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Best budget dmm?

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tallfreak

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I have had a Fluke 88V for work for about 10 years (automotive tech) and I love it. My cheapo depot $10 dmm for home use just let the smoke out and I want to upgrade.

A new Fluke 88 is too much to spend for home use, but fluke is all I know. What have you guys been using. My budget is $150 with basic leads. A DC amp clamp would be a plus, but it needs to have 10 amp internal current capacity at least.

I am doing some automotive work at home, but I also need it for home projects also. My cheap meter gave up trying to confirm I had 220v for my mini split install.

Any suggestions?

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visionguru

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81sTLZKuu9L._AC_SL1500_.jpg

I have this, which is more than enough for using around home. I paid less than $50 for it.
 
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TuxThePenguin

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Amprobe AM-510 is the absolute cheapest multimeter I can just barely recommend, and only if you can't get better. It's built to a reasonably safe degree of quality as far as how the terminals connect, the types of fuses used, etc. Would have no major concerns measuring mains voltage with it as long as we're not talking industrial / high voltage stuff here. It's higher quality than Uni-T stuff.

those $10 meters can be useful on a bench, but I would never want to measure mains with them. I'm just going to assume that most people with multimeters at least occasionally measure mains with them (I think assuming otherwise would be unwise).

Amprobe is owned by Fluke btw

Besides that, you could find pretty much any meter made by Brymen. Some of the Greenlee meters are made by Brymen and are good choices but probably closer to $100. One of the EEVBlog meters is by Brymen (the 121GW is UEi, the BM235 is Brymen)

In regards to the previous reply, why anyone would go "I need a multimeter... what's a trusted brand? Hmm... I know... Craftsman!" is beyond my comprehension. Craftsman has absolutely zero respect in the electronics field. Few reputable electronics techs use Craftsman anything, not even screwdrivers.

The less it costs, the more wary anyone should be of ever using it with mains. I've seen teardowns (disassembly videos / photos) of quite a few multimeters over the years. Build quality varies a LOT, regardless of what the ratings on the meters say.

When you plug into 120v you potentially have about 14kW of instantaneous power available to **** your **** up. When you're in there testing stuff, don't be using sub-par equipment, or equipment from unproven brands.
 
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visionguru

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TuxThePenguin said:
...

why anyone would go "I need a multimeter... what's a trusted brand? Hmm... I know... Craftsman!" is beyond my comprehension. Craftsman has absolutely zero respect in the electronics field. No reputable electronics tech uses Craftsman anything, not even screwdrivers.
...
Click to expand...

hum, are we talking about a home use multimeter? Frankly, anything on the market with needed feature will do. BTW, Craftsman is just a brand and they make nothing.
 
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Citation

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Uni-T UT-210e (must be the 'e' version)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0188WD1NE/?tag=atomicindus08-20

This isn't a perfect meter but it is very handy. The DC current clamp can read mA which makes it handy for finding leakage currents. It can't do inline current measurements. The continuity check is a bit slow and given it's a clamp meter it doesn't sit on the bench that well. Still, it's a very good low buck meter.

My other suggestion is hunting for a used but good Brymen meter on ebay or Amazon. Brymen doesn't sell under their own name in the US but they make meters for Amprobe, Greenlee and Matco among others. Here are a few suggests (all ebay listings for reference only.)
Amprobe with this shape (and 4 sockets) - The are based on an older but very good Brymen design that was also shared with Greenlee and Extech (in a boxier shape)
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Amprobe-AM...ata-Recording-Digital-Multimeter/254499210950 - These were about $100 a few years back and worth it. At this price I don't think it's a good deal.
This Greenlee is the square version but the guts are basically the same as above
https://www.ebay.com/itm/GREENLEE-D...IMETER-CAT-III-1000V-CAT-IV-600V/332062533338

This Greenlee is the updated version of the Dm820 above. I have one of these. They are a great Fluke 87 alternative. They are chunky. I do miss Fluke's excellent touch hold function. These just have a traditional free the screen when you push the button "hold". My example of this meter was bought for under $50 on ebay in dirty but 100% functional shape.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Greenlee-DM-820A-True-RMS-Digital-Multimeter-1000-Volt/373215441837

This family of Matco meters (251, 319 and 257) are nice, smaller meters. Greenlee sells the same family as the DM-200a, 210a,
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Matco-Tools-MD251-Basic-Multimeter/264884823431
Greenlee https://www.ebay.com/itm/Free-Ship-GREENLEE-DM-2010A-Digital-Multimeter/114417410592
I've seen meters in this family go for under $50. I gave my father a Dm200A that I got for under $50 (used, good shape).
 
