DC-capable clamp meters that are cheaper than Flukes?

[hifi_hokie]

I have a DMM that's part of my off-road toolkit, but I realize I have nothing to measure the kind of DC current that could be found in a vehicle; I'm thinking about adding a DC-capable clamp meter to the kit. Now, it seems like AC-only ones are a lot more common, but does anyone know of a decent clamp meter that's maybe a step above Harbor Freight grade, but also not the $260+ of a Fluke? Extech, perhaps? (http://www.extech.com/resources/MA200_220.pdf)

Thanks!

 

[rlitman]

Yes. Klein. They're sold at HD. But unless you're looking at starting or charging current, these type of DC clamp meters aren't all that useful. The current in individual circuits in a vehicle requires a more specialized kind of clamp meter to read.

 

[Brownsfan]

I use the Klein CL-2000 and its been great. Also have the standard MM2000 standard DMM. I have had both for going on 4 years now being used almost daily with no issues. Both were bought at home depot.

 

[bw77]

I have been using this Uni-T UT210E clamp meter, and I like it.
I have compared AC current readings to my Fieldpiece meter,
and they are very close. It's the only DC clamp I have.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O1Q2HOQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[texasprd]

It depends on what you want to use it for. As rlitman said, it depends on what you want to diagnose with it. The Extechs you linked to above are ok for for rough starter draw tests (they wont show the initial draw which is much higher than the sustained cranking draw), unless you have a diesel or something that pulls more than 400 amps. They are probably ok for checking charging current. If you want to find a parasitic draw or do current-ramping on ignition coils or fuel pumps, they are nowhere near appropriate (look on AESWave.com: http://www.aeswave.com/Current-Probes-c414/ for low-range current probes that you use with an automotive labscope/graphing multimeter)

 

[AE2]

I HAD a craftsman, I'm not sure exactly what model. It looked like this.

I would NOT recommend it. AC current wasn't anywhere close to the reading on my fluke. Don't remember ever using DC on the clamp.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have been using this Uni-T UT210E clamp meter, and I like it.
I have compared AC current readings to my Fieldpiece meter,
and they are very close. It's the only DC clamp I have.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00O1Q2HOQ/?tag=atomicindus08-20

For <$35 and includes capacitance measurement ! That is a smoking deal !!!

 

[kblee27]

The Extech looks likes the Craftsman I had.
I use the Craftsman frequently to check for leakage current in a car.
It may not be very precise, but it's good enough to differentiate between normal and high leakage.
The only problem was the label wearing out and I put a marker on the DC current point.

 

[Olafur]

I have worked with a meter very similar looking to the Extech /Craftsman pictured above but from different brand I believe. (cant actually remember). If memory serves the DC Clamp is not useful at lower amps and in addition I found the milliamp readings in said meter to be shaky to say the least. Granted it's been thrown around a busy shop for several years. Grain of salt and all that..

Not sure what you want to measure or range. But I can share my experience with cheap amp-probes from AESwave since I have two of them.

I have the cheapest "generic brand" 40 (60?)Amp probe
http://www.aeswave.com/Current-Probe-Low-range-with-Banana-Plugs-p9501.html

You can plug this into your AVO meter and use the volt scale to measure the output from the probe and translate that to amps - very easy if you understand whats going on, but can be confusing....

I find this probe to be decent to measure great many things and it seems quite accurate if zeroed proplerly. However using it with Scope on running engines is bit difficult because it picks up plenty of noise and triggering can be troublesome. I made the mistake buying it with banana plugs instead of BNC connector. BNC would be better with scope.

I also have this 600A "generic brand" current probe:
http://www.aeswave.com/Current-Probe-High-range-Generic-brand-p8480.html
Same story you can plug this into your AVO or scope and measure the voltage output of the probe and translate it to amps. This one I actually like a lot. I have done several indirect compression tests with it with scope and I have also used it to trace down battery leakage. The big clamp can bite around big wire looms and give you an idea whats going on if you are tracing a leak. So you don't necessarily have to open the loom to figure out in what corner of the car/truck the troublemaker is hiding. It can very easily distinguish between zero current and 1-2 amps. Thats not bad for a cheap 600 amp probe!

Whatever you buy - it's always the same story when troubleshooting electric circuits - know the measuring device you are using, double check it back and forth until you are comfortable with it and confident in your measurements. I mention this because I have loaned some buddies these probes and the extra layer of complexity of not being able to read out the amps directly from the meter has puzzled few of them. Perhaps not the right tool for the job for a DIY guy stuck on the side of the road somewhere!?

 

[FigureItOut]

I have this, and like the first reviewer, I feel like it shouldn't really exist at this price.

I've tested it all across the 1-10 amp range against my Fluke and found it to agree within 10 milliamps, which is accurate enough for my purposes. I've no idea how accurate it is in higher amperages. One thing I really like is the clamp is smaller than most I've seen, I can usually get it around a single wire within a bundle with limited disassembly.

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

 

[skruft]

Amprobe clamp meters are a common, quality brand.

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have the cheapest "generic brand" 40 (60?)Amp probe
http://www.aeswave.com/Current-Probe-Low-range-with-Banana-Plugs-p9501.html

Same one is sold on Amazon. Manufacture/distributor is PDI.

I also have this 600A "generic brand" current probe:
http://www.aeswave.com/Current-Probe-High-range-Generic-brand-p8480.html

I can see you are very knowledgeable by having 2 different sizes, because the big ones are not typically very accurate at low currents.


Anyone use the one - GTC CM100 1 mA to 100 Amps


EDIT : Uni-T 210E accuracy vs GTC CM100 vs Fluke

 

[rlitman]

... by having 2 different sizes, because the big ones are not typically very accurate at low currents...

The bigger ones have two shortcomings. First, they are simply less accurate at lower currents. My 600A clamp is absolutely worthless below 1A. But another thing is that they're bigger. Larger clamps should be marked with alignment lines, and the wire you're measuring should be centered on the lines. If I leave my meter hanging from the wire, the large open space between the jaws means that the wire is far from the center, and I've seen the measurement off by as much as 15% because of this (that's still generally acceptable for my purposes most times).