Gardner Bender GET-3100 Digital Twin Probe Circuit Tester - 12V/24V Voltage Tester for Automotive & Home Electrical Diagnostics | Perfect for Car Battery, Fuse Box & Outlet Testing

I'm reviewing the GCT-3304 Continuity Tester: This tester is a gem. Multimeters and test lamps have their place. But sometimes you just need to know if point A has an electrical connection to point B. In that case, less is more. No bulk, no settings, no waiting for auto-range, no beeping. This tool simply and cheaply does the job it was designed for. As is, I give it 5 star minus.But it could be better. The test lead is very stiff vinyl 18 gauge wire. Wants to tangle and pull no matter how you treat it. And the alligator clip is covered by a stiff plastic boot that makes it tough to operate. Why? This device operates at 3 volts. It is not for probing high-voltage, so why shield the clip? Gardner Bender could spend literally less than 5 cents more for 2 feet of excellent, flexible silicon wire for the test lead. Would elevate it from good to great, something every person who works on electronics or electrical systems would have in their kit.To improve this tester: Get some ultra-flexible silicone-jacketed hookup wire (Amazon has lots of options) in 18-22 gauge. Remove the battery compartment cover and the batteries. Use pliers to remove the battery contact connected to the test lead wire from the body of the tester. Pull the plastic boot away from the alligator clip and use pliers to bend the clip so that the wire slides out (it is not soldered at this end -- but it will be). Use a soldering iron to remove the battery contact from the other end of the test lead. Get rid of the old test lead and plastic alligator clip cover. Cut a piece of silicon wire to an appropriate length. Strip one end and solder it to the battery contact just like the original test lead. Strip the other end and thread it into on of the attachments/holes in the alligator clip. Solder the wire to the alligator clip. Bend the end of the alligator clip around the insulated wire to take the strain off the soldered connection. Replace the battery contact into the tool and install new LR-44 batteries. If the batteries seem loose after this process, remove the contact and bend it so it puts more pressure on the batteries.Finally, the two batteries that come with this tool are likely to leak. Find some genuine name-brand LR-44 batteries if you want to keep this tool long-term. If you buy from Amazon, find batteries that are sold and shipped by Amazon, because there are a lot of fakes sold by third parties on Amazon (particularly Maxell brand).Then use this simple and effective tool for decades and hand it down to your grandkids.