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TuxThePenguin

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visionguru said:
hum, are we talking about a home use multimeter? Frankly, anything on the market with needed feature will do. BTW, Craftsman is just a brand and they make nothing.
Click to expand...

There are just "multimeters," not "home use multimeters"

If the safety of a multimeter fails you, you're screwed, whether you are at home or on a job site.

So you buy one that is known to be well-designed by a company known for designing good multimeters, or from a company known for reselling good multimeters that were built by companies that are known for designing good multimeters.

"anything on the market will do" - What!? No! Some cheap meters don't have fuses on their current ranges! Many cheap meters "have" fuses but they're the crappy 1/4" glass tubes without any reinforcement. Many cheap meters (including ~$50 Uni-T) do not have good clearance or creepage around the traces on their PCBs.

Why are some of you guys disregarding all safety just because you are at "home"??? Electricity wants to kill you at every moment. No matter whether you are home or not. You need both common sense and decent equipment on your side.
 
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FuzzyTiger

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I'd say look for a deal on a used Fluke 87. I just recently passed on buying 3 of them for $400 total (I checked to see if the seller still had them, sadly they've sold or I'd have offered to send you one). But I regularly see them selling for $150-300 CAD which would be roughly $100-200 USD?

I just looked at some classified ads and I'm seeing people selling the 87 for as low as $235 CAD in a nearby city.

It's what you're already comfortable with and love and I don't have to tell you just how tough and reliable they are. A couple or even a few years of use by someone else before you is nothing to them.
 
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tallfreak

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So many responses so quick! It may sound strange, but safety in a meter never crossed my mind. I use my fluke almost 100% on 12v DC and of course you don't have the danger of serious injury.

When I was checking for 220v on my outside disconnect the meter was sitting on the ground in gravel. I touched one probe to neutral and the other to each hot leg and showed around 110v. Then I touched both probes to both hot legs to check 220v and I heard the meter pop. Maybe its a good thing it was on the ground.

I dont have to have one right away, so I'll keep an eye on ebay and FB and CL for a decent price on a used Fluke. I hate i passed on a used 88v for $200 on the matco truck a few weeks back. At the time i didn't need one.

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engineer2

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It's true that many cheap multimeters are unsafe. They put their switch contacts too close together, in addition to poor fusing and cheap leads. Luckily we don't often encounter anything above 240VAC (low voltage is still deadly) and most die quietly or with a puff of acrid smoke. I recall two that tested safe are Fluke and Gossen-Metrawatt (not common in the US). I'm sure others are fine too. Beware of no-name imports.
 
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TuxThePenguin

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Some of them will very literally explode if you accidentally, say, connect mains voltage direct to your current range. Which you shouldn't do, but at the same time, good meters won't explode for it.

To be clear, I don't mean explode as "stop working." I mean cause an explosion that could injure you.

(No, it's not highly likely, but it's one possible failure mode, and it has happened to people)
 
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FuzzyTiger

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tallfreak said:
I dont have to have one right away, so I'll keep an eye on ebay and FB and CL for a decent price on a used Fluke. I hate i passed on a used 88v for $200 on the matco truck a few weeks back. At the time i didn't need one.

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Click to expand...

Have you tried giving your Matco truck guy a call? If he regularly deals in used stuff like that, he could probably help you find one or at least give you first dibs on the next one he sees.
 
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rlitman

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visionguru said:
hum, are we talking about a home use multimeter? Frankly, anything on the market with needed feature will do. BTW, Craftsman is just a brand and they make nothing.
Click to expand...

