Are Fluke Multimeters Worth The Substantial Extra Money?

[exmaxima1]

I've owned numerous meters over the years but prefer my Flukes. I bought my 87 many years ago at a Grainger sale for $100, and it still performs like new. I keep a 77 in the garage that I bought at a yard sale for $5 and it still works great.

Another thing is customer service. When I blew up my very old 75 testing a microwave oven (who knew there was a zillion volts on the magnetron?) Fluke sent me the replacement parts to fix it for free! AFAIK that meter is still in use at the factory I used to work at.

 

[BrandonV]

I'm looking for more features and better screen than the Fluke 100 series provides. If I went Fluke, I've narrowed it down to 116 or 117 (really 117) which is over $225. Hard to justify $225 when I can get everything except the ability to beat on it for $30-$50.

BTW, it appears that all of the Fluke models I'm considering are now made in China, which takes away another justification for spending 4X the money on Fluke.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Fluke brand and in our IT Services company (sold in 2019) we had over $50,000 of Fluke diagnostic and test equipment and it is all still in use today. But those days are over and I'm looking for a reliable multimeter to do work around the house and garage.

Honestly if I were you I'd probably look at the offerings from Klein. A MM700 or MM720 is going to be around $100 and will do everything the Fluke 117 can. As you've noted the lower offerings from Fluke are made in China and do not carry the lifetime warranty the 179 & 89 do. I leave a Klein in my vehicle for troubleshooting residential & commercial electrical issues for friends & family and in Arizona the car gets HOT. I wouldn't abuse my AEMC or Hioki like that.

I've even played around with a DM1000 from Ames/Harbor Freight and for most people the meter would serve them well.

The industry is saturated. Don't fret not buying the Fluke! Personally I'm not a fan of Flukes below the 179 series which do not carry the lifetime warranty and are not assembled in the USA.

I have a Hioki DT4256 that meets or exceeds what my Fluke 117 can do, it's made in Japan, has better safety and build quality than the Fluke and costs less.

 

[CoogarXR]

I've said it before, but if I'm being honest, I carry fluke equipment in my mobile bags not only because it's good stuff, but because it's kind of a status symbol. If you hire a guy to diagnose a half million dollar machine and he pulls out an orange harbor freight freebie meter, you would probably tell him to hit the road lol. So it garners a little respect in that regard.

But for around the house? Unless you are taking critical measurements, I would just get whatever is middle-of-the-road. While fluke meters are great, they are probably a little overkill for the home gamer. There are a million other "good" meters out there.

 

[cgrutt]

I still use my Fluke 77 that I bought in the late 1980s just keeps on running. I have a few others don't even recall brands but I reach for the Fluke almost every time I need it. I've been getting more involved past couple of years in doing my own work on my cars, which are also getting up there in years. I've been looking at the Fluke 88V as a replacement to the 77. It's a standard meter but most of what I work on is DC so true RMS is not really that important to me. The 88V has some nice features not ordinarily found on consumer grade DMMs but I'm really interested in the pulse width capability to diagnose injectors and some sensors found on cars. Made in USA and lifetime warranty are also attributes I personally find appealing and am willing to pay a premium for.

 

[Citation]

I'm looking for more features and better screen than the Fluke 100 series provides. If I went Fluke, I've narrowed it down to 116 or 117 (really 117) which is over $225. Hard to justify $225 when I can get everything except the ability to beat on it for $30-$50.

BTW, it appears that all of the Fluke models I'm considering are now made in China, which takes away another justification for spending 4X the money on Fluke.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Fluke brand and in our IT Services company (sold in 2019) we had over $50,000 of Fluke diagnostic and test equipment and it is all still in use today. But those days are over and I'm looking for a reliable multimeter to do work around the house and garage.

Sadly the Fluke 11x meters don't include Fluke's extremely useful touch hold feature. Most meters have a hold button that simply freezes the number on the screen (Fluke 117 included). However, a few companies, and most made in USA Flukes new and old have touch hold. You press the hold button, then touch the probes to the circuit. When the reading is stable the meter beeps. At that point you can pull the probes away and check your reading. Very helpful when you need to keep an eye on where your probes are going.
Since the 11x series don't have it I think the small Brymen meters (Greenlee DM-200, 210, 510 depending on if you need temp and true-RMS) are better options for less money.

 

[BrandonV]

It's probably also important to note that Fluke meters most people cite as being Made in the USA now state they are "Assembled in the USA with Global Materials" per FTC regulation.

