Want to make sure it's right.

So, I got a cheap (Yes, I know, cheap is more than most times bad quality) Under Tank Heater (UTH) off of Ebay. When I put the probe of the thermometer on the UTH it reads 94F, but when I put it under one or two sheets of the paper towel (There's currently 3 sheets in there with two similar hides and a water dish), it reads 85F. Do I need to get a different UTH or is it my thermometer reading incorrectly? It never has reached above 95F (According to my thermometer).

If you really want to know the temp of a surface you have to get one of those laser or infrared temp guns. The probe can be fooled by the air temp around it since the heat would only be at one point of contact along the edge of the probe. Temp guns are much more accurate. you can buy them at home depot.