Correct. Craftsman (at least the last time I looked, which was a few years ago), was selling the same meters that were branded by Extech at the time. They're quite decent.

TuxThePenguin said:
...Why are some of you guys disregarding all safety just because you are at "home"??? Electricity wants to kill you at every moment. No matter whether you are home or not. You need both common sense and decent equipment on your side.
Click to expand...

Because the safety issues in home outlets are NOT the same as the safety issues in commercial mains panels.

Nothing in the typical home exceeds Category III requirements, with all branch outlets falling into Category II. Most of the stuff you're insisting on is only found in Category IV meters.

ANSI-ISA_S82.02.gif
 
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CGarage

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Wait for a deal on a Fluke 112.
My experience has been that cheap multimeters often give inaccurate readings.
I was able to buy a used twice Fluke 112 for $60 the other day.
 
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tallfreak

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FuzzyTiger said:
Have you tried giving your Matco truck guy a call? If he regularly deals in used stuff like that, he could probably help you find one or at least give you first dibs on the next one he sees.
Click to expand...
I'll let my tool guys know im looking for one, but I know for sure the snap on and Cornwell guys are just going to try to sell me a new one. The matco guy usually has some decent deals on tradins. He has a snapon 1/2 drive pneumatic impact right now thats a decent deal for a newish snapon product. I just know as soon as he sells it my home use impact is going to decide to grenade.

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TuxThePenguin

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rlitman said:
Correct. Craftsman (at least the last time I looked, which was a few years ago), was selling the same meters that were branded by Extech at the time. They're quite decent.
Click to expand...

No, they are not.

Yes, he got a replacement without the problem, but he never should have. It wasn't just a fault with the product that he had to have fixed. There was a fault in the entire mindset of the company that allowed somebody to make that "repair" to it, then it passed QA!?!?!? Crazy. Don't buy anything from that manufacturer.

lol at the suggestion that unfused current ranges and 6.3 fuses are OK for anyone. What.

You can use that stuff if you want... I don't know why you'd want to though.

cat testing is self-certified... I only trust reputable manufacturers in that regard.
 
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tallfreak

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So how dangerous was checking the lines on my disconnect with a cheap meter? I didn't think much of it at the time, but y'all have me rethinking it now.

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TuxThePenguin

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tallfreak said:
So how dangerous was checking the lines on my disconnect with a cheap meter? I didn't think much of it at the time, but y'all have me rethinking it now.
Click to expand...

I think there is no absolute answer to that question. There's no universal, objective scale for danger.

The previous posts I made in this thread are all subjective... still can't answer "how dangerous" in an absolute way.

Would you have died if you had been holding it as it failed? Probably not. But there are cases where cheaper meters have caused injuries that a quality one would not. Even if a meter explodes, it's not likely to kill you but could cut you or burn you. Or if you were on a ladder, it could cause you to panic and... well hopefully your ladder is properly secured and you don't lose your balance.

Not trying to make you paranoid about it (though honestly it's better to be paranoid about mains voltage than it is to be over-confident), but at the same time I think there's no reason to cheap out on safety. People are addicted to paying too little too much.

Edit: For very low voltages, there is definitely less risk, and a no-name $10 meter for 12VDC ought to be plenty safe. Accuracy and precision and repeatability might not be the best. But to me, a meter used 99.9% of the time at 12V or less and only 0.1% with mains is still a meter that is being used for mains.

Another higher-end Fluke isn't necessary, but don't spend only $10 or $20 either. But if you do feel like buying another nice Fluke, I'm sure you'd enjoy using it more anyway. Plus as other people said, you'd already be used to using it.
 
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Rinspeed

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The Fluke T-5 is an awesome meter and I've seen them on Ebay slightly used for under $50.
 
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rlitman

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TuxThePenguin said:
No, they are not.

Yes, he got a replacement without the problem, but he never should have. It wasn't just a fault with the product that he had to have fixed. There was a fault in the entire mindset of the company that allowed somebody to make that "repair" to it, then it passed QA!?!?!? Crazy. Don't buy anything from that manufacturer.

lol at the suggestion that unfused current ranges and 6.3 fuses are OK for anyone. What.