Sad fact of life is most of the meter is sourced in China. The interior of the Fluke 289C (C is for the Chinese market) confirms that their flagship meter at least is probably just loosely assembled in the USA to receive the stamp.

 

[will335i]

I think the point has already been driven home that if you have a need for high accuracy and reliability then Flukes are absolutely worth it. In my previous job I quite literally trusted my life to my Fluke meters because electrical issues could lead to millions in lost time cost or an explosive going boom before it was suppose to.

I have my own 87v now mainly because I am use to it as it is what I was using almost daily but it is overkill for anything I am doing around the house.

 

[jayemm]

I'm looking for more features and better screen than the Fluke 100 series provides. If I went Fluke, I've narrowed it down to 116 or 117 (really 117) which is over $225. Hard to justify $225 when I can get everything except the ability to beat on it for $30-$50.

BTW, it appears that all of the Fluke models I'm considering are now made in China, which takes away another justification for spending 4X the money on Fluke.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Fluke brand and in our IT Services company (sold in 2019) we had over $50,000 of Fluke diagnostic and test equipment and it is all still in use today. But those days are over and I'm looking for a reliable multimeter to do work around the house and garage.

I sold my Fluke 115 and got the Uni T 61D+. It has a more readable display and a fold out stand that is much more stable (2 major piss-offs of the Fluke). Has Lo-Z (the NCV is worthless but not needed), Temp , uA and peak voltage that the Fluke lacked. Takes the small 6X25 ceramic fuses but easily changed in the battery compartment unlike the Fluke where you have to split the case( I know --safety-- but I don't work on high energy circuits ,nor need the $9 HRC fuses that I accidently blew twice). I paid ~$68 a couple years ago for mine . Actually exceeds my needs a little but nice to work with. Even came with a bit better leads than the Fluke. Just putting this out there.

https://meters.uni-trend.com/product/ut61plus-series/

 

[joel63]

I could not justify one, so I bought a TPI unit. I'm confident they supplied, or currently still do supply, snap on with meters. Not that snap on is the king of meters, but its.not going to be junk.

My logic was I'm mostly using a lab scope or my zeus as a volt meter, so why buy a fluke.

I found the Snap on EEDM504 to be a very reliable meter.
They recently changed the design of the 504.

 

[Steve_P]

I'm looking for more features and better screen than the Fluke 100 series provides. If I went Fluke, I've narrowed it down to 116 or 117 (really 117) which is over $225. Hard to justify $225 when I can get everything except the ability to beat on it for $30-$50.

BTW, it appears that all of the Fluke models I'm considering are now made in China, which takes away another justification for spending 4X the money on Fluke.

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE the Fluke brand and in our IT Services company (sold in 2019) we had over $50,000 of Fluke diagnostic and test equipment and it is all still in use today. But those days are over and I'm looking for a reliable multimeter to do work around the house and garage.

You've answered your own question, which I'm sure you knew all along: buy something cheaper unless you just want a Fluke and don't care to spend the extra $. Which I think I said in my initial post.

I think most here will agree that Fluke is the standard in industry and has been for at least 40 years; I've never seen an industrial electrician not using a Fluke. But for home use, you can get all you need, and more, for $30 now with the Astro AI you mentioned in your initial post. Buy that, and some nice leads and attachments from Probemaster with the $ you saved vs buying a Fluke and you're set.

I have two Flukes because I got the first one for free, I think a 73? almost 30 years ago, yikes, and I wanted an 87V 10-15 years ago- so I splurged and bought it. I didn't really need the 87V, but I got a great deal on it vs what it typically sold for- but obviously still a lot of $. With all the offerings available today, there's no way I'd even consider buying an 87V.

Fluke moved the lower cost models to China years ago- I don't think this was too long after Danaher bought them.

 

[will335i]

^ Agreed. I would be willing to bet the majority of us that have/use the nicer Fluke models didn't pay for them out of their own pocket. Myself included.

 

[Citation]

^ Agreed. I would be willing to bet the majority of us that have/use the nicer Fluke models didn't pay for them out of their own pocket. Myself included.

Or bought them on the used market.

 

[engineer2]

I bought a new Fluke 87V a couple of years ago based on their reputation. Even with the wife's work discount, it was still expensive. I wanted a portable meter with better accuracy and higher digit count. It's big, thick, and built like a tank. The design is a bit old-fashioned, but OK. For the most part it gathers dust on my shelf.
The meter I usually grab is a cheap Craftsman multimeter. It fits in your hand, works fine for common tasks, plus it has a battery test for 1.5 and 9V batteries.

