grip tight enough to damage the wires, and both sides of the coil are retained.

            Comment


              #11
              As much as I like my Thermapen, Dot and Smoke, if I were buying a leave in thermometer today, it would for sure be something with waterproof probe cables, like the Maverick and Fireboard options. The Thermoworks "professional" probes should not be so fragile, and really ought to be waterproof. There is no reason they could not seal the cable entry into the probe if they wanted to, as well as make the cable itself waterproof.

              Comment


              • Razor
                Razor commented
                Editing a comment
                I've watched "professionals" before. Most of them are a lot harder on stuff than I am just trying to make a brisket for the family.

              #12
              Here is what I love about their probes though. Without any questions they mailed me three replacement probes this morning.I rewarded them with a smoke x4 purchase, a billows. a trio time stick and a few lead extenders.

              Comment


                #13
                I think I have had 2 or 3 probes go bad on me in the last 5 years. When they have them on sale a few times a year I usually pick up a couple spares. Between those and the ones that come with the Smoke and Signals I think I have about a dozen various probes right now. Some are still in the package and haven't been used and some get used multiple times a week.

                Comment


                  #14
                  I had two of the waterproof needle probes. In December the cable sleeve pulled away from the needle end, and the probe stopped working. In January I ordered a new needle probe, but it's been on backorder since then. Fortunately I still have one working needle probe.

                  Comment


                    #15
                    Originally posted by barelfly View Post
                    I have the original probe plus the three additional I purchased working for me still, this after 3 years. Like others said, I really only clean the probe portion with a dobie pad then rinse and dry. The metal cord portion, I will get a towel and wipe down after use but no moisture.

                    also, how are you storing them? Do you keep the cords so there isn’t a sharp angle or kink?
                    I printed a few of these up with the 3D printer Santa brought. And by the way I don't wrap mine nearly as tight as whoever took that photo.
                    Attached Files

                    Comment


                    • JimLinebarger
                      JimLinebarger commented
                      Editing a comment
                      I have 2 of those but stopped using them because off the winding and unwinding got to be a pain. How just hang them over something that is on my office door. No wrapping and not tangles because of the winding.

                  Announcement

                  Collapse
                  No announcement yet.
                  Working...
                  X
                  false
                  0
                  Guest
                  Guest
                  500
                  ["pitmaster-my-membership","login","join-pitmaster","lostpw","reset-password","special-offers","help","nojs","meat-ups","gifts","authaau-alpha","ebooklogin-start","alpha","start"]
                  false
                  false
                  {"count":0,"link":"/forum/announcements/","debug":""}
                  Yes
                  ["\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1157845-paid-members-download-your-6-deep-dive-guide-ebooks-for-free-here","\/forum\/the-pitcast","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2019-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2020-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2021-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/bbq-news-magazine-2022-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2023-issues","\/forum\/national-barbecue-news-magazine\/national-barbecue-news-magazine-aa\/current-2024-issues","\/forum\/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads\/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here"]
                  /forum/free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-downloads/1165909-trial-members-download-your-free-deep-dive-guide-ebook-here