You can use that stuff if you want... I don't know why you'd want to though.
Click to expand...

Look, I mostly use a Category IV clamp meter at work. It doesn't have a current shunt, and I picked that feature set for good reason.

I've also watched many of EEVblog's meter teardowns. They're about as much entertainment as they are truly informative (i.e. I see it as too close to AvE, just in a different dialect). The defects referenced in your linked video are purely aesthetic, and his destructive testing makes for a terrible real-world analog. In short, I disagree with your "don't buy" recommendation, but that much is purely a matter of opinion.

I do agree that unfused current ranges are simply asking for trouble (and that many "fused" meters are dangerously under-fused). But again, insisting on all sorts of safety design features in places they are uncalled for is overreach. It would be like saying you shouldn't buy a brand of bicycle, because they do not include airbags and crumple zones.
 
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Citation

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TuxThePenguin said:
No, they are not.

Yes, he got a replacement without the problem, but he never should have. It wasn't just a fault with the product that he had to have fixed. There was a fault in the entire mindset of the company that allowed somebody to make that "repair" to it, then it passed QA!?!?!? Crazy. Don't buy anything from that manufacturer.

lol at the suggestion that unfused current ranges and 6.3 fuses are OK for anyone. What.

You can use that stuff if you want... I don't know why you'd want to though.

cat testing is self-certified... I only trust reputable manufacturers in that regard.
Click to expand...

Craftsman has used many companies to make its meters (including Fluke). Some are ****. Most are OK and I suspect all are honest about their CAT ratings. The meter above is made by CEM
http://www.cem-instruments.com/en/Product/type2/id/686
I think Dave Jones did a review of one. I tried out a Southwire version. It was OK. Slow continuity buzzer and slow screen update speed. Still, not a bad meter and the internal safety construction was OK.

I get the concern about meter safety. I will never suggest people look at a meter with unfused current shunts. However, if a meter is made by even a semi-reputable brand (Uni-T is in that bucket) and they claim to have CAT II or CAT III ratings I will trust them. I certainly don't need a CAT IV meter to work on my old 12V car (excluding hybrids/EVs). I don't need my Fluke 187 to tell me there is 12.8V at my radio ACC wire or that the trailer light voltage drops to 9V when the brake light is on. There certainly is a difference between measuring a 480V power line, a 120V lap cord and a 12V car battery.
 
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TuxThePenguin

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Citation said:
Craftsman has used many companies to make its meters (including Fluke). Some are ****. Most are OK and I suspect all are honest about their CAT ratings. The meter above is made by CEM
http://www.cem-instruments.com/en/Product/type2/id/686
I think Dave Jones did a review of one. I tried out a Southwire version. It was OK. Slow continuity buzzer and slow screen update speed. Still, not a bad meter and the internal safety construction was OK.

I get the concern about meter safety. I will never suggest people look at a meter with unfused current shunts. However, if a meter is made by even a semi-reputable brand (Uni-T is in that bucket) and they claim to have CAT II or CAT III ratings I will trust them. I certainly don't need a CAT IV meter to work on my old 12V car (excluding hybrids/EVs). I don't need my Fluke 187 to tell me there is 12.8V at my radio ACC wire or that the trailer light voltage drops to 9V when the brake light is on. There certainly is a difference between measuring a 480V power line, a 120V lap cord and a 12V car battery.
Click to expand...

I do mostly agree with you and rlittman*, however...

Uni-T is not that great - screws through their current traces (over solder mask so it's not like they're even helping carry the current):
. This is the specific video I always have in mind when I avoid recommending this meter to people. I have seen teardowns of some other Uni-T stuff that seemed to have fewer problems (oddly enough, I have been considering buying their insulation tester as it seems to be better built, and I don't know of many nice insulation testers that aren't very expensive).

and also, OP doesn't only use his meter with 12VDC. He said that's what he mostly would use, but later recounts using a cheap meter on mains and frying the meter.

