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Borescopes are great tools to add to any collection. Yes. There’s value in being able to diagnose a problem solely with sensory inputs translated by the muscle between your ears. Still, it’s awesome to just cut through the guesswork and take a look inside of whatever is acting up. Seeing as borescopes can get really expensive really fast, the Depstech wireless borescope that’s $36.99 at Amazon has a lot of appeal to the DIYer.
I’m speaking from experience, of course. I actually bought one a few years back. I’m constantly breaking things, and I’ve used it to probe my way through many troubleshooting sessions. It’s far from a state-of-the-art piece of equipment, but if you’re working with a tight budget and want a borescope to boost your DIY game, it’s definitely worthy of your consideration.
The Bottom Line
Depstech Wireless Borescope
| Depstech Wireless Borescope | |
|---|---|
| Image Clarity | 6/10 |
| Ease of Use | 8/10 |
| Quality | 6/10 |
| Value | 8/10 |
| Overall | 7/10 |
The Rundown of Debstech’s Borescope
To be more specific, we’re looking at the Depstech wireless borescope model number WH010. Part of what makes it so affordable is the fact that it uses your phone as a display with a WiFi connection and an app. Through this, it can not only provide a live feed of whatever the borescope is facing, but it can also record videos and take pictures and save them directly to your phone.
The 2.0MP camera sits in an 8.4mm head with an IP67 rating at the end of a lengthy 11.5-foot cable. 6 adjustable LEDs offer illumination, which is controlled with a thumbwheel on the housing at the base of the borescope. Images are saved in JPEG format, and videos in MP4, with adjustable resolutions. It relies on an internal, rechargeable battery with a micro-USB port for charging.
Getting to Work
Like I said, I’ve had the Depstech wireless borescope for years. Overall, I’m pleased with it. Not because it’s some revolutionary piece of equipment, but by staying in the fight longer than the retail price might suggest. It’s not perfect, but it owes me nothing.
As far as what you really care about, image quality is what I’d qualify as “good enough.” Clarity is nowhere near the Teslong TD450S Mike Febbo reviewed last year, but it’s clear enough to do the job. You can certainly use it to pick up on things like discolorations on cylinder walls and other fine details. The caveat being that you do need to get up pretty close to things before they come into focus. The LEDs do tend to produce annoying glare that works against you at times, but the thumbwheel makes adjusting it to your needs stupid-easy.
I really like the fact that it connects to my phone wirelessly. This isn’t the first Depstech borescope I purchased. I bought a version that connects to your phone via the USB port, which worked all right. That version is more affordable, but I like this a lot better. Not having to worry about accidentally disconnecting the borescope or dragging my phone off a fender while I probe an engine is worth the extra few bucks.
Being as cheap as it is, Depstech comes with its fair share of setbacks. Probably the most annoying is the buggy app. Making adjustments to the resolution often inspires a brief intermission in connection, and it sometimes fails to boot up. My other primary gripe is just how long the cable is. 11.5 feet may come in handy for some jobs, but it is generally overkill for automotive work. I know it’s better to have it and not need it, but it’s kind of a pain in the neck to deal with for most jobs.
The Verdict: It’s Good Enough
There’s a lot to like about Depstech wireless borescope. It’s affordable, it uses your phone as a display and for storage, and it ultimately does exactly what it’s meant to. Obviously, it’s not a tool I’d recommend to professionals. They’re better off paying a little more for something of a little better build quality and that can deliver better picture quality. However, for many DIYers, I think it’s well worth the 40-ish dollars. The alternative to borescopes is taking things apart and taking a look for yourself. Considering replacement gaskets alone can cost more than this does, it’s kind of a no-brainer. That’s especially true considering how long this will stay in the fight, as it can save you those expenses many times over. That said, a newer dual-lens version is available for $54.99, which I’d probably bump up to for the added flexibility.
