Trisan S8 DL Review

Pros –Comes with a keyboard on the front for data recording and downloading memory to the PC. Highly durable Pelican casing. Battery and mains powered. Offers spots to test Cloverleaf and Fig 8 leads. Extremely fast testing times. No Isolation Transformer or adaptors are required. Australian Made.

Cons – The pelican case does not offer enough space to keep all the leads. A separate bag is required for this purpose. Test sequences aren’t customisable - unable to change pass/fail limits. 

The Bottom Line – The Trisan S8 DL is a step ahead of Trisan S8 in the sense that this tester allows the recording and storing of data which is quite an upgrade. Apart from being the fastest tester to test leads it also offers various other features like spots for testing cloverleaf and Fig 8 leads, a heavy-duty case and easy portability that makes this tester an excellent and cost-effective choice. 

Compare to Similar Units

FEATURES

The S8 DL is the next model released from Trisan that supersedes the S8, and it holds a similar reputation of being fast, reliable, and easy to use, but it also offers a few new features that make it more desirable to anyone who does a lot of testing and tagging.

Manufactured in South Australia this appliance tester of course fully conforms to the Australian Standards AS/NZS 3760 and is undoubtedly one of the best value testers under the $1500 range.

The single most useful part of this unit is it’s an all-in-one-place package. It allows data recording and storing of information in the system that can also be later downloaded onto your PC. It doesn't require any additional equipment, which some other testers, especially ones at this price point, require you to buy. In particular, since it is built-in, there is no need for an isolation transformer. This unit also offers spots for a clover leaf and figure 8 leads making testing additional equipment an easy process. 

The fact that this entire unit is incredibly portable and simple to transport is one of its underlying qualities. It comes in a genuine pelican case that provides extra safety. It is powered by 6 AA batteries that can’t be recharged but do ensure that you can test an entire office without needing to find a battery power source. Regardless, it does also have mains power, which adds to all the benefits that this unit has to offer. 

One of the downsides of S8 DL is that the pelican case does not offer a lot of space to keep all the testing leads, so they need to be carried separately in a different bag. This unit similar to S8 does not offer a printing system, which implies that you will essentially need to utilise standard test tags and manually write them out. Most people now, though, utilise custom test tags, which pre-populate your tag with the majority of the information you need. 

TESTING CAPABILITIES

All your standard tests, including Class I, Class II, Extension Leads, RCD testing, and Leakage Current testing that can easily test 20AMP appliances, can be completed by the S8 DL to Australian Standards. This unit is a great choice, especially when testing heavy-duty appliances.

Both S8 and S8 DL are known for their lightning-fast testing times. We gave S8 DL a run for its money to see if it stands true to the claim and trust when we say this, it surely does. Just like S8, this tester as well is the quickest appliance tester to test extension leads.

Learning how to use the S8 DL is an easy and straightforward process, so don’t get overwhelmed by its complicated looks. On the left side of the case is the keyboard to feed in the records as you go. On the right are all the buttons that correspond to the actual tests. It has multiple sockets each for a different purpose. One’s for leakage current and the other is for insulation resistance each with an LED to indicate the appropriate socket.  

The sockets present at the top middle of the appliance tester are to test cloverleaf and Figure 8 leads. Which is an additional benefit that this unit offers.

Once your test finishes, the results are shown on the screen right above the keyboard as a simple PASS/FAIL that requires no interpretation.

CONCLUSION

Essentially both the S8 DL and S8 are great testers each in their own price categories. It really all comes down to what features are you looking for when buying a tester. If you do an extensive amount of testing and tagging and need a tester that allows you to record and store data, is easy to function and offers ultra-fast testing time - then Trisan S8 DL is a very safe choice for its price bracket. The S8 DL delivers a superb PAT tester that checks off most of the requirements for customers looking for a cost-effective choice. 

View the Trisan S8 DL