A meter used 99.9% for low voltage isolated DC and 0.1% at 240v is still a meter that is used at 240v. If you or a friend have an electrical issue in the house, is there any chance this meter will be used to diagnose it? If even a slight chance that it would, then buy a decently safe one.

The EEVBlog video with that Extech showed not just that bodge, but components jammed in so close that not only is a short likely, but one of the leads of one of the components literally WAS touching. As for the Craftsman thing, if they use good OEMs sometimes and mediocre or bad ones other times, why buy them? You could buy a meter from a company that ONLY sells decent to good meters. You don't have to pay $500 for a decent meter. A nice Brymen is around $100 or something, maybe slightly higher. The very specific reason I'm anti-Craftsman here is that, when it comes to safety, a company's product line shouldn't be hit-or-miss. If you buy a Fluke, you ARE buying a good meter. If you buy a Gossen, you ARE buying a good meter. If you buy a Keysight/Agilent/HP, you ARE buying a good meter. If you buy a Brymen, you ARE buying a good meter. If you buy a Craftsman, you are buying.... ????

People want to only spend $10 or $20 on everything. I think most people who can afford a $20 meter can also afford a $120 meter, even if that's 5x more cost.

* Because this is a topic that interests me, I've replied to this thread several times, and have disagreed with some specific points some people have made, but there is no major disagreement to be found. Replying several times (as I have) makes someone (me) sound more argumentative than they may intend.
 
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richfinn

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I would go with a good quality AC/DC clampmeter to compliment your Fluke 88, if you really need to measure current in series just bring your 88 home

I'm a vehicle tech and its very rare I actually pass current through my DVOM, I nearly always go for a clamp unless it's a very low parasitic drain and I'm worried about drift

I don't do much household 240v AC work besides really simple stuff, but I suspect a clamp meter is a better solution looking at what my Electrician mates carry in their tool bags??
 
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rlitman

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TuxThePenguin said:
...A meter used 99.9% for low voltage isolated DC and 0.1% at 240v is still a meter that is used at 240v...
Click to expand...

This is VERY true. And is the main reason I advise people not to use those free and $10 meters for anything other than checking battery voltages and testing resistors/continuity. I usually go a step further and tell people who want to own a single meter to buy a clamp meter, because they generally don't have the current shunt that's the primary (though surely not sole) source of danger in a meter.

That being said, I personally feel that any current Category III 600V or better rated meter on the market should be perfectly adequate to use in any part of a residential home's electrical system.
 
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On a budget, the Klein Tools branded meters are a decent option. I have the MM400. Its basic and trustworthy. I do use Fluke leads on it, which IMO are cheap insurance on a lower grade meter.
 
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Coggles

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tallfreak said:
I have had a Fluke 88V for work for about 10 years (automotive tech) and I love it. My cheapo depot $10 dmm for home use just let the smoke out and I want to upgrade.

A new Fluke 88 is too much to spend for home use, but fluke is all I know. What have you guys been using. My budget is $150 with basic leads. A DC amp clamp would be a plus, but it needs to have 10 amp internal current capacity at least.

I am doing some automotive work at home, but I also need it for home projects also. My cheap meter gave up trying to confirm I had 220v for my mini split install.

Any suggestions?

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Click to expand...


I would go with a Fluke T5-600. When I was an electrician I loved mine. Still do. Dead simple. Has an amp clamp, well inductive tongs. Seems like they are in the price range.


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tallfreak

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Coggles said:
I would go with a Fluke T5-600. When I was an electrician I loved mine. Still do. Dead simple. Has an amp clamp, well inductive tongs. Seems like they are in the price range.


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Click to expand...
I looked at that one, but it doesn't do dc amperage. I did find a fluke clamp meter that did dc, but the resolution wasn't low enough. Ill do some more research.

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rlitman

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tallfreak said:
I looked at that one, but it doesn't do dc amperage. I did find a fluke clamp meter that did dc, but the resolution wasn't low enough. Ill do some more research.

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Click to expand...

You want low amp DC clamp? Now you've priced yourself out of cheap meters.
 
