Inductors/resistors

[col]

Is there any way to tell whether a component is an inductor or a resistor from sight? I always thought axial inductors were green but I just bought some which look just like 2w resistors. They are tan and have the banding. Having said that I've seen green resistors as well!
I often cut or de-solder parts from broken gear if I think they'll be useful and something wouldn't work as well if I put a 100uH in place of a 100ohm part!
Most of the inductors I find are the radial or small transformer type and most of them don't have anything written on them at all. I suppose I could test with my multimeter but that wouldn't tell me if something was an inductor or just a shorted resistor.

[jonathan perez]

pictures?

[col]

I have no web page and so can't post pictures unfortunately. They genuinely look just like 2w resistors with brown/black/brown banding as they are 100uH. If I bought everything new it wouldn't matter but I hate throwing stuff away if it can be re-used.
The radial ones look like a 'shapely' cap with a waist and are covered in what looks like black PVC but have no markings whatsoever.

[jonathan perez]

photobucket.com

[col]

Should be able to load up on Thursday as I need my cable from work. I didn't know about that!

Col

[John Lyons]

Inductors are a little more "chubby" from what I have seen. Reistors are long and skinny but the inductors I have seen are more round than tubular.

John

[col]

http://s159.photobucket.com/albums/t159/col07768/?action=view&current=inductors.jpg

1. is a typical inductor taken from a low energy light bulb. No markings whatsoever
2. The same but these sometimes have some numbers on them. I have never been able to ID them from a web search.
3. I have seen these in all sorts of circuits from microwave ovens to low energy light bulbs.
4. 2 100uH inductors which look to me to be the same visually as 100ohm 2w resistors.