Klein Tools VDV500-820 Wire Tracer & Probe Kit

thesandman

Nov 23, 2025 2:18 PM

484 Comments

Joined Jun 2006

thesandmanNov 23, 2025 2:18 PM

484 Comments

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These devices by their nature are finicky due to interference from outside factors. But having said that, this item really works. Originally bought the harbor freight version to try and track down a break in an buried invisible dog fence wire, which did not work and discouraged me from the technology. I tried the Klein version as a last resort based on the recommendation of a friend and it helped find the break quickly. Have used it several times since then for inside home wiring with success. Not perfect, but it does work and can be a huge time saver.

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mkdenar

Pro

Nov 23, 2025 6:44 PM

2.1K Comments

Joined Jun 2011

mkdenar

Pro

Nov 23, 2025 6:44 PM

2.1K Comments

Quote from thesandman

:

These devices by their nature are finicky due to interference from outside factors. But having said that, this item really works. Originally bought the harbor freight version to try and track down a break in an buried invisible dog fence wire, which did not work and discouraged me from the technology. I tried the Klein version as a last resort based on the recommendation of a friend and it helped find the break quickly. Have used it several times since then for inside home wiring with success. Not perfect, but it does work and can be a huge time saver.

Does this work on tracing 120V circuits or just low voltage?

HomerJay

Nov 23, 2025 6:45 PM

4.7K Comments

Joined Jul 2006

HomerJayNov 23, 2025 6:45 PM

4.7K Comments

Good price for a good product. I would get if I didn't already have the VD500-920

spooky187

Nov 23, 2025 6:55 PM

1.4K Comments

Joined Aug 2008

spooky187Nov 23, 2025 6:55 PM

1.4K Comments

Quote from mkdenar

:

Does this work on tracing 120V circuits or just low voltage?

Looks like it does fo regular wire. It for some reason only markets the low voltage.... at least from the reviews it seems so and the alligator clips

wysoserious

Nov 23, 2025 7:20 PM

296 Comments

Joined Aug 2009

wysoseriousNov 23, 2025 7:20 PM

296 Comments

Anyone recommend anything good for just trying to figure out what speaker wire is for which wire, I did not label any of mine. Thanks!

xsboost

Nov 23, 2025 7:40 PM

406 Comments

Joined Nov 2010

xsboostNov 23, 2025 7:40 PM

406 Comments

Quote from wysoserious

:

Anyone recommend anything good for just trying to figure out what speaker wire is for which wire, I did not label any of mine. Thanks!

Do you mean which end is which in a pair? Or in a bundle of pairs? If it's the former, one wire usually has printing/text on it and the other doesn't. The other method is how the wires come apart as you split the tear. One is left with a valley and the other has the excess material.

1

spooky187

Nov 23, 2025 7:52 PM

1.4K Comments

Joined Aug 2008

spooky187Nov 23, 2025 7:52 PM

1.4K Comments

Quote from wysoserious

:

Anyone recommend anything good for just trying to figure out what speaker wire is for which wire, I did not label any of mine. Thanks!

If the wires arent labeled to where you can tell which one is which. You just need a multimeter with continuity tester, it will beep when you match two wires. You can use the process of elimination or Use a spare long wire and tie one end to the wire you want to identity. Almost every multimeter has a test, it has a symbol like sound on the dial.

2

HomerJay

Nov 23, 2025 8:27 PM

4.7K Comments

Joined Jul 2006

HomerJayNov 23, 2025 8:27 PM

4.7K Comments

Quote from spooky187

:

Looks like it does fo regular wire. It for some reason only markets the low voltage.... at least from the reviews it seems so and the alligator clips

Nope. Those are for testing rj11, old pots lines

bombertodd

Nov 23, 2025 10:00 PM

181 Comments

Joined Dec 2014

bombertoddNov 23, 2025 10:00 PM

181 Comments

The Klein Tools VDV500-920 is also on sale for $150. I have both the 820 and 920. Both are good at their respective prices. The 920 does digital so you can easily trace cables that are plugged into switches which is extremely helpful if the network is up and running.

2

HomerJay

Nov 24, 2025 4:28 AM

4.7K Comments

Joined Jul 2006

HomerJayNov 24, 2025 4:28 AM

4.7K Comments

Quote from mkdenar

:

Does this work on tracing 120V circuits or just low voltage?

No. You'll fry the unit.

Propain

Nov 24, 2025 1:06 PM

320 Comments

Joined Apr 2005

PropainNov 24, 2025 1:06 PM

320 Comments

Quote from wysoserious

:

Anyone recommend anything good for just trying to figure out what speaker wire is for which wire, I did not label any of mine. Thanks!

Use a 9v battery. When you touch both wires to the terminals on the battery it will generate a scratchy sound as you tap the wires on the terminals. Pro tip - if you need to identify the polarity, watch the cone of the speaker. When you have + to +, and - to -, the cone will extend outward.

1

Propain

Nov 24, 2025 1:09 PM

320 Comments

Joined Apr 2005

PropainNov 24, 2025 1:09 PM

320 Comments

Quote from bombertodd

:

The Klein Tools VDV500-920 is also on sale for $150. I have both the 820 and 920. Both are good at their respective prices. The 920 does digital so you can easily trace cables that are plugged into switches which is extremely helpful if the network is up and running.

Are the prices accurate? $20 off isn't really that great of a deal, but the added features would be nice.

1

funzie

Nov 24, 2025 5:52 PM

535 Comments

Joined Jan 2006

funzieNov 24, 2025 5:52 PM

535 Comments

I used the cheapest one they sold at Home Depot for a couple years. First got it to trace a power cable for a circuit that wasn't making sense. Turned out there was a box with 2 wire runs behind the drywall. Which is against code. Not sure what they were thinking. I forget what the actual issue was. it was messing up the smart switches I was trying to connect that it was feeding into a 4-gang box. I fixed the wiring issue and then adding an outlet there instead to be able to service it in the future.

It also helped me trace out wires when I moved into my most recent house. Trying to find where they terminated down in the basement. Overall really useful. It is very flakey when using to trace power wires. Make sure you disconnect at all ends. Plus the tool wasn't always working, I even opened and RMA on it once because I was so pissed.

The one I have has the built in network cable tester and one of the LEDs burnt out or failed in some way. I lost an hour re-terminating ends last time I used it, eventually I realized the tool was broken.

I'd jump on this deal if it had a network cable tester built into it.

pennytrader

Nov 24, 2025 6:08 PM

183 Comments

Joined Feb 2011

pennytraderNov 24, 2025 6:08 PM

183 Comments

<dupe>

Last edited by pennytrader November 24, 2025 at 10:11 AM.

pennytrader

Nov 24, 2025 6:11 PM

183 Comments

Joined Feb 2011

pennytraderNov 24, 2025 6:11 PM

183 Comments

Only 500-920 has the network port so I had to buy that one, even 500-820 is cheaper. Basically my contractor accidentally covered the network port with drywall, so hopefully 500-920 will help us find where it is.

Klein Tools VDV500-820 Wire Tracer & Probe Kit

$53

$100

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