In the $1,000 – $2,000 range today we review the Megger 150R.
Available on the market from around $1,500 this unit is a big brand PAT, but how does it compare?
It’s small, light weight, can be battery powered (needs mains power for leakage testing), has a nice case with a fold back protective lid and dome rubberising of the case.
It can be a little complicated for new users especially when trying to do leakage and PRCD testing.
The display with selectable backlighting is very average – just a tick or a cross and the value is displayed all on the LCD with no other indicator. Considering its design is somewhat recent I think Megger could have done better.
There is the ability to change settings and to operate in a single test mode or sequential testing.
The PAT is controlled by selector switches and this is made worse as it’s not always clear how many times they need pressing. This is particularly a problem for new users but having said that, it isn’t all bad.
The charging is strangely only done when the charger is plugged into the PAT, which means users may get caught out with a PAT with a flat battery and no way of charging it, i.e. no internal charger/USB or similar charging option. The other downside to the additional charger is that the display runs off the charged batteries thus if you do not charge the batteries (even though you may be plugged into mains voltage) your tester screen will not go.
So how does it perform? The first test as usual is the earth test and sadly like most this PAT can only perform a test at 0.2 Amp (200 milliamps) so again we will classify this as a compliance only tester not a safety tester.
Remember though there’s no requirement under the standard to test the integrity of the protective earth, but if you and your workmates like above ground dwelling in preference to 6 foot under a 10 or 25 Amp test is likely to be most helpful!
Next, we look at the Insulation Resistance test. This on the Megger 150R can be done at 500 volts or 250 – whichever is required, the function works well.
The alternative option to Insulation Resistance test is the the mains powered leakage test. This generally works fine but as stated previously sometimes it seems difficult to operate.
The Polarity test generally works well and there are no outstanding issues with it.
Lastly, the PRCD test works well and can test at 10 or 30 milliamps. It is a basic test of PRCD’s but doesn’t give trip current (ramp up current test) which is a little disappointing.
There is no memory function or ability to print etc. and it’s definitely priced higher than many of its peers, many sales will be generated just because of the Megger brand despite the PAT itself being pretty average.
If you do purchase one the supply lead and charger aren’t easily sourced nor cheap!
In a nut shell it’s a big brand tester that’s very average at best. Likely purchasers will be those going for the name or alternatively if that’s the first PAT they saw.
The 3 big questions:
Q: Does it enable a testing person to comply with all the requirements of ASNZS3760?
A: Yes
Q: Is it a safety tester or compliance tester only?
A: Compliance only
Q: Value for money ?
A: Average minus
3 out of 5 stars
As a big brand with little features, Megger have done an amazing job of testers in the past and we think they could have done a little better with this one. Some memory and a 10A test could have made a world of difference.
