6/8

Zircon’s Breaker Pro ID 300 kit comes packed with accessories.

Besides Zircon’s popular receiver and transmitter pair, you get a light socket adapter, alligator clamps for bare wires and multiple plug adapters for receptacles — including 240V. It even comes with a battery and a sturdy carrying case. And it’s one of the few entry-level circuit breaker finders rated for circuits up to 300V AC, so you know it’s tough.

At a little more than $200, it’s a splurge. But Zircon’s extended voltage range and the kit’s comprehensive accessories make it easier to justify spending a little more.

7/8

If you’re looking for a step up from the crowded entry-level market, the Ideal 61-534 circuit breaker finder makes the grade. Besides automatic and self-calibrating circuit breaker-finding functionality, this unit doubles as a non-contact voltage tester and works on circuits up to 300V AC.

Just hold the receiver up to an electrical cord or receptacle. The Ideal 61-534 automatically switches to voltage mode to let you know if a circuit is live. The receptacle tester checks and identifies eight wiring configurations, and the receiver shuts itself off after 10 minutes to save the battery.

8/8

If you want to use what the pros use, go with the Ideal SureTrace. Every electrical contractor I’ve worked for had the SureTrace on the jobsite. It finds breakers on live and dead circuits, it detects shorts and it traces circuits behind walls. One time I used it to trace a circuit buried in concrete!

This circuit breaker finder costs almost $2,000, making it impractical for homeowners. But if you want to know the capabilities of what’s out there, or you’re a pro looking to upgrade your tool kit, the Ideal SureTrace is the top of the line.