I know many will say that you should not rely on them solely, but sometimes we get complacent. Non-contact testers have a serious, potentially deadly quirk. If a cable(particularly NM, which has a paper filler which retains moisture) has been exposed to moisture, they may not indicate voltage when ther is voltage present. My brother was installing an outdoor receptacle on a tail of NM that someone else had started a few weeks before. The non-contact tester did not beep. When he went to shorten the cable with his cutters, it sparked and tripped the breaker. If the cable had not been too long, he would have stripped it while kneling in damp grass, and probably would have been killed. Non-contact testers are a great device, but don't bet your life on them!
As far as others, Ideal has a Vol-Con Elite tester #61-092, that has a non-contact feature and a non solenoid vibrating feature, which is good for day-to-day use.
I like the fluke 89 IV DMM. It has lots of nice features.
[This message has been edited by Redsy (edited 02-08-2002).]