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visionguru

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TuxThePenguin said:
There are just "multimeters," not "home use multimeters"

If the safety of a multimeter fails you, you're screwed, whether you are at home or on a job site.

So you buy one that is known to be well-designed by a company known for designing good multimeters, or from a company known for reselling good multimeters that were built by companies that are known for designing good multimeters.

"anything on the market will do" - What!? No! Some cheap meters don't have fuses on their current ranges! Many cheap meters "have" fuses but they're the crappy 1/4" glass tubes without any reinforcement. Many cheap meters (including ~$50 Uni-T) do not have good clearance or creepage around the traces on their PCBs.

Why are some of you guys disregarding all safety just because you are at "home"??? Electricity wants to kill you at every moment. No matter whether you are home or not. You need both common sense and decent equipment on your side.
Click to expand...

Respect electricity, not fear. I'm wondering what you do at home.

240v is not high voltage, basically the standard home voltage in Europe, Asia, Africa... most countries in the world. A $5 multimeter is CAT II, easily qualified to measure the voltage at home, and often does not have AC current measurements (That's when 'safety' maybe a concern).

For safety, you just go with CAT rating, our overactive lawsuits system definitely keeps the sellers honest. The basic Fluke 1xx series has 6000 count resolution. Cheaper DMMs often have 4000 count or less. I doubt a normal home user even need a multimeter with more than 2000 count.
 
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Rabid Badger

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visionguru said:
Respect electricity, not fear. I'm wondering what you do at home.

240v is not high voltage, basically the standard home voltage in Europe, Asia, Africa... most countries in the world. A $5 multimeter is CAT II, easily qualified to measure the voltage at home, and often does not have AC current measurements (That's when 'safety' maybe a concern).

For safety, you just go with CAT rating, our overactive lawsuits system definitely keeps the sellers honest. The basic Fluke 1xx series has 6000 count resolution. Cheaper DMMs often have 4000 count or less. I doubt a normal home user even need a multimeter with more than 2000 count.
Click to expand...

A CAT rating without an accompanying UL, CSA or Intertek certification is worthless.

Also, the OP asked for the best DMM in his price range, so perhaps we should make the slightest effort to give him what he's looking for?

Here you go, OP. Best bang for your buck with decent quality for $150:

http://www.ruby-electronics.com/store_item/DT-9939_Waterproof_Industrial_Wireless_USB_RMS_Multimeter_with_Capacitance_Frequency_Duty_Cycle
 
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shoeless

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visionguru said:
81sTLZKuu9L._AC_SL1500_.jpg

I have this, which is more than enough for using around home. I paid less than $50 for it.
Click to expand...

I had the same one. I stopped using it after it gave me bad capacitance readings when trying to diagnose a AC unit. It was replaced with a Fluke.
 
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californiaHank

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Fluke 77 IV. The least expensive American made Fluke.
Lifetime warranty (instead of the 3 years for the Asian made Flukes).
Good basic 'all arounder' multimeter - reliable, safe, decent precision, great ergonomics.
You'll like using it now, and when it's 20 years old, it will still beat its factory "1 year accuracy" specs.

You should be able to find a good used one for about $100, shipped, on eBay.

There are lots of cheaper alternatives, and many more expensive ones too, but IMHO, the 77 IV gives you about the best 'bang for the buck' of any general purpose DMM.
 
R

rlitman

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 18, 2010
Messages
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Location
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visionguru said:
...A $5 multimeter is CAT II, easily qualified to measure the voltage at home, and often does not have AC current measurements (That's when 'safety' maybe a concern).

For safety, you just go with CAT rating, our overactive lawsuits system definitely keeps the sellers honest...
Click to expand...

A Cat II rating is fine on residential branch circuits, but is iffy on a main panel. Also, lawsuits do not keep fly by night sellers honest.

Rabid Badger said:
A CAT rating without an accompanying UL, CSA or Intertek certification is worthless...
Click to expand...

Agreed.

shoeless said:
I had the same one. I stopped using it after it gave me bad capacitance readings when trying to diagnose a AC unit. It was replaced with a Fluke.
Click to expand...

Sounds like your batteries were dying and you didn't know.
 
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