 

[MovingAlong]

Are the meters worth it? Yes.

Are they worth it to you? My guess is no. If your tasks required a Fluke, you'd already have one.

As an electronics enthusiast/designer/builder, and troubleshooter of home & auto electrical systems, they aren't worth it to me either...

 

[GlennSullivan]

You've answered your own question, which I'm sure you knew all along: buy something cheaper unless you just want a Fluke and don't care to spend the extra $. Which I think I said in my initial post.

I think most here will agree that Fluke is the standard in industry and has been for at least 40 years; I've never seen an industrial electrician not using a Fluke. But for home use, you can get all you need, and more, for $30 now with the Astro AI you mentioned in your initial post. Buy that, and some nice leads and attachments from Probemaster with the $ you saved vs buying a Fluke and you're set.

I have two Flukes because I got the first one for free, I think a 73? almost 30 years ago, yikes, and I wanted an 87V 10-15 years ago- so I splurged and bought it. I didn't really need the 87V, but I got a great deal on it vs what it typically sold for- but obviously still a lot of $. With all the offerings available today, there's no way I'd even consider buying an 87V.

Fluke moved the lower cost models to China years ago- I don't think this was too long after Danaher bought them.

You are correct. I think I wanted someone to convince me that Fluke was worth the 4X price for my current intended use. I have, however, decided to upgrade a little from the original Astro AI to the UniT UT61E+ purchased as a kit PN UT161E. This is about $100 and by the time I got the Fluke 117 Kit, Id be in the low $300’s.

Shown below is the antique I’ve been using at home for the last 15 years (while I had all the high end Fluke equipment from our company as backup if needed). It has served me well in its limited capacity and will be transferred to our other property for continued service there. Thanks again for all of your valued input!

 

[cgrutt]

You are correct. I think I wanted someone to convince me that Fluke was worth the 4X price for my current intended use. I have, however, decided to upgrade a little from the original Astro AI to the UniT UT61E+ purchased as a kit PN UT161E. This is about $100 and by the time I got the Fluke 117 Kit, Id be in the low $300’s.

Shown below is the antique I’ve been using at home for the last 15 years (while I had all the high end Fluke equipment from our company as backup if needed). It has served me well in its limited capacity and will be transferred to our other property for continued service there. Thanks again for all of your valued input!

Wow that's an oldie is it Radio Shack? I might be able to beat that lol...

ETA ...yep old analog multimeter still works! And with original receipt purchased in 1985 when I was working in auto stereos and other electronics installations...

 

[will335i]

That's the curse of getting to use them at work. Then you want them for personal use.

 

[Xcursion88]

Yes they're worth it!

Tools are like this...

You DO get what you pay for.

Now that's a relative statement as in...

DO YOU NEED it to be worth it?

Only you can answer that.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Wow that's an oldie is it Radio Shack? I might be able to beat that lol...

ETA ...yep old analog multimeter still works! And with original receipt purchased in 1985 when I was working in auto stereos and other electronics installations...

Nanuet Mall. Spent lots of time in that area way back when. Lived then and still do in Northern Westchester. Are you still in the area and if so do you ever go to the Wednesday Bear Mountain Car Cruise at Bear Mountain Inn?

 

[cgrutt]

Nanuet Mall. Spent lots of time in that area way back when. Lived then and still do in Northern Westchester. Are you still in the area and if so do you ever go to the Wednesday Bear Mountain Car Cruise at Bear Mountain Inn?

Wow small world. Yes (unfortunately) I'm still in area (Rockland). I never heard of the BM Car Cruise but pass by BMI all the time. Have to read up about it but don't own any cars worthy of such an event lol.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Wow that's an oldie is it Radio Shack? I might be able to beat that lol...

ETA ...yep old analog multimeter still works! And with original receipt purchased in 1985 when I was working in auto stereos and other electronics installations...

That's the curse of getting to use them at work. Then you want them for personal use.

Don’t remember where I bought it, prolly radio shack. I purchased and used Fluke Networking and Electrical Test equipment exclusively from the mid 1990s through 2019 when we sold our company and yes I got spoiled buying and using the best.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Wow small world. Yes (unfortunately) I'm still in area (Rockland). I never heard of the BM Car Cruise but pass by BMI all the time. Have to read up about it but don't own any cars worthy of such an event lol.

