Tool Review: Electronic Specialties Relay Fuse Buddy
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Q: How did the tool/equipment function as far as saving you time?
A: It can save you a significant amount of time when trying to access current draw-type testing. Not so much for battery parasitic drain, but for component dynamic testing.
Q: What kind of setup was involved before using the product?
A: First, thoroughly reading the instructions. Just kidding, nobody does that. The setup is really intuitive.
Q: How easy was it to use?
A: I mean…I used it without reading instructions so it would be difficult to get much easier than that. Maybe if it just did it all itself?
Q: How was its packaging? Did it come with any accessories?
A: The Relay Fuse Buddy comes in a box suitable for storage. It has a foam insert for all the components that come with the unit. It is essentially an Electronic Specialties Fuse Buddy with relay adapters that jump the secondary side or switch side thus allowing current to flow through the Fuse Buddy to be measured and displayed.
Q: Was there a manual included? If so, did you use the manual, and was the manual easy to understand?
A: There is! It’s probably pretty good, too. For the purpose of this review, I did go back and read the instructions after I already used the product, just to make sure I was using it properly and also to be able to honestly answer this question that I did use the manual.
Q: What features did you like?
A: The large display and overall ease of use. It comes with instructions but you really don’t need them.
Q: What types of jobs/repairs did you use this tool for?
A: Where this tool really shines is when you wish to test a circuit, and more likely a component like an electric motor, pump, solenoid, etc, for current draw. Instead of finding a fuse, you can use its relay which often is easier to access, select the appropriate adapter, connect the Fuse Buddy, and activate the circuit.
Q: Have you used a previous version of this tool? If so, what are some new features compared to the old version?
A: I have the regular Fuse Buddy but not the adapters this came with.
Q: Is there any way you could think to improve or add to this tool?
A: I would add a means to test voltage drop. It may not be able to accurately tell you if you have low feed voltage or a poor ground, but it could give you a heads-up that even though current may seem just good enough, there is a voltage issue to chase, or at least look into. I would also like to see it have a decent Min/Max feature that could lend itself well to catching stall current/surge current/start-up current. This could be invaluable for testing electric motors and pumps.
Q: On a scale of 1 to 10, how would you rate this tool overall? Why?
A: I would give this a solid eight. For specific tests, it’s a time saver and tells you pertinent information quickly.