Even if you don't bring a car to display, it is still a fun evening to go and walk around and look at somewhere between 500 and 900 cars on a Wednesday evening.

Bear Mountain Car Cruise - Home Page

Bear Mountain Car Cruise, Bear Mountain State Park, NY at Bear Mountain Inn every Wednesday from May through September (weather permitting). Classic Cars, Tuner Cars, Imported Cars, Motorcycles, and more! NY state's largest weekly car enthusiast event.

www.bearmountaincarcruise.org

 

[cgrutt]

Pretty sure Micronta was a Radio Shack brand. I bought my Fluke 77 shortly after the Analog meter and have been using it ever since.

 

[cgrutt]

Even if you don't bring a car to display, it is still a fun evening to go and walk around and look at somewhere between 500 and 900 cars on a Wednesday evening.

Wow 500 - 900 cars? Have to bring my son to it. Thanks.

 

[GlennSullivan]

Wow 500 - 900 cars? Have to bring my son to it. Thanks.

Everything from 1950’s to Exotics that rolled off the showroom floor last week. Get there at 4 and watch them roll in for hours or come at 6 and walk through endless rows of cars. Eat in the BMI restaurant or have hamburgers and hotdogs at the BBQ near show car entrance.

 

[Schurkey]

Fluke used to be worth the extra cost. Now, they're just as Chinese as the junk brands.

I bought a Mac-branded Fluke 88 (not 88V) in the middle-1990s. I think I paid $375 for it. I eventually had to replace the leads, so add another $30-ish. Add one hatefully-expensive fuse, some batteries, sales tax... Maybe I've got $500 in the thing altogether.

I've had it 29 years. I've paid $17.25 (probably less) per year of ownership.

About every five or seven years, I have to pull the display out, and run a pencil eraser over the contacts to get all the segments of the display to work at full darkness.

 

[cgrutt]

Fluke used to be worth the extra cost. Now, they're just as Chinese as the junk brands.

That may be true of their lower end meters but certainly not the case with their better meters. For example the 88V is Made in USA and carries lifetime warranty.

ETA from Fluke's website:

 

[dnschmidt]

Fluke exists at the behest of the U. S. Government. The military and a lot of other government entities require American made content (which as a taxpayer I don't mind) but for the homegamer there are thousands of better value for money options.

 

[jayemm]

You are correct. I think I wanted someone to convince me that Fluke was worth the 4X price for my current intended use. I have, however, decided to upgrade a little from the original Astro AI to the UniT UT61E+ purchased as a kit PN UT161E. This is about $100 and by the time I got the Fluke 117 Kit, Id be in the low $300’s.

Shown below is the antique I’ve been using at home for the last 15 years (while I had all the high end Fluke equipment from our company as backup if needed). It has served me well in its limited capacity and will be transferred to our other property for continued service there. Thanks again for all of your valued input!

That's a good price for the 161E since it has CE certification as opposed to the 61E+. Takes the bigger HRC fuses too. Don't know if you've seen Youtube videos of the 61E+ being tested (and abused and repaired) by a Joe Smith (he's tested a lot of meters -- to destruction on his website though not the fiery destruction that Fluke shows in their arc flash type videos). He does 4 or 5 segments on it. You can see the robust input protection it has(MOV's,PTC's etc.). The website also has a huge chart of models of different multimeters.

 

[CoogarXR]

You are correct. I think I wanted someone to convince me that Fluke was worth the 4X price for my current intended use. I have, however, decided to upgrade a little from the original Astro AI to the UniT UT61E+ purchased as a kit PN UT161E. This is about $100 and by the time I got the Fluke 117 Kit, Id be in the low $300’s.

Shown below is the antique I’ve been using at home for the last 15 years (while I had all the high end Fluke equipment from our company as backup if needed). It has served me well in its limited capacity and will be transferred to our other property for continued service there. Thanks again for all of your valued input!

Hey now, I still rock several Micronta meters, lol. I posted a couple fancy ones in this thread:

Fluke Addiction Thread

I don't think I've seen one here (searched a bit) but was posting somewhere else about Fluke stuff and took a picture of my kit...287 Meter, 325 Clamp, 1AC II Tester, TLK281 leads, C195 Bag. Anyone else here rocking a Fluke setup?

www.garagejournal.com

And my trusty mini Micronta:

Favorite small pocket multimeter?

Not that multimeters are particularly big, but there just seems to be a charm about a pocket multimeter. Let's see your small multimeters!

www.garagejournal.com

 

[Steve_P]

Fluke exists at the behest of the U. S. Government. The military and a lot of other government entities require American made content (which as a taxpayer I don't mind) but for the homegamer there are thousands of better value for money options.

There is no way that there are more Fluke products in use in the government than in industry and private hands. If you have proof, please post it. From your past posts, you said you worked in manufacturing in the past; what kind of meters were used where you worked? I'm betting Flukes, because they're the standard for industry because of quality, durability, and calibration- an extra $400 purchase cost doesn't matter over the life of the product in that case, especially if it saves someone from being injured or killed.

 

[CoogarXR]

There is no way that there are more Fluke products in use in the government than in industry and private hands. If you have proof, please post it. From your past posts, you said you worked in manufacturing in the past; what kind of meters were used where you worked? I'm betting Flukes, because they're the standard for industry because of quality, durability, and calibration- an extra $400 purchase cost doesn't matter over the life of the product in that case, especially if it saves someone from being injured or killed.

Just some anecdotal info- I did electronics/maintenance for a manufacturer who made parts for many of the auto manufacturers. The only qualification they had for our multimeters is that they 1) Be able to be calibrated, and 2) Held calibration. They had to be checked and re-certified every so often. I was just starting out back then, and I didn't own a Fluke. I had a no-name import, but it calibrated dead-on, and continued dead-on every checkup, so I was allowed to use it.

 

[BrandonV]

There is no way that there are more Fluke products in use in the government than in industry and private hands. If you have proof, please post it. From your past posts, you said you worked in manufacturing in the past; what kind of meters were used where you worked? I'm betting Flukes, because they're the standard for industry because of quality, durability, and calibration- an extra $400 purchase cost doesn't matter over the life of the product in that case, especially if it saves someone from being injured or killed.

The calibration is a major reason for sure. Good luck getting labs to want to touch some of the other players in the field who have products that far exceed anything Fluke offers. You'll get crickets. Calibrating high end multimeters is where you'll run into problems if you're not running a Fluke at least in the United States.

 

[cgrutt]

By no means an expert or doubt Fluke has contracts with US Govt but, just gut feeling, I would think multimeters represents a relatively small part of their overall business with networking, biomedical and other segments representing a much larger share of its business. They operate in more than 100 different countries (both manufacturing and distribution). They're owned by Fortive which had nearly $3 trillion in sales (of which Fluke represented about $3 Billion) and had no one customer (e.g. the US government) representing more than 5% of sales. My guess is multinational corporations make up Lion's share of Flukes business. They have been market leader in segments they operate in for more than 75 years.

 

[DemoFly]

You're not doing anything that requires accuracy within a millamp.

You do not need a $100 DVOM for continuity and reference voltage, lol. But again, it's not illegal to buy nice stuff if it's what you want to do.

 

[Wiz02]

Dad bought me a V77 when I graduated as an EE and bought himself a V72. When he passed, I got his V72. Both are now relegated to home use, but are still kicking 40 years later. Hard to argue with build quality like that, but I only have experience with Fluke.

 

[F-22]

Maybe also check out other higher end brands? I heard Sanwa from Japan is pretty good, and something like this is ~85$, probably still under 100$ with shipping. They also have cheaper models, and more higher end models.

 

[BrandonV]

Just realized Amazon has the Amprobe AM-530 for around $80. Amprobe and Fluke are both owned by Danaher.

 

[mwalsh9152]

My techs use Fluke 117 meters. I can justify making sure the meter is quality and accurate. For amp clamps, I cannot justify Fluke's cost for a DC clamp. All I need it for is reference, so as long as its in the ballpark, thats good for me. I bought this clamp for my lead tech. He signed off on its quality, so I have bought several since with no complaint.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08CX6VHWV/?tag=atomicindus08-20

If you go in my very seldom used tool bag, you will find a Fluke 87V and Fluke amp clamp. Mine were ordered though our parts dept at the company I used to work for before we were "traded"

I would have a very hard time justifying Fluke cost for home use. When I was a heavy truck road tech years ago, I used the cheapest meter I could find for checking alternators, and it worked just fine for that. I still have it kicking around somewhere.

 

[MBfreak]

Fluke definitely worth the price. All of them